Jozef Deszczynski Œuvres pour piano choisies Lawrynowicz - AP0572 73 - Acte Préalable

Józef Deszczynski was born in Vilnius, in 1781, when Europe was dominated by the classical influences of Vienna. The exact date of the composer’s birth is unknown. In his dictionary, Wojciech Albert Sowinski, when mentioning Deszczynski stated that ’through music he came off favourably’2. Simultaneously he was both a teacher and composer, but also a conductor of instrumental ensembles. He was one of the initiators and bandleaders of the amateur orchestra in Horodyszcze near Minsk3. From 1811 until nearly his death, he conducted an ensemble established by Ludwik Rokicki. He died in 1844 in Horodyszcze. Despite his untimely death, he left a large musical legacy, inscribing in the conventions of his time. His symphonic works contain four overtures and three piano concertos with the accompaniment of an orchestra. It is also worth mentioning three marches dedicated for wind orchestra, which may indicate an ensemble of such cast led by the composer. Honorary mention goes to the Piano Quartet in A minor op. 39, dedicated to Józef Elsner, since it is unique – one of the few early examples of this genre in Polish literature. Similarly to most works of the time, Deszczynski’s legacy was also dominated by piano literature.