DOI article:
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DOI article:Przybyszewska-Jarmińska, Barbara: Muzyka na dworach XVII-wiecznej Rzeczypospolitej. Potrzeba czy zbytek?
DOI Page / Citation link:https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.49351#0179
Musie IN THE COURTS OF THE 17TH-CENTURY PoLISH-LlTHUANIAN COMMONWEALTH
173
Muzyka, included in a book by Hieronim Morsztyn
titled Światowa rozkosz-, ‘Worldly delight’), and it
also informs of the practice of performing musie in
the open air. In relation to instrumental musie, the
author States that it should be played by Instruments
characterised by strong resonance. As for vocal
musie, as may be deduced from a description kept in
an imitative facture, produced from part-books,
singers and listeners are advised to huddle together
near the performers, sińce only in this way would it
be possible to understand the words of the compo-
sition.
The author of the second text, criticising the
pompous life of Polish high society, proposes the
imposing of taxes from the excesses, among which
he listed: the over-consumption of food and alcohol,
expensive dishes and attire, as well as dancing and
the upkeep of musical ensembles. In the tax
assessment (taksator) diverse tax quotes dependent
on the dances performed by members of the clergy,
musicians of various specialisations maintained in
the courts were given (taxes being intended to be
imposed for the possession of a musical chapel and
specific Instruments: a portable organ, spinet,
trombone, violin, starta, zither and lute), etc.
This kind of writing did not produce any tangible
effects, sińce even following the Cossack wars the
style of life conducted by the Polish elites did not
change, a fact cleary reflected in such publications
as the diary (Pamiętnik) written by Albrycht Stanisław
Radziwiłł, who recorded in numerous entries his
participation in prolonged feasts, usually involving
the accompaniment of musie. He wrote about one
such feast which took place in the summer of 1653,
when he was received by the royal prince, Karl
Ferdinand Vasa in the garden at the pałace of the
Wrocław (Breslau) bishops in Nysa (Neisse). There
is no doubt that this reception was accompanied by
musie. The royal prince-cum-bishop was already
experienced in organising banąuets in the garden, a
fact recorded in the already cited awisi where it is
noted that, among others, such an event had been
organised by him in August 1640 in the Warsaw royal
gardens. He also had at his disposal an excellent
musical ensemble composed of Italian and Polish
musicians, whose conductor until his death in
September 1651 was the most famous Polish
composer in the 17th century, Marcin Mielczewski.
As the surviving legacy of his compositions reveals,
alongside the inventories of what has not been
preseiwed from the repertory of Polish musical
ensembles, he did not compose exclusively for the
church, but also instrumental canzones, sonatas and
arias, which could be performed with great effect at
garden receptions.
Translated by Peter Martyn
173
Muzyka, included in a book by Hieronim Morsztyn
titled Światowa rozkosz-, ‘Worldly delight’), and it
also informs of the practice of performing musie in
the open air. In relation to instrumental musie, the
author States that it should be played by Instruments
characterised by strong resonance. As for vocal
musie, as may be deduced from a description kept in
an imitative facture, produced from part-books,
singers and listeners are advised to huddle together
near the performers, sińce only in this way would it
be possible to understand the words of the compo-
sition.
The author of the second text, criticising the
pompous life of Polish high society, proposes the
imposing of taxes from the excesses, among which
he listed: the over-consumption of food and alcohol,
expensive dishes and attire, as well as dancing and
the upkeep of musical ensembles. In the tax
assessment (taksator) diverse tax quotes dependent
on the dances performed by members of the clergy,
musicians of various specialisations maintained in
the courts were given (taxes being intended to be
imposed for the possession of a musical chapel and
specific Instruments: a portable organ, spinet,
trombone, violin, starta, zither and lute), etc.
This kind of writing did not produce any tangible
effects, sińce even following the Cossack wars the
style of life conducted by the Polish elites did not
change, a fact cleary reflected in such publications
as the diary (Pamiętnik) written by Albrycht Stanisław
Radziwiłł, who recorded in numerous entries his
participation in prolonged feasts, usually involving
the accompaniment of musie. He wrote about one
such feast which took place in the summer of 1653,
when he was received by the royal prince, Karl
Ferdinand Vasa in the garden at the pałace of the
Wrocław (Breslau) bishops in Nysa (Neisse). There
is no doubt that this reception was accompanied by
musie. The royal prince-cum-bishop was already
experienced in organising banąuets in the garden, a
fact recorded in the already cited awisi where it is
noted that, among others, such an event had been
organised by him in August 1640 in the Warsaw royal
gardens. He also had at his disposal an excellent
musical ensemble composed of Italian and Polish
musicians, whose conductor until his death in
September 1651 was the most famous Polish
composer in the 17th century, Marcin Mielczewski.
As the surviving legacy of his compositions reveals,
alongside the inventories of what has not been
preseiwed from the repertory of Polish musical
ensembles, he did not compose exclusively for the
church, but also instrumental canzones, sonatas and
arias, which could be performed with great effect at
garden receptions.
Translated by Peter Martyn