Polish songs (Chopin)


Although Frédéric Chopin is best known for his works for piano solo, among his extant output are 19 songs for voice and piano, set to Polish texts.

Background

Chopin wrote these songs at various times, from perhaps as early as 1827 when he was 17, to 1847, two years before his death. Only two of them were published in his lifetime.
In 1857 the 17 then known songs were collected for publication by Julian Fontana as Op. 74, but they were not arranged in chronological order of composition within that opus. Due to censorship restrictions, he was only able to publish 16 of them initially. These appeared in Warsaw as Zbiór śpiewów polskich Fryderyka Chopina, published by Gebethner & Wolff; and in Berlin as 16 Polnische Lieder, published by A M Schlesinger. The 17th song, Śpiew z mogiłki was published separately in Berlin with a French title, Chant du tombeau.
A further two songs were published in 1910. Some references now include all 19 published songs in Op. 74.
Chopin is known to have written a number of other songs that are now lost. Some extant songs have been attributed to Chopin but are now considered spurious or doubtful.

Texts

All but one of the texts of the Chopin songs were original poems by his Polish contemporaries, with most of whom he was personally acquainted. The sole exception is Piosnka litewska, which was set to a Polish translation by Ludwik Osiński of a Lithuanian song.
Ten of them are by a friend of Chopin’s family, Stefan Witwicki, from his Piosnki Sielskie. Three were by Józef Bohdan Zaleski. Two were by Adam Mickiewicz. Wincenty Pol's revolutionary Songs of Janusz inspired Chopin to write up to a dozen songs, but only one survives. Zygmunt Krasiński, the lover of Delfina Potocka, was another poet who inspired Chopin to write a song.
The songs have been translated into over a dozen languages. Various English titles have been applied to some of the songs.

Recordings

Those who have recorded the 17 songs of Op. 74, or all 19 known songs, include:
Other singers have recorded selected songs.

Arrangements

Chopin himself arranged the piano part of Wiosna as a piece for piano alone, Andantino in G minor, B. 117. There exist five manuscript versions of this arrangement, dated between April 1838 and 1 September 1848.
Between 1847 and 1860, Chopin's friend Franz Liszt arranged six of the Op. 74 songs as piano transcriptions under the title Six Chants polonais, S.480, a set which has long been a concert and recording favourite. The six are:
In this arrangement, Das Ringlein leads without a break into Bacchanal, and towards the end of the latter song, immediately before the coda, Liszt includes a short 6-bar reprise of the earlier song.

