Szymanowski, Karol (Maciej)

(born Oct. 6, 1882, Timoshovka, Ukraine, Russian Empire—died March 29, 1937, Lausanne, Switz.) Polish composer. Born to a cultivated family, he studied music in Warsaw. Finding few opportunities in Poland for new music, he traveled in Europe, Africa, and the Middle East, broadening his musical tastes. After losing all his possessions in World War I, he became a fervent nationalist, studying native Polish music and incorporating it into his own, including the opera (1924). He served as director of the Warsaw Conservatory (1927–29) but had to resign for reasons of health. He wrote four symphonies, two violin concertos, a piano concerto, a (1926), the ballet (1931), and many songs; his piano music includes (1915), (1916), and 22 mazurkas.

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