Biography
Krzysztof Trzciński (27 April 1931 – 23 April 1969), known professionally as Krzysztof Komeda, was a Polish film music composer and jazz pianist. Perhaps best known for his work in film scores, Komeda wrote the scores for Roman Polanski’s films Knife in the Water (1962), Cul-de-sac (1966), The Fearless Vampire Killers (1967), and Rosemary’s Baby (1968). Komeda's album Astigmatic (1965) is often considered one of the most important European jazz albums. British critic Stuart Nicholson describes the album as "marking a shift away from the dominant American approach with the emergence of a specific European aesthetic." Born Krzysztof Trzciński, he chose Komeda as his stage name only upon graduation from university as a means of distancing himself as a jazz musician from his daytime job in a medical clinic.He grew up in Częstochowa and Ostrów Wielkopolski where in 1950 he graduated from the 'liceum (high school) for Boys'. While at school, he participated in the Music and Poetry Club. After high school he entered the Medical Academy in Poznań to study medicine. He finished his six-year-long studies and obtained a medical doctor diploma in 1956. He chose to specialize as an otolaryngology physician.
He took music lessons from early childhood; to become a virtuoso was his dream. He became a member of the Poznań conservatorium at the age of eight, but World War II thwarted his plans. Komeda explored the theory of music, and learned to play piano, during this period and later, until 1950; however, he was aware of the loss of the past six years.Komeda was interested in light and dance music. He met Witold Kujawski, a graduate of the same school and active as a swing bass player, at the gymnasium (high school) in Ostrów Wielkopolski. It was Kujawski who acquainted Komeda-Trzciński with jazz, and took him to Kraków. The romantic period of Polish jazz, called the catacombs, had its day in the spotlight. Jam sessions, in which such musicians as Matuszkiewicz, Borowiec, Walasek and Kujawski himself participated, took place in Witold's small apartment in Kraków.Some years later, it became clear why Komeda was fascinated with be-bop performed by Andrzej Trzaskowski. The fascination with jazz and the friendship with other musicians strengthened his connections with music, even though he was a doctor by profession. He worked for some time with the first, postwar, pioneer Polish jazz band, a group called Melomani that was from Kraków and Łódź, whose mainstays were Matuszkiewicz, Trzaskowski and Kujawski.Later, he played with pop groups from Poznań. One of them, Jerzy Grzewiński's group, soon transformed into a dixieland band. Komeda appeared with Grzewiński on the I Jazz Festival in Sopot in August 1956, but he achieved success performing with saxophonist Jan "Ptaszyn" Wróblewski and vibraphonist Jerzy Milian, because dixieland did not meet Komeda's expectations at the time. He was more fascinated with modern jazz. Thanks to this passion, the Komeda Sextet was created. Krzysztof Trzciński used the stage name 'Komeda' for the first time when he worked at a laryngological clinic, and wanted to conceal his interest in jazz from co-workers. Jazz was beginning its struggle for respectability with the communist authorities in the era of 'the thaw' and with Polish society; jazz was regarded as a suspicious music of night clubs.The Komeda Sextet became the first Polish jazz group playing modern jazz, and its pioneering performances opened the way for jazz in Poland. He played jazz that related to European traditions and which was the synthesis of the two of the most popular American groups at that time: the Modern Jazz Quartet and the Gerry Mulligan Quartet.In the thirteen years after the I Sopot Jazz Festival, the artistic personality of Krzysztof Trzciński became more mature, crystallized and lyrically poetic. Krzysztof was, above all, a constantly searching poet who could find ways of individual expression of himself within jazz, in Slavic lyricism, and in the traditions of Polish music.
Filmography
all 58
Movies 57
self 3
TV Shows 1
Komeda, Komeda... (2012)
Kołysanka (2012)
Komeda: A Soundtrack for a Life (2011)
Hands Up! (1985)
Riot (1969)
Mia and Roman (1968)
Rosemary's Baby (1968)
People Meet and Sweet Music Fills the Heart (1967)
Dance of the Vampires (1967)
Cages (1967)
The Departure (1967)
Laterna Magica (1967)
Barrier (1966)
A Colorful Lie (1966)
Hunger (1966)
Cul-de-sac (1966)
Unloved (1966)
Ping-pong (1966)
Pearls and Ducats (1966)
Christmas Eve (1966)
Markiza de Pompadour (1966)
Roundabout (1966)
The Fearless Vampire Killers: Vampires 101 (1966)
Wicker