A group of 20th-century Polish composers, including Fitelberg, Różycki, Szymanowski and Szeluto. The term ‘Young Poland’ was proposed in 1898 by Artur Górski with reference to literature; his aim was to postulate the idea of rebirth in that medium. In music a similar plea was made by Feliks Jasieński in 1901. The revolutionary events that occurred in Russia in 1905 brought a heightened degree of expectation of political and artistic change in the Polish territories. It was expected that the musical spirit of Young Poland would assume an important role in concerts of contemporary music at the Warsaw Philharmonic Hall, and there, on 6 February 1906, a concert was given presenting works by all of the above named composers. The following concert reviews labelled them as ‘Młoda Polska w muzyce’ (‘Young Poland in music’). Although this term was later used in a much wider context, referring also to other contemporary Polish composers, generally the label became synonymous with these four composers. There were also, however, other reasons for regarding these composers as constituting a recognizable group. In the autumn of 1905 Fitelberg, Różycki, Szymanowski and Szeluto founded the Spółka Nakładowa Młodych Kompozytorów Polskich (Young Polish Composers’ Publishing Company) under the financial patronage of Prince Władysław Lubomirski. The publishing house appointed to represent their company was Albert Stahl in Berlin. The group did not formulate mottos or aim to present a collective view regarding creative or artistic ideas. They did, however, share the same broad views on art and the role of the creative artist; they claimed the right to artistic freedom and respect towards their chosen path. The group aimed to achieve support for new Polish music through the publication of works by its members, but it was also open to other composers; concerts were organized abroad as well as in Poland. (There is a clear analogy here with Belyayev’s publishing company in Russia and Koussevitsky and Rakhmaninov’s joint project in Berlin.) Contrary to the views held by some, Karłowicz did not formally belong to this group; he was nevertheless a supportive observer, and gave them his permission to publish his song Pod jaworem (‘Under the Sycamore Tree’). The publishing company lasted until about 1912 when Różycki joined Hansen, a Danish firm, and Szymanowski, the true exponent of Young Poland, signed with Universal Edition, Vienna. From this point the artistic paths of the founding members of the company diverged.
A. Chybiński: ‘Jungpolen in der Musik’, Polnische Post (Vienna, 1908), no.36
A. Chybiński: ‘Młoda Polska w muzyce’, Museion, iii (1911), 17–39
M. Gliński: ‘Młoda Polska w muzyce’, Muzyka, iv/6 [Warsaw] (1931), 189–201
S. Łobaczewska: ‘Twórczość kompozytorów Młodej Polski’ [The works of the composers of Young Poland], Z dziejów polskiej kultury muzycznej, ii (Kraków, 1966), 553–642
T. Chylińska: ‘Młoda Polska: mit czy rzeczywistość?’ [Young Poland: myth or reality?], Muzyka polska a modernizm: Kraków, 1981, 41–54
S. Jarociński: ‘Młoda Polska w muzyce na tle twórczości artystycznej rodzimej i obcej’ [Young Poland in music against the background of artistic creativity at home and abroad], ibid., 93–100
TERESA CHYLIŃSKA