Paul Kochanski
Encyclopedia
Paul Kochanski (14 September 1887 – 12 January 1934) was a Polish
violin
ist, composer
and arranger
.
, Russia
, he studied violin first with his father and then at age 7 in Odessa
with Emil Młynarski, whose teacher had been Leopold Auer
. In 1898 Młynarski went to Warsaw
, and when, three years later in 1901, he founded the Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra, he summoned Kochanski, then aged 14, to be Concertmaster
. He also took charge of Kochanski's upbringing and education, treating him like a son, and stating that he believed he would become a world-class soloist. In 1903, with sponsorship from leading Warsaw families arranged by Młynarski, Kochanski went to Brussels
to study with César Thomson
at the Brussels Conservatoire
. There, after four months, he received the Premier prix avec la plus grande distinction (First prize, with the greatest distinction).
It was at this point, as he was beginning his itinerant virtuoso career, that he met Arthur Rubinstein
, through the invitation of Juliusz Wertheim
. They immediately realised their shared musical sympathies, but the friendship, rich with youthful energy, really took off in 1907 with their concerts for the Warsaw Philharmonic, including duo performances of the Kreutzer sonata
and Tchaikovsky
's Piano Trio
with the cellist J. Sabelik. In 1908, with Jozef Jaroszyński (a patron of Kochanski's), they made a triumphant tour of European capitals, including Berlin
, Paris
, London
and Karlsbad, and in 1908-9 Kochanski and Rubinstein performed the Franck
violin sonata
, the Kreutzer again, and a Brahms
trio (with Eli Kochański, cellist, Paul's gifted brother) for the Warsaw Philharmonic.
's Violin Sonata in D minor. Their participation, with their friend Szymanowski, in the movement known as Young Poland
, helped to promote more progressive musical attitudes in Warsaw. In 1911, Kochanski married Zosia Kohn (who had previously held a hopeless passion for Juliusz Wertheim). His father-in-law, a lawyer, bought him a Stradivarius
violin for his wedding present. Szymanowski dedicated his Violin Concerto No. 1
in 1916 to Kochanski, who contributed the cadenza
.
In 1913-1914 in London, Rubinstein introduced Kochanski to the music-room of Paul and Muriel Draper, to which they also introduced Szymanowski, and where Paul met Igor Stravinsky
. In this circle they were often with Pablo Casals
, Jacques Thibaud
, Lionel Tertis
, Pierre Monteux
and others. Stravinsky dedicated a transcription for violin and piano of three pieces from The Firebird
to Kochanski. Kochanski participated in two of Rubinstein's recitals at the Bechstein Hall in 1914, one of which was devoted entirely to contemporary music.
In 1916 he succeeded Leopold Auer
, teaching at the Saint Petersburg Conservatory
until 1918; during that time he became friends with Sergei Prokofiev
and gave the composer some assistance on matters of technique for the solo part of his Violin Concerto No. 1
. He moved on to teach at the Kiev Conservatory
from 1919 to 1920.
. In London they were reunited with Szymanowski, with whom Paul and Zosia also spent time in Brighton
. Kochanski and Szymanowski gave a joint recital at the Wigmore Hall in January 1921, and a few weeks later the four set off for New York City
. They were awaited by Paul Draper and George Engels (Kochanski's American manager) and were rapidly received into musical circles, Kochanski and Rubinstein giving the world premiere of Ernest Bloch
's Violin Sonata No. 1 soon afterwards. Kochanski made a sensational debut in the Brahms
Violin Concerto
at the Carnegie Hall
, and was immediately in demand. The four returned to England, but went back to New York in autumn 1921. In April 1922 Kochanski was playing in Buenos Aires
.
From this point Kochanski's career was based in New York. He taught at the Juilliard School
from 1924, heading the violin faculty, until his death from cancer
at age 47 in 1934. In 1933, when he was already dying, he helped Szymanowski complete his Second Violin Concerto and gave the premiere: when published (after Kochanski's death) the score bore a moving dedication to him. A non-religious ceremony was held at the school, attended by 1,500 people: his pall-bearers included Arturo Toscanini
, Frank Damrosch
, Walter Damrosch, Jascha Heifetz
, Vladimir Horowitz
, Fritz Kreisler
, Serge Koussevitzky, Leopold Stokowski
and Efrem Zimbalist
.
