Muzyka w Cudzoziemce Marii Kuncewiczowej

• Authors: Babulewicz Katarzyna

Title variants

EN

The music in The Stranger by Maria Kuncewiczowa

• Conference: VI Ogólnopolski Zjazd Studentów Muzykologii
• Languages of publication: PL

Abstracts

EN

Cudzoziemka (The Stranger) is the most famous novel of Maria Kuncewiczowa (1895–1989) and one of the most outstanding examples of Polish interwar prose. It tells the story of Róża Żabczyńska – an unhappy wife, mother and above all – abandoned once loved and a would-be violinist. The main part of the book is a presentation of the last day in the Róża’s life, when the character recalls the most important events and memories, especially from her early youth. The narrative is not linear. Individual episodes are compiled on the basis of associations, not in the chronological order. Cudzoziemka is usually interpreted as a psychological novel. In the foreground there is a story of a great, unrequited love from the school days, which can not be forgotten during for a lifetime. However there is also another element which is omnipresent on the pages of the novel. It is the music. It is present at all levels of the piece – from layers of language (use of terms related to the execution of music and onomatopeic words, especially to present specific moods, and moreover: overall sensitivity to sound and recalling diverse titles of music pieces), through the narrative: the selection of the key events and making the main character violinist; probably up to the more general conclusions about the nature of music. The structure of the novel suggests some analogies with musical form. What is more, there are many interesting examples of intertextual narrative as a consequence of invoking vocal pieces with a corresponding subject (the most important seems to be Schumann’s Dichterliebe). Music is everywhere, appears not only as a natural (yet attractive) backdrop for stories of wounded feelings of the vengeful violinist. Repeatedly, it is used to convey different types of information to the reader. It becomes often an expression of belief. It also reveals the true face of the main character. Finally, the attitude to music has a major impact on the relationships of other characters with Róża.

Keywords

EN

The Stranger; Kuncewiczowa; music in The Stranger

• Publisher: Uniwersytet Jagielloński. Koło Naukowe Studentów Muzykologii UJ
• Journal: Kwartalnik Młodych Muzykologów UJ
• Year: 2014
• Issue: 2(21)
• Pages: 98-117

Dates

published

2014-04-01

Contributors

author

Babulewicz Katarzyna

• Uniwersytet Jagielloński w Krakowie

References

• M. Kuncewiczowa, Cudzoziemka, Wyd. klubowe (Biblioteka Polska XX wieku) Warszawa 2007.
• A. Chwiłek, Robert Schumann, w: Encyklopedia Muzyczna PWM, red. E. Dziębowska, t. 9, Kraków 2007.
• L. Fryde, Wybór pism krytycznych, Warszawa 1966.
• J. Kański, Przewodnik operowy, Kraków 1985.
• J. Kwiatkowski, Dwudziestolecie międzywojenne, Warszawa 2000.
• W. Maciąg, Nasz wiek XX, Wrocław 1992.
• A. Nasiłowska, Trzydziestolecie, Warszawa 1995.
• M. Tomaszewski, Studia nad pieśnią romantyczną: od wyznania do wołania, Kraków 1997.
• H. Turkiewicz, Cudzoziemka jako powieść nie tylko psychologiczna, w: O twórczości Marii Kuncewiczowej, red. L. Ludorowski, Lublin 1997.
• J. Wierszyłowski, Psychologia muzyki, Warszawa 1981.
• A. Szałagan, Maria Kuncewiczowa. Monografia, Warszawa 1995.
• Rozmowy z Marią Kuncewiczową, oprac. H. Zaworska, Warszawa 1983.

Identifiers

ISSN

2353-7094