Wojciech Żywny

Wojciech Żywny Czech: Vojtěch Živný
Wojciech Żywny, by Ambroży Mieroszewski, 1829
Background information
Birth name	Wojciech Adalbert Żywny
Born	(1756-05-13)13 May 1756 Mšeno, Bohemia
Origin	Polish
Died	21 February 1842(1842-02-21) (aged 85) Warsaw
Occupation(s)	Pianist, violinist, teacher, composer

Krakowskie Przedmieście 19, Warsaw, Poland: site of Żywny's 1837-42 home

Wojciech Żywny (Czech: Vojtěch Živný; 13 May 1756 – 21 February 1842) was a Czech-born Polish pianist, violinist, teacher and composer. He was Frédéric Chopin's first professional piano teacher.

Life

Żywny was born in Mšeno, Bohemia, and became a pupil of Jan Kuchař. As a youth, during the reign of Stanisław August Poniatowski, he moved to Poland to become the music tutor to the children of Princess Sapieha. He later moved to Warsaw.

He was the first professional piano teacher of Frédéric Chopin, who received lessons from him between 1816 and 1821. Żywny instilled in Chopin a lasting love of Bach, Haydn, and Mozart while avoiding contemporary composers like Beethoven and Weber. Chopin's piano skills soon surpassed those of his respected teacher. In 1821, eleven-year-old Chopin dedicated a Polonaise in A-flat major to Żywny as a name-day gift.

Żywny died in February 1842, aged 85, in Warsaw, Poland.

Works

Żywny wrote many pieces for piano, and violin, as well as orchestral works, few of which are known or published today. They show refined mastery of the classical style, with definite romantic influences. Another influence on his music was Central European folk music.

References

• Zdzisław Jachimecki, "Chopin, Fryderyk Franciszek", Polski słownik biograficzny, vol. III, Kraków, Polska Akademia Umiejętności, 1937, pp. 420–26.

External links

• Portrait of Wojciech Żywny by Ambroży Mieroszewski, 1829
• Chopin's teachers Archived 2010-06-12 at the Wayback Machine (in Polish)