According to Rubinstein, who loved him as his dearest friend, Kochanski liked straightforward people, played cards and sometimes spoke roughly. He could be abrupt, impatient or rude, and could get angry and walk out, slamming doors behind him.
in Warsaw
contains the Paweł Kochański Manuscript Collection. The Polish Ministry of Culture and National Heritage funded the purchase of his written creative work from Sotheby's
New York
in December 1988 for the Library.
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
violin
Violin
The violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
ist, composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
and arranger
Arranger
In investment banking, an arranger is a provider of funds in the syndication of a debt. They are entitled to syndicate the loan or bond issue, and may be referred to as the "lead underwriter". This is because this entity bears the risk of being able to sell the underlying securities/debt or the...
.
Training and early career
Born Paweł Kochański in OrelOryol
Oryol or Orel is a city and the administrative center of Oryol Oblast, Russia, located on the Oka River, approximately south-southwest of Moscow...
, Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
, he studied violin first with his father and then at age 7 in Odessa
Odessa
Odessa or Odesa is the administrative center of the Odessa Oblast located in southern Ukraine. The city is a major seaport located on the northwest shore of the Black Sea and the fourth largest city in Ukraine with a population of 1,029,000 .The predecessor of Odessa, a small Tatar settlement,...
with Emil Młynarski, whose teacher had been Leopold Auer
Leopold Auer
Leopold Auer was a Hungarian violinist, teacher, conductor and composer.-Early life and career:...
. In 1898 Młynarski went to Warsaw
Warsaw
Warsaw is the capital and largest city of Poland. It is located on the Vistula River, roughly from the Baltic Sea and from the Carpathian Mountains. Its population in 2010 was estimated at 1,716,855 residents with a greater metropolitan area of 2,631,902 residents, making Warsaw the 10th most...
, and when, three years later in 1901, he founded the Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra, he summoned Kochanski, then aged 14, to be Concertmaster
Concertmaster
The concertmaster/mistress is the spalla or leader, of the first violin section of an orchestra. In the UK, the term commonly used is leader...
. He also took charge of Kochanski's upbringing and education, treating him like a son, and stating that he believed he would become a world-class soloist. In 1903, with sponsorship from leading Warsaw families arranged by Młynarski, Kochanski went to Brussels
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
to study with César Thomson
César Thomson
César Thomson was a Belgian violinist, teacher and composer.He was born in Liège in 1857. At age seven, he entered the Liège Conservatory of Music, and studied under Jacques Dupuis and Lambert Massart. By age 16, he was considered to have "a technique unrivalled by any other violinist then living"...
at the Brussels Conservatoire
Koninklijk Conservatorium (Brussels)
The Royal Conservatory of Brussels is a drama and music college in Brussels, Belgium. An academy for acting and the arts, it has been attended by many of the top actors and actresses in Belgium such as Josse De Pauw, Luk van Mello and Luk De Konink....
. There, after four months, he received the Premier prix avec la plus grande distinction (First prize, with the greatest distinction).
It was at this point, as he was beginning his itinerant virtuoso career, that he met Arthur Rubinstein
Arthur Rubinstein
Arthur Rubinstein KBE was a Polish-American pianist. He received international acclaim for his performances of the music of a variety of composers...
, through the invitation of Juliusz Wertheim
Juliusz Wertheim
Juliusz Edward Wertheim , sometimes known as Jules Wertheim, was a Polish pianist, conductor and composer, a member of a prominent family, who had a significant influence on the career of Arthur Rubinstein....
. They immediately realised their shared musical sympathies, but the friendship, rich with youthful energy, really took off in 1907 with their concerts for the Warsaw Philharmonic, including duo performances of the Kreutzer sonata
Violin Sonata No. 9 (Beethoven)
Violin Sonata No. 9 in A major, commonly known as the Kreutzer Sonata, is a violin sonata which Ludwig van Beethoven published as his Opus 47...
and Tchaikovsky
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (Russian: Пётр Ильи́ч Чайко́вский ; often "Peter Ilich Tchaikovsky" in English. His names are also transliterated "Piotr" or "Petr"; "Ilitsch", "Il'ich" or "Illyich"; and "Tschaikowski", "Tschaikowsky", "Chajkovskij"...
