1910–1919
1910 On 28 February Roman Maciejewski is born in Berlin. His parents are Józef Maciejewski, a tailor and amateur musician, and Bronisława (née Zgaińska), a violinist. The Maciejewski family lives in the centre of Berlin, in Friederichstrasse. 25 June — premiere of Igor Stravinsky’s The Firebird in Paris. 27 April — Tomasso Marinetti delivers his manifesto Contro […]
1920–1929
1920 Ten-year-old Roman makes his first appearances as a pianist and organist. Maciejewski joins the scouts and runs an amateur choir there. 24 January – the Warsaw Conservatoire hosts first post-war concert of Szymanowski’s compositions (the composer is very offended by the relatively modest turnout). 15 May — premiere in Paris of Igor Skravinsky’s […]
1930–1939
1930 Maciejewski becomes the conductor of the Stanisław Moniuszko Singing Society. He writes Kurpie Songs inspired by the folklore of the Kurpie region. 13 April — first modern art exhibition in Łódź marks the beginning of the existence of the Museum of Art, one of the world’s oldest institution of this kind dedicated to modern […]
1940–1949
1940 Maciejewski begins his collaboration with the Swedish Radio, where until 1944 he would host a regular Chopin programme. He writes a number of piano pieces: Prelude, Obsession, Dream, Echo and Seven Swedish Dances for two pianos. 5 March — Joseph Stalin signs a decree authorising the killing of Polish prisoners of war. 29 […]
1950–1959
1950 Maciejewski composes Nocturne for violin and piano. October – Maciejewski takes advantage of Jan Tarnowski’s hospitality and comes to stay at his estate in West Linton near Edinburgh (Scotland) to continue working on the Requiem. 21 January — death of George Orwell. 25 June — North Korean troops enter South Korea. Beginning of the Korean […]
1960–1969
1960 In April Maciejewski goes to Kraków to attend rehearsals of his Requiem. The composer is warmly received by the musicians. Stefan Kisielewski writes in Tygodnik Powszechny: “After thirty years the Prodigal Son has returned to his homeland, returned very transformed, different – though in some way the same. And he has brought with him […]
1970–1979
1970 In a letter to his brother Maciejewski presents a diagnosis of the contemporary American culture: “Here in America, despite efforts of the progressists, serious aestheticists lament the decline of theatre – choruses of naked bodies on and off stage, and publicly demonstrated sexual acts enveloped in hashish and marijuana fumes are somehow unable to […]
1980–1989
1980 5 December – Maciejewski’s Requiem is very enthusiastically received in Göteborg. Like in Los Angeles, the conductor is Roger Wagner. 2 March – premiere of Henryk Mikołaj Górecki’s Harpsichord Concerto in Katowice. 15 April – Jean-Paul Sartre dies in Paris. 14 August – beginning of the strike at the Gdańsk Shipyard. 31 August […]
1990–1998
1990 31 August – performance of Maciejewski’s Requiem in Warsaw (repeated on 2 September in Wrocław). The composer is present at both concerts. Andrzej Panufnik comes to the Warsaw Autumn for the first time since his escape in 1954. Eleven of his works are performed at the festival. 1991 25 May – a ballet based […]