Abstract

Orkiestra Włościańska (Peasant Orchestra), founded in Chomęciski Szlacheckie near Zamość, is considered to be the oldest Polish symphony orchestra. It is still active today although under another name. For over a century it has retained its original peasant character. The author of this article sketches a portrait of its founder, musician and composer Karol Namysłowski, on the 165th anniversary of his birth and the 140th anniversary of the orchestra’s foundation. The portrait is based, among other things, on the typewritten memoirs of Stanisław Namysłowski, Karol’s son, who led the orchestra after his father’s death and who emphasises the patriotic roots of the family, which descended from the knight Namysław. Karol graduated from Warsaw conservatoire, abandoned his career, and returned to the countryside, where, with the help of an organist of the church in Stary Zamość, he taught the peasants to read notes and play, and bought them instruments and costumes. The article lists the orchestra’s major concerts: at the Agricultural and Industrial Exhibition in Warsaw (1885), in St Petersburg (1896), Moscow, Kiev, Kharkov, Odessa, in St Petersburg at the celebration of the 300th anniversary of the House of the Romanovs (1913), and a tour of the United States (1925) with Stanisław Namysłowski, in costumes bought by Karol for 24 morgens of his father’s land. Karol Namysłowski composed folk dances and songs, including mazurs, the most famous of which is “Świr, świr, świr za kominem” (“Twittering in the Chimney”). Despite losing his sight in 1914, Namysłowki continued working. On his last journey (1925) he was accompanied by his orchestra and crowds of local people, as can be seen in one of the photographs illustrating the article.