Henryk Melcer-Szczawiski

Henryk Melcer-Szczawiński (25 July 1869 – 18 April 1928) was a Polish composer, pianist, conductor, and music educator. He served as the Director of the Warsaw Conservatorium from 1922 until his death in 1928, which reportedly occurred while he was giving a lesson. Among his students was the composer and pianist Jadwiga Sarnecka. Melcer-Szczawiński's works include orchestral pieces such as two piano concertos (one in e minor and another in c minor) composed between 1892-4 and 1898, respectively, and a symphony in c minor. His stage work *"Protesilas i Laodamia"* (1902), with a libretto by Stanisław Wyspiański, is a tragedy. In chamber music, he composed the Violin Sonata in G Major (1907), Piano Trio in g minor (likely from 1892-4), Dumka for Violin and Piano, and Canon for Violin, Cello, and Piano (1890). His piano works include *"Trois Morceaux Caractéristiques Op. 5"*, *"Morceau fantastique"* (Phantasiestück), an étude in D major (Op. 8), a nocturne in A major, a prelude in C major, a fugue in C-sharp minor, and variations on a Polish folk theme. Melcer-Szczawiński's works have been recorded; both piano concertos were previously released on Olympia and Muza labels, and re-recorded by Hyperion in 2007. The Violin Sonata, Dumka, and Piano Trio (Op. 2) were recorded by the Warsaw Trio, while his piano works were recorded by Matti Asikainen for AP label. Sources include historical studies on Chopin's legacy, biographies of Melcer-Szczawiński, and online archives such as the Library of Congress Catalog and Polish digital libraries like Polona. Free ...