Challenging the Image of Karol Lipiński as an Ambassador of Polish Culture

Karol Lipiński (1790-1861), through artistic activities centered around Polish musical idioms, significantly contributed to the dual process of carving the cultural identity of Poland and spreading it outside its confines. These achievements are reflected in the efforts of contemporary Polish scholars who promulgate an idealistic narrative that casts Lipiński as a genuine ambassador of Polish culture and heritage. I deconstruct such a portrayal by examining numerous fissures in his nationalistically constructed image, including his devotion to the Russian Tsar Nikolai I, his flexibility in tailoring concert programs to accommodate the expectations of local audiences, and his ideological conflict with Chopin. As I contextualize these fissures through the lens of Central European politics of Lipiński’s lifetime, I present him as an artist whose motivations in taking on a nationalist role were fueled predominantly by a pragmatic desire to advance his career, rather than a patriotic urge to display affinity for his homeland.

Name thesis:degree_name

Doctor of Musical Arts

Level thesis:degree_level

Doctoral

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Music

Grantor

University of Houston

Year dc:date.issued

2021

Author dc:creator

• Rudowicz, Konrad

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Bertagnolli, Paul A.

Committee members dc:contributor.committeemember

• Yon, Kirsten A.
• Snyder, John L.
• LeFevre, Suzanne

• Karol Lipiński
• Nationalism
• Nationalism in music
• Polish music
• Polonaise
• Violin
• Violin virtuoso

Statement dc:rights

• The author of this work is the copyright owner. UH Libraries and the Texas Digital Library have their permission to store and provide access to this work. Further transmission, reproduction, or presentation of this work is prohibited except with permission of the author(s).

Language dc:language.iso

eng

Handle dc:identifier.uri

https://hdl.handle.net/10657/8380

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:uh-ir.tdl.org:10657/8380