's Piano Trio
Piano Trio (Tchaikovsky)
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky's Piano Trio in A minor, Op. 50, was written in Rome between December 1881 and late January 1882. It is subtitled In memory of a great artist, in reference to Nikolai Rubinstein, his close friend and mentor, who had died on 23 March 1881...
with the cellist J. Sabelik. In 1908, with Jozef Jaroszyński (a patron of Kochanski's), they made a triumphant tour of European capitals, including Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
, Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
and Karlsbad, and in 1908-9 Kochanski and Rubinstein performed the Franck
César Franck
César-Auguste-Jean-Guillaume-Hubert Franck was a composer, pianist, organist, and music teacher who worked in Paris during his adult life....
violin sonata
Violin Sonata (Franck)
The Sonata in A major for Violin and Piano by César Franck is one of his best known compositions, and considered one of the finest sonatas for violin and piano ever written...
, the Kreutzer again, and a Brahms
Johannes Brahms
Johannes Brahms was a German composer and pianist, and one of the leading musicians of the Romantic period. Born in Hamburg, Brahms spent much of his professional life in Vienna, Austria, where he was a leader of the musical scene...
trio (with Eli Kochański, cellist, Paul's gifted brother) for the Warsaw Philharmonic.
Pre-war career
From 1909 to 1911 Kochanski taught at the Warsaw Conservatory as professor of violin. In 1909 he and Rubinstein gave the first performance of Karol SzymanowskiKarol Szymanowski
Karol Maciej Szymanowski was a Polish composer and pianist.-Life:Szymanowski was born into a wealthy land-owning Polish gentry family in Tymoszówka, then in the Russian Empire, now in Cherkasy Oblast, Ukraine. He studied music privately with his father before going to Gustav Neuhaus'...
's Violin Sonata in D minor. Their participation, with their friend Szymanowski, in the movement known as Young Poland
Young Poland
Young Poland is a modernist period in Polish visual arts, literature and music, covering roughly the years between 1890 and 1918. It was a result of strong aesthetic opposition to the ideas of Positivism...
, helped to promote more progressive musical attitudes in Warsaw. In 1911, Kochanski married Zosia Kohn (who had previously held a hopeless passion for Juliusz Wertheim). His father-in-law, a lawyer, bought him a Stradivarius
Stradivarius
The name Stradivarius is associated with violins built by members of the Stradivari family, particularly Antonio Stradivari. According to their reputation, the quality of their sound has defied attempts to explain or reproduce, though this belief is controversial...
violin for his wedding present. Szymanowski dedicated his Violin Concerto No. 1
Violin Concerto No. 1 (Szymanowski)
Karol Szymanowski’s Violin Concerto No. 1, Op. 35, is considered one of the first modern violin concertos. It rejects traditional tonality and romantic aesthetics....
in 1916 to Kochanski, who contributed the cadenza
Cadenza
In music, a cadenza is, generically, an improvised or written-out ornamental passage played or sung by a soloist or soloists, usually in a "free" rhythmic style, and often allowing for virtuosic display....
.
In 1913-1914 in London, Rubinstein introduced Kochanski to the music-room of Paul and Muriel Draper, to which they also introduced Szymanowski, and where Paul met Igor Stravinsky
Igor Stravinsky
Igor Fyodorovich Stravinsky ; 6 April 1971) was a Russian, later naturalized French, and then naturalized American composer, pianist, and conductor....
. In this circle they were often with Pablo Casals
Pablo Casals
Pau Casals i Defilló , known during his professional career as Pablo Casals, was a Spanish Catalan cellist and conductor. He is generally regarded as the pre-eminent cellist of the first half of the 20th century, and one of the greatest cellists of all time...
, Jacques Thibaud
Jacques Thibaud
Jacques Thibaud was a French violinist.Thibaud was born in Bordeaux and studied the violin with his father before entering the Paris Conservatoire at the age of thirteen. In 1896 he jointly won the conservatory's violin prize with Pierre Monteux...
