Krzysztof Komeda: Difference between revisions

 

==Biography==

He was born Krzysztof Trzciński on 27 April 1931 in Poznań to father Mieczysław and mother Zenobia (née Gębicka).<ref name="naszahist">{{Cite web |url=https://naszahistoria.pl/krzysztof-komeda-poznanski-laryngolog-i-swiatowy-jazzman/ar/9953668 |language=pl |title=Krzysztof Komeda: Poznański laryngolog i światowy jazzman |website=naszahistoria.pl |author=Katarzyna Sklepik, Marek Zaradniak |date=13 May 2016 |access-date=22 December 2024}}</ref> He chose Komeda as his [[stage name]] only upon graduation from university as a means of distancing himself as a jazz musician from his daytime job in a medical clinic.<ref>Małgorzata Kosińska, [https://culture.pl/en/artist/krzysztof-komeda Krzysztof Komeda] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131103110201/http://www.culture.pl/web/english/resources-music-full-page/-/eo_event_asset_publisher/eAN5/content/krzysztof-komeda |date=2013-11-03 }} at Culture.pl website, Polish Music Information Center.</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/krzysztof-komeda-mn0000775684|title=Krzysztof Komeda Songs, Albums, Reviews, Bio & More|website=[[AllMusic]]|access-date=24 September 2021}}</ref>

 

In the thirteen years after the I Sopot Jazz Festival, the artistic personality of Krzysztof Trzciński became more mature, crystallized and lyrically poetic. Komeda was a constantly searching poet who could find ways of individual expression of himself within jazz, Slavic lyricism, European sensibility and in the traditions of Polish music.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://culture.pl/en/work/astigmatic-krzysztof-komeda-quintet |title=Astigmatic - Krzysztof Komeda Quintet |website=culture.pl |access-date=22 December 2024}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://thevinylfactory.com/features/vf-mix-155-krzysztof-komeda-by-eabs/ |title=The singular sound of Polish jazz |website=thevinylfactory.com |author=Anton Spice |date=22 November 2018 |access-date=22 December 2024}}</ref>

 

[[File:Krzysztof Komeda Poznań.jpg|thumb|upright|Krzysztof Komeda, fragment of commemorative plaque in [[Poznań]]]]

The years 1956–1962 saw Komeda with his group taking part in domestic festivals and preparing ambitious programs. These were also the years of his first foreign successes in Moscow, Grenoble and Paris. A "Jazz and Poetry" programme was prepared for Jazz Jamboree '60, and later in [[Warsaw Philharmonic]]. Komeda's adventure with film music also began by this time. Scores for the films of [[Roman Polanski]] such as ''[[Knife in the Water (film)|Knife in the Water]]'' (1962), of [[Andrzej Wajda]] such as ''[[Innocent Sorcerers]]'' (1960), and of [[Janusz Morgenstern]] ''Good Bye, Till Tomorrow'' (also 1960) were created.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.famousfix.com/list/films-scored-by-krzysztof-komeda |title=Films scored by Krzysztof Komeda |website=famousfix.com |access-date=22 December 2024}}</ref> This period, which in Komeda's artistic biography can be called the period of growing up and improving his own music language, was crowned with "Ballet Etudes" performed on Jazz Jamboree ’62. Although the reaction of domestic critics for the Etudes was rather cold, it opened the doors to Europe for Komeda.

Komeda visited Scandinavia for the first time in spring 1960, and he went back there every year thereafter. All of his performances at the 'Gyllene Cirkeln' (Golden Circle) in Stockholm and at the [[Jazzhus Montmartre|Montmartre Jazz Club]] in Copenhagen were a success. The Danish director Hennig Carlsen ordered music for his movies ''Hvad Med Os'' and ''[[Hunger (1966 film)|Sult]]'' (the movie based on [[Knut Hamsun]]'s novel ''Hunger''). Komeda also wrote the music for [[Henning Carlsen]]'s film ''[[The Cats (1965 film)|The Cats]]'' (''Kattorna'', 1965). Overall Komeda wrote more than 70 soundtracks. After successes in Scandinavia, came further successes: jazz festivals in Prague, Blend, Koenigsberg; tours of Bulgaria and both West and East Germany. Komeda stayed in Los Angeles in 1968 where he composed film music for Roman Polanski's ''[[Rosemary's Baby (film)|Rosemary’s Baby]]'' (with one of his most recognizable compositions, "[[Rosemary's Lullaby]]" sung by [[Mia Farrow]])<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0063522/soundtrack|title= Rosemary's Baby – Soundtrack|author= |date= |publisher= [[Internet Movie Database]]|access-date=December 22, 2024}}</ref> and [[Buzz Kulik]]'s ''[[Riot (1969 film)|Riot]]''.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.enumi.pl/en/articles/118/Krzysztof_Komeda |title=Krzysztof Komeda |website=enumi.pl |access-date=22 December 2024}}</ref>

 

In December 1968, in [[Los Angeles]], Komeda had a tragic accident which led to a [[haematoma]] of the brain. He was pushed off an escarpment by writer [[Marek Hłasko]] during a drinking party.<ref name="polskieradio">{{Cite web |url=https://www.polskieradio.pl/39/156/Artykul/2299146,Krzysztof-Komeda-Tragiczna-smierc-genialnego-kompozytora |language=pl |title=Krzysztof Komeda. Tragiczna śmierć genialnego kompozytora |website=polskieradio.pl |access-date=22 December 2024}}</ref> Roman Polański mentioned in his memoirs that as a result of friendly rough-and-tumble with Marek Hłasko, Komeda fell down and suffered head injuries. Medical treatment in the US hospital did not save his life. After being transported home to Poland in a coma and in a terminal state, he died in April 1969, aged 37. Hłasko, who was tormented by a sense of guilt, himself died just two months later at the age of 35.<ref name="polskieradio"></ref> Komeda was buried at the [[Powązki Cemetery]] in Warsaw.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://culture.pl/en/artist/krzysztof-komeda |title=Krzysztof Komeda |website=culture.pl |access-date=22 December 2024}}</ref>

 

 

 

==Discography==