The Galicia-oriented artistic legacy of Karol Mikuli

Abstract

Karol Mikuli (1821–1897) – Polish pianist, composer, and educator. He studied piano under Franciszek Kolberg, and after moving to Paris, further honed his musical skills under the guidance of Frédéric Chopin. As the director of the Galician Music Society, he promoted cultural awareness by organizing musical evenings, lectures and concerts. Additionally, he directed the music school affiliated with the Society, which gained the status of a conservatory during his tenure as director. Performing in Lviv, he promoted Chopin’s works, continuing his compositional and stylistic ideas. Among his compositions are both virtuosic pieces and genres emblematic of the Romantic era (including Ballade in B-flat major, Op. 21, and Nocturnes, Op. 19), as well as works inspired by native folklore and national traditions, e.g., Mazurkas, Polonaises and Songs of the Polish People, which are arrangements of selected folk melodies collected by Oskar Kolberg. This article is an attempt to examine the sources of the creation of this cycle and to identify disparities from the original through an analysis of the musical notation based on historical materials.