, Lionel Tertis
Lionel Tertis
Lionel Tertis, CBE was an English violist and one of the first viola players to find international fame.Tertis was born in West Hartlepool, the son of Polish-Jewish immigrants, and initially studied the violin in Leipzig and at the Royal Academy of Music in London...
, Pierre Monteux
Pierre Monteux
Pierre Monteux was an orchestra conductor. Born in Paris, France, Monteux later became an American citizen.-Life and career:Monteux was born in Paris in 1875. His family was descended from Sephardi Jews who came to France in the wake of the Spanish Inquisition. He studied violin from an early age,...
and others. Stravinsky dedicated a transcription for violin and piano of three pieces from The Firebird
The Firebird
The Firebird is a 1910 ballet created by the composer Igor Stravinsky and choreographer Michel Fokine. The ballet is based on Russian folk tales of the magical glowing bird of the same name that is both a blessing and a curse to its captor....
to Kochanski. Kochanski participated in two of Rubinstein's recitals at the Bechstein Hall in 1914, one of which was devoted entirely to contemporary music.
In 1916 he succeeded Leopold Auer
Leopold Auer
Leopold Auer was a Hungarian violinist, teacher, conductor and composer.-Early life and career:...
, teaching at the Saint Petersburg Conservatory
Saint Petersburg Conservatory
The N. A. Rimsky-Korsakov Saint Petersburg State Conservatory is a music school in Saint Petersburg. In 2004, the conservatory had around 275 faculty members and 1,400 students.-History:...
until 1918; during that time he became friends with Sergei Prokofiev
Sergei Prokofiev
Sergei Sergeyevich Prokofiev was a Russian composer, pianist and conductor who mastered numerous musical genres and is regarded as one of the major composers of the 20th century...
and gave the composer some assistance on matters of technique for the solo part of his Violin Concerto No. 1
Violin Concerto No. 1 (Prokofiev)
Sergei Prokofiev began his Violin Concerto No. 1 in D major, opus 19, as a concertino in 1915 but soon abandoned it to work on his opera The Gambler. He returned to the concerto in the summer of 1917. It premiered on October 18, 1923 at the Paris Opera with Marcel Darrieux playing the violin part...
. He moved on to teach at the Kiev Conservatory
Kiev Conservatory
The Tchaikovsky National Academy of Music is a Ukrainian state institution of higher music education. Its courses include postgraduate education.-History:...
from 1919 to 1920.
London and New York, 1920-1934
In 1920 he lived briefly in London, and gave a joint recital with Rubinstein at the Wigmore HallWigmore Hall
Wigmore Hall is a leading international recital venue that specialises in hosting performances of chamber music and is best known for classical recitals of piano, song and instrumental music. It is located at 36 Wigmore Street, London, UK and was built to provide London with a venue that was both...
. In London they were reunited with Szymanowski, with whom Paul and Zosia also spent time in Brighton
Brighton
Brighton is the major part of the city of Brighton and Hove in East Sussex, England on the south coast of Great Britain...
. Kochanski and Szymanowski gave a joint recital at the Wigmore Hall in January 1921, and a few weeks later the four set off for New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. They were awaited by Paul Draper and George Engels (Kochanski's American manager) and were rapidly received into musical circles, Kochanski and Rubinstein giving the world premiere of Ernest Bloch
Ernest Bloch
Ernest Bloch was a Swiss-born American composer.-Life:Bloch was born in Geneva and began playing the violin at age 9. He began composing soon afterwards. He studied music at the conservatory in Brussels, where his teachers included the celebrated Belgian violinist Eugène Ysaÿe...
's Violin Sonata No. 1 soon afterwards. Kochanski made a sensational debut in the Brahms
Johannes Brahms
Johannes Brahms was a German composer and pianist, and one of the leading musicians of the Romantic period. Born in Hamburg, Brahms spent much of his professional life in Vienna, Austria, where he was a leader of the musical scene...
Violin Concerto
Violin Concerto (Brahms)
Violin Concerto in D major, Op. 77 is a violin concerto in three movements composed by Johannes Brahms in 1878 and dedicated to his friend, the violinist Joseph Joachim...
at the Carnegie Hall
Carnegie Hall
Carnegie Hall is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City, United States, located at 881 Seventh Avenue, occupying the east stretch of Seventh Avenue between West 56th Street and West 57th Street, two blocks south of Central Park....