List of Polish songs by Chopin

No.Polish titleEnglish translationAlternative titleText byDate composedPublishedOpus no.Other catalogue nos.KeyNotes
1.ŻyczenieA Maiden's wishA Young Girl's WishStefan Witwickic. 18291837, Kiev; later 1857, Berlin74/1WN 21, B. 33G majorFranz Liszt used this melody as No. 2 of his Glanes de Woronince, S.249 ; Liszt also transcribed the song for piano solo as No. 1 of his Six Chants polonais, S.480 ; Chopin also used a motif from the song in his posthumous Nocturne in C-sharp minor, Lento con gran espressione
2.WiosnaSpring-Witwicki18381857, Berlin74/2B. 116G minorChopin rewrote the piano part as Andantino, B. 117; there exist 5 manuscripts of this arrangement, dated between April 1838 and 1 September 1848; Franz Liszt also transcribed the song for piano solo as No. 2 of his Six Chants polonais, S.480
3.Smutna rzekaTroubled WatersThe Mournful Stream, Sad RiverWitwicki18311857, Berlin74/3B. 63/1F-sharp minor
4.HulankaDrinking Song-WitwickiAugust 18301857, Berlin74/4WN 32, B. 50C majorFranz Liszt transcribed the song for piano solo as No. 4 of his Six Chants polonais, S.480
5.Gdzie lubiA Fickle MaidA Maiden’s Love, A Girl’s DesireWitwickic. 18291857, Berlin74/5WN 22, B. 32A major
6.Precz z moich oczuRemembranceA Leave-taking, Out of my sightAdam Mickiewicz18301857, Berlin74/6WN 33, B. 48F minor
7.PosełThe MessengerThe MessageWitwicki18301857, Berlin74/7WN 30, B. 50
8.Śliczny chłopiecHandsome LadCharming Lad; My BelovedJózef Bohdan Zaleski18411857, Berlin74/8B. 143D major
9.MelodiaMelodyElegy; Lamento; OnwardZygmunt Krasiński18471857, Berlin74/9B. 165E minor
10.WojakThe WarriorBefore the BattleWitwicki18301839, Kiev; later 1857, Berlin74/10WN 34, B. 47A-flat major
11.Dwojaki koniecThe Double-EndThe Twofold End; The Two Corpses; Death's Divisions; United in DeathZaleski18451857, Berlin74/11B. 156/1D minor
12.Moja pieszczotkaMy DarlingMy Joys; My DelightMickiewicz18371857, Berlin74/12B. 112G-flat majorFranz Liszt transcribed the song for piano solo as No. 5 of his Six Chants polonais, S.480
13.Nie ma czego trzebaI Want What I Have NotFaded and Vanished; Melancholy; Lack of LightZaleski18451857, Berlin74/13B. 156/2A minorA simpler version was published in 1910 as Dumka
14.PierścieńThe Ring-Witwicki8 September 18361857, Berlin74/14B. 103E-flat majorChopin wrote this song into the album of Maria Wodzińska, to whom he had just become betrothed; Franz Liszt also transcribed the song for piano solo as No. 3 of his Six Chants polonais, S.480
15.NarzeczonyThe Bridegroom's returnThe Return Home, The BetrothedWitwicki18311857, Berlin74/15WN 40, B. 63/2C minorFranz Liszt transcribed the song for piano solo as No. 6 of his Six Chants polonais, S.480
16.Piosnka litewskaLithuanian Song-trans. Ludwik Osiński1830 ?1857, Berlin74/16WN 38, B. 63/3F majorTranslated from a Lithuanian folk song
17.Śpiew z mogiłyPoland's DirgeLeaves are fallingWincenty Pol8 May 18361857, Berlin74/17WN 49, B. 101E-flat minor
-DumkaReverieDirge; Mist Before My EyesZaleski25 March 184022 October 1910, Lwów?B. 132, KK.IVb/9A minorSometimes included in Op. 74; this is an earlier, simpler version of Nie ma czego trzeba.
-CzaryWitchcraft-Witwicki1830 1910, Leipzig?WN 31, B. 51, KK.IVa/11D minorSometimes included in Op. 74; the 1910 publication was of a facsimile reproduction of an album Chopin had sent to Maria Wodzińska. It was not finally published in normal form till 1954.
-PłótnoLinen-??--KK.Vd/5?Lost; mentioned in a letter from Julian Fontana to Chopin's sister Ludwika Jędrzejewicz, dated 2 July 1852
-Jakież kwiatyWhich Flowers-I. Maciejowski22 August 18291856, Warsaw-B. 39, KK.Iva/9G majorded. Vaclav Hanka
-3 songs???--KK.Vd/6-8?Lost; listed in a letter from Chopin's Scottish pupil Jane Stirling to Ludwika Jędrzejewicz, dated July 1852
-4 songs?Only the violin parts remain
-????--KK.Vc/10?Lost; mentioned in a letter from Ludwika Jędrzejewicz to her brother Chopin, dated 9 January 1841
-Dumka na WygnaniuSong of the Exile-M Gosławski?--KK.Anh. Ic/1?Doubtful authenticity
-Tam na błoniuThere on the Green-??--KK.Anh. Ic/2?Doubtful authenticity
-Trzeci majThe Third of May-S Starzeński?--KK.Anh. Ic/3?Doubtful authenticity
-O wiem, że PolskaOh, I know that Poland-Krasiński?--KK.Anh. Ic/4?Doubtful authenticity
-Pytasz się, czemuYou Ask Why-Krasiński?--KK.Anh. Ic/5?Doubtful authenticity
-Pieśni pielgrzyma polskiegoSongs of a Polish Pilgrim-K Gaszyński?--KK.Anh. Ic/6?Doubtful authenticity