Karol Mikuli

Karol Mikuli
Portrait of Karol Mikuli
Background information
Born	(1819-10-20)20 October 1819 Czernowitz, Austrian Empire
Origin	Polish
Died	Lviv, Austrian Poland
Occupation(s)	pianist, composer, conductor and teacher

Karol Mikuli, often seen as Charles Mikuli (Armenian: Կարոլ Միկուլի or Կարոլ Պստիկյան; 20 October 1819 – 21 May 1897) was an Polish pianist, composer, conductor and teacher. His students included Moriz Rosenthal, Raoul Koczalski, Aleksander Michałowski, Jaroslaw Zieliński and Kornelia Parnas.

Biographical notes

Mikuli (aka Bsdikian) was born in Czerniowce, then part of the Austrian Empire (now Chernivtsi, Ukraine) to a Polish-Armenian family. He studied under Frédéric Chopin for piano (later becoming his teaching assistant) and Anton Reicha for composition. He toured widely as a concert pianist, becoming Director of the Lviv Conservatory in 1858. He founded his own school there in 1888. He died in Lemberg, then part of Austrian Poland (now Lviv, Ukraine) and is buried in the courtyard of the Armenian church in Lviv.

Editions

See: List of music students by teacher: K to M#Karol Mikuli. He is most well known as an editor of works by Chopin. Dover Publications currently publishes reprints of his 1879 editions of Chopin's piano music, originally published by F. Kistner (Leipzig). His goal, as stated in the foreword of the edition, was to provide more reliable editions. He used several verified sources, most of which were written or corrected by Chopin himself. His editions of Chopin's works were first published in America in 1895.

Mikuli also took detailed notes of Chopin's comments made in lessons and interviewed witnesses of Chopin's performances. For many years he was regarded as the primary authority on Chopin and his remarks about Chopin's playing were often quoted by biographers.

Musical works

Orchestral

• 48 Airs nationaux roumains for orchestra, also arr. piano.

Chamber music

• Polonaise for 3 violins, Op. 7 (published 1862)
• Serenade in A♭ major for clarinet and piano, Op. 22 (1880) (Romanian: Serenadă pentru clarinet și pian, Op. 22)
• Scherzino in C minor for 3 violins, Op. 25 (1880)
• Grand duo in A major for violin and piano, Op. 26

Piano

• Prélude et presto agitato, Op. 1 (published 1859)
• 4 Mazurkas, Op. 2 (1860)
• Mazurka in F minor, Op. 4 (1860)
• 2 Polonaises, Op. 8 (1862)
• 48 Airs nationaux roumains (Ballades, chants des bergers, airs de danse, etc.) in 4 volumes (1863)
• 6 Pièces, Op. 9 (published 1866 by Spina in Vienna)
• Mazurka, Op. 10 (1866)
• Mazurka in B minor, Op. 11 (1866)
• Étude in B major for piano with harmonium, Op. 12 (1867)
• 6 Danses allemandes, Op. 13 (1867)
• Méditation, Op. 14 (1867)
• Andante con Variazioni for piano 4-hands, Op. 15 (1867)
• 6 Valses, Op. 18 (1869)
• 2 Nocturnes, Op. 19 (1869)
• Valse in A major, Op. 20 (1869)
• Ballade in B♭ major, Op. 21 (1871)
• 12 Variantes (Variations) harmoniques sur la gamme d'Ut majeure for piano 4-hands, Op. 23 (1880); published by Kistner (Leipzig)
• 10 Pièces, Op. 24 (1880)

Vocal

• 6 Lieder for voice and piano, Op. 16 (1867)
• 6 Lieder for voice and piano, Op. 17 (1867)
• 7 Lieder for voice and piano, Op. 27 (1880)
• 2 Duette for soprano, tenor and piano, Op. 28 (1880)
• Die Reue: „Die Nacht war schwarz“ for baritone and string orchestra, Op. 30 (1880)

Choral

• 7 Lieder for soprano, alto, tenor and bass, Op. 17 (1880)
• Paraphrase sur un ancien Chant de Noël polonais for 4 voices (solo and chorus), strings and organ (or piano 4-hands), Op. 31 (1881)
• 2 Spiritual Songs for male chorus and soli, Op. 32
• Veni creator for mixed chorus and organ, Op. 33

Recordings

• Şahan Arzruni: An Anthology of Armenian Piano Music, Vol I, Musical Heritage Society - MHS 4080.
• Karol Radziwonowicz: Karol Mikuli Piano Works

External links

• Free scores by Karol Mikuli at the International Music Score Library Project
• Charles (Carl, Karol) MIKULI (1821-1897) L'élève arménien de Frédéric Chopin à Paris et son éditeur en Podolie-Galicie
• Chopin as Pianist and Teacher Excerpt form the forward to his edition of Chopin's works for publisher F. Kistner, 1879