Maciej Kamieński

Maciej Kamieński (13 October 1734, Sopron – 25 January 1821, Warsaw) was a Polish classical composer of Slovak origin.

He studied music in Sopronm, where his patron was Count Henckl von Donnersmarck. After his death (1760), Kamieński moved to Vienna to continue his education. There in 1762, he heard young Mozart play. He visited Warsaw for the first time in 1773: this year the publishing house of J. Engel issued some harpsichord works by Kamieński (today lost). He gave piano and singing lessons, held an inn in Warsaw (on Świętojerska street) and organized public concerts at Dulfowski manor house.

Kamieński's output includes 8 operas (2 German, 6 Polish), which the composer himself called operettas. Nędza uszczęśliwiona (1778) was long considered the first Polish opera to be performed in public theatre. It opened a new era for Polish musical theatre. Kamieński's musical language shows a mixture of styles, from baroque and galant to classical. There are also some characteristics of opera buffa. They all are present in Nędza uszczęśliwiona.

After his successes, Kamieński turned more and more towards folklore, using structures from authentic Polish folk music. It can be clearly seen in Zośka, czyli Wiejskie zaloty (1780), which had 76 performances in Warsaw up to 1820. Coloratura and espressivo arias combine with typical village songs and Polish dances, of which polonaise is the most popular.

Kamieński also composed Krótki rys o egzystencji najpierwszej oryginalnej opery polskiej (A Short Outline of the Original Polish Opera), published in Biblioteka Warszawska, iv (Warsaw, 1878).

Besides operas, he composed some chamber works. His Duma na kształt ronda (Duma in the form of a rondo) shows early Romantic tendencies.