, and was immediately in demand. The four returned to England, but went back to New York in autumn 1921. In April 1922 Kochanski was playing in Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina, and the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the western shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent...
.
From this point Kochanski's career was based in New York. He taught at the Juilliard School
Juilliard School
The Juilliard School, located at the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in New York City, United States, is a performing arts conservatory which was established in 1905...
from 1924, heading the violin faculty, until his death from cancer
Cancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
at age 47 in 1934. In 1933, when he was already dying, he helped Szymanowski complete his Second Violin Concerto and gave the premiere: when published (after Kochanski's death) the score bore a moving dedication to him. A non-religious ceremony was held at the school, attended by 1,500 people: his pall-bearers included Arturo Toscanini
Arturo Toscanini
Arturo Toscanini was an Italian conductor. One of the most acclaimed musicians of the late 19th and 20th century, he was renowned for his intensity, his perfectionism, his ear for orchestral detail and sonority, and his photographic memory...
, Frank Damrosch
Frank Damrosch
Frank Heino Damrosch was a German-born American music conductor and educator.-Biography:He was born on June 22, 1859 in Breslau, and came to the United States with his father, Leopold Damrosch, and brother, Walter Damrosch in 1871. He had studied music in Germany under Dionys Pruckner. He studied...
, Walter Damrosch, Jascha Heifetz
Jascha Heifetz
Jascha Heifetz was a violinist, born in Vilnius, then Russian Empire, now Lithuania. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest violinists of all time.- Early life :...
, Vladimir Horowitz
Vladimir Horowitz
Vladimir Samoylovich Horowitz was a Russian-American classical virtuoso pianist and minor composer. His technique and use of tone color and the excitement of his playing were legendary. He is widely considered one of the greatest pianists of the 20th century.-Life and early...
, Fritz Kreisler
Fritz Kreisler
Friedrich "Fritz" Kreisler was an Austrian-born violinist and composer. One of the most famous violin masters of his or any other day, he was known for his sweet tone and expressive phrasing. Like many great violinists of his generation, he produced a characteristic sound which was immediately...
, Serge Koussevitzky, Leopold Stokowski
Leopold Stokowski
Leopold Anthony Stokowski was a British-born, naturalised American orchestral conductor, well known for his free-hand performing style that spurned the traditional baton and for obtaining a characteristically sumptuous sound from many of the great orchestras he conducted.In America, Stokowski...
and Efrem Zimbalist
Efrem Zimbalist
Efrem Zimbalist, Sr. was one of the world's most prominent concert violinists, as well as a composer, teacher, conductor and a long-time director of the Curtis Institute of Music.-Early life:...
.
According to Rubinstein, who loved him as his dearest friend, Kochanski liked straightforward people, played cards and sometimes spoke roughly. He could be abrupt, impatient or rude, and could get angry and walk out, slamming doors behind him.
Accolade
Dr. John Erskin, the dean of The Juilliard School, said of him,"Magnificent his [Kochanski's] playing and teaching were, I think he was a bigger man than we had yet realized. His influence and his fame were only beginning. Had he lived, I believed he would have distinguished himself in compositions, to which his attention was turning."
Manuscript Collection
The Music Department of Poland's National LibraryNational library
A national library is a library specifically established by the government of a country to serve as the preeminent repository of information for that country. Unlike public libraries, these rarely allow citizens to borrow books...
in Warsaw
Warsaw
Warsaw is the capital and largest city of Poland. It is located on the Vistula River, roughly from the Baltic Sea and from the Carpathian Mountains. Its population in 2010 was estimated at 1,716,855 residents with a greater metropolitan area of 2,631,902 residents, making Warsaw the 10th most...
contains the Paweł Kochański Manuscript Collection. The Polish Ministry of Culture and National Heritage funded the purchase of his written creative work from Sotheby's
Sotheby's
Sotheby's is the world's fourth oldest auction house in continuous operation.-History:The oldest auction house in operation is the Stockholms Auktionsverk founded in 1674, the second oldest is Göteborgs Auktionsverk founded in 1681 and third oldest being founded in 1731, all Swedish...
New York
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
in December 1988 for the Library.