Dr. Klon

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Kisielewski was born to a Polish father Zygmunt Kisielewski and a Jewish mother Salomea Szapiro. In 1927 he entered the State Conservatory of Music in Warsaw, where he received three diplomas: in theory (1934, under Kazimierz Sikorski), in composition (1937, also under K. Sikorski) and in pedagogical piano (1937, under Jerzy Lefeld). He also studied Polish literature and philosophy at Warsaw University and completed his composition studies in Paris, in the years 1938–39. As a composer, Kisielewski remained firmly rooted in French neo-classicism, although his writings supported contemporary musical trends in Poland more broadly (Thomas 2001). His writing and political thought were generally marked by pragmatism and support for liberalism. In 1964 he was one of the signatories of the so-called Letter of 34 to Prime Minister Józef Cyrankiewicz regarding freedom of culture. In 1968, for criticizing censorship in communist Poland (at the meeting of the Polish Writers' Union he used the designation 'dyktatura ciemniaków' – 'a dictatorship of dunces' – which became famous in Poland), he was forbidden to publish for three years. He was also beaten up by so-called 'unknown perpetrators' (a euphemism for perpetrators of criminal acts of political violence who in all likelihood were members of the Communist secret police). In 1981 he coined the sentence 'It's not a crisis, it's a result' to describe the down turn of the Polish economy at that time as a result of socialism. Another one of his famous statements was 'socialism heroically overcomes difficulties unknown in any other system', referring to the fact that many of the economic and social ills found under socialism were self-created. In 1990, together with the magazine Wprost, he established the Kisiel Prize.

In Their Own Story

In 1968, at the meeting of the Polish Writers' Union, Kisielewski used the designation 'dyktatura ciemniaków' – 'a dictatorship of dunces' – which became famous in Poland. For criticizing censorship in communist Poland, he was forbidden to publish for three years. He was also beaten up by so-called 'unknown perpetrators' (a euphemism for perpetrators of criminal acts of political violence who in all likelihood were members of the Communist secret police). In 1981 he coined the sentence 'It's not a crisis, it's a result' to describe the down turn of the Polish economy at that time as a result of socialism. Another one of his famous statements was 'socialism heroically overcomes difficulties unknown in any other system', referring to the fact that many of the economic and social ills found under socialism were self-created. In 1990, together with the magazine Wprost, he established the Kisiel Prize.

Reader's Guide

Kisielewski's works include music essays such as 'Gwiazdozbiór muzyczny' (1958) and 'Muzyka i mózg' (1974); political essays such as 'Polityka i sztuka' (1949), 'Felietony zdjęte przez cenzurę' (Warszawa 1998), 'Rzeczy małe' (Warszawa 1998), 'Dzienniki' (Warszawa 1997, wydanie II), '100 razy głową w ścianę' (Paryż 1972, Warszawa 1997), 'Wołanie na puszczy' (Warszawa 1997), 'Testament Kisiela' (Warszawa 1992), 'Abecadło Kisiela' (Warszawa 1990), 'Na czym polega socjalizm? Stosunki Kościół-Państwo w PRL' (Poznań 1990, wydanie II), and 'Kisiel przedwojenny' (Warszawa 2001); various essays such as 'Rzeczy małe' (1956), 'Opowiadania i podróże' (1959), 'Z literackiego lamusa' (1979), 'Materii pomieszanie' (Londyn 1973), and 'Moje dzwony trzydziestolecia' (Chicago 1978); novels such as 'Sprzysiężenie' (1947), 'Zbrodnia w dzielnicy Północnej' (1948), 'Widziane z góry i Cienie w pieczarze' (1971), 'Romans zimowy' (1972), 'Śledztwo' (1974), 'Ludzie z akwarium' (1976), 'Przygoda w Warszawie' (1977), and 'Wszystko inaczej' (Warszawa 1991, wydanie IV); and musical compositions including 'Capriccio energico' for violin and piano (1956), 'Concerto' for chamber orchestra (1948), 'Concerto' for piano and orchestra (1980–91), 'Cosmos I' for orchestra (1970), 'Danse vive' for piano (1939), 'Dialogi' for 14 instruments (1970), 'Divertimento' for flute and string orchestra (1964), 'Impresja kapryśna' for flute alone (1982), 'Intermezzo' for clarinet and piano (1951), 'Kaprys wiejski' for piano (1952), 'Kołysanka' for piano (1968), 'Melodia kurpiowska' for female chorus and folk ensemble (1951), 'Perpetuum mobile' for orchestra (1955), 'Podróż w czasie' for string orchestra (1965), 'Rapsodia wiejska' for chamber orchestra (1950), 'Serenade' for piano (1945, rev. 1974), 'Signały sportowe' overture (1966), 'Sonata' for clarinet and piano (1972), 'Sonata no. 1' for piano, 'Sonata no. 2' for piano (1945, rev. 1955), 'Spotkania na pustyni' for ten players (1969), 'String Quartet' (1935), 'Suite' for flute and clarinet (1961), 'Suite' for oboe and piano (1954), 'Suite' for piano (1955), 'Symfonia w kwadracie' for orchestra (1978), 'Symphony no. 1' (1939, lost), 'Symphony no. 2' (1951), 'Symphony' for 15 players (1961), and '3 sceny burzliwe' for piano (1983).

Did You Know?

• Stefan Kisielewski's nickname 'Kisiel' is a diminutive of his surname, and he also used pseudonyms Julia Hołyńska, Teodor Klon, and Tomasz Staliński.
• He received three diplomas from the State Conservatory of Music in Warsaw: in theory (1934), composition (1937), and pedagogical piano (1937).
• In 1968, he famously called communist censorship a 'dyktatura ciemniaków' (dictatorship of dunces) at the Polish Writers' Union meeting.
• He coined the phrase 'It's not a crisis, it's a result' in 1981 to describe the Polish economy under socialism.
• In 1990, together with the magazine Wprost, he established the Kisiel Prize.