Gorski began attending school in
Grodno and continued at the First Philological Gymnasium in
Wilno. He obtained his musical education at the
Musical Institute in
Warsaw (then under the direction of
Apolinary Kątski) and at the
St. Petersburg Conservatory. In 1881 he graduated from the great Hungarian violinist and pedagogue
Leopold Auer class and received large silver medal and “free artist” status. Next year he spent studying composition and instrumentation in class of famous Russian composer
Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov.
In year 1890 after eight-years-trip over
Russia and
Georgia – through
Penza,
Saratov and
Tiflis (
Tbilisi nowadays) Konstanty Gorski arrived to Ukrainian city of
Kharkov to stay there for 29 years. He spent those years teaching youth in Kharkov Musical Secondary School, performing public work (he was one of the “Polish House” culture organization founders), working as conductor of symphonic orchestra and Polish and Church Chorus that was created due to his efforts, and staying beloved by publicity violinist and highly valued by other composers performer of their musical compositions (and
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky treated him with deep respect saying that Gorski was the greatest one to execute his violin concert D-dur).
Political and economical changes in Russian Imperia, mainly
October Revolution in 1917, had a great influence on the Gorski's fortune. Foreseeing approaching civil war and having no possibility of continuing his work in Kharkov, Gorski took his family and returned to
Poland that had achieved freedom. At first he settled in
Warsaw, where he then worked as taper in cinemas “Colosseum” and “Wodewil,” and after
Warsaw he went to
Poznań and achieved position of the Great Theatre concertmaster, and held it till the end of life. His opera
“Margier” was shown in Poznań Opera in 1927. Other compositions of Gorski also were executed during the interwar period, e.g. a
Missa Solemnis in E-flat major (inter alia by Poznań
Moniuszko Chorus), symphonic poem Vicious Circle (Zaczarowane koło) and Organ Fantasy f-moll (first time it was executed in 1920 by Antoni Karnaszewki in Warsaw Philharmonic and after three years – by
Feliks Nowowiejski in time of
Copernicus cultural event in Poznań University). That fantasy is executed till nowadays with a great success.
Souvenir de Nadrzecze. Premiere Mazurka, Petite Etude - Spiccato, Seconde Mazourka, sur des chants polonais, Aria, Gavotte, Romance, 3-leme Mazourka, 1-ere Polonaise de Concert D-dur, 2-de Polonaise de Concert A-dur, Poeme Lyrique
References
^Józef Władysław Reiss Najpiękniejsza ze wszystkich jest muzyka polska - 1984 Page 155 "Konstanty Gorski (1859 — 1924), z ziemi wileńskiej, skrzypek i kompozytor, uczeń Rimskiego-Korsakowa"
Р. М. Аладава, Константин Горский и его опера «Маргер» в контексте белорусской культуры, Минск 2005.
Т. Бахмет, Т. Гончаренко, Польские нотные издания XIX – нач. XX ст. из фонда редких изданий Харьковской городской специализированной музыкально – театральной библиотеки им. К. С. Станиславского, [w:] Charków i Polska: ludzie i zdarzenia, Charków 2006, s. 165–176.
Z polskiej muzyki organowej XIX/XX w., red. Feliks Rączkowski i Jerzy Gołos, Polskie Wydawnictwo Muzyczne, Warszawa 1981.
Michał Żur, Irena Kozeniaszewa, Okres charkowski w życiu Konstantyna Gorskiego, [w:] Diaspora polska w Charkowie. Historia i współczesność, Charków 2004, s. 130–134.
Michał Żur, Irena Kozeniaszewa, Zapomniany kompozytor. Charkowski okres w życiu Konstantego Gorskiego, [w:] Znad Wilii, nr 3 (35), Wilno 2008, s. 115–117.