Franciszek Lessel (1780-1838) - Adagio and Rondo a la Polonaise in E Flat Major Op. 9

Jerzy Sterczynski (piano), Silesian Symphony Orchestra, Jerzy Salwarowski (conductor)
Franciszek Lessel was a Polish composer renowned for his innovative contribution to the ensemble instrumentation. He was a prolific composer however, an enormous amount of his work has been lost or destroyed. Only a few compositions have been preserved to this day.
When Lessel was only 19 years of age he left Poland and travelled to Vienna, where he became Joseph Haydn's student and protege. Lessel studied under his tutelage until Haydn died. In Vienna, Franciszek rose to fame as a pianist, having composed many piano compositions such as Variations, Sonata op.2, Adagio, and Rondo op.9. After ten years in Vienna, Franciszek returned triumphantly to Poland where he continued to write compositions and perform as a court musician. In 1820, Lesser had reached the pinnacle of his fame, and his compositions and chamber works were widely celebrated. The National Theatre in Warsaw played his symphonies and piano concertos to great acclaim. He was the only Polish composer to present his work in his beloved Poland. Critics enthusiastically applauded Lesser for his genius, and noted Mozart's influences in his work. In his later years, Lessel occupied various administrative, directorial positions that were far removed from his first love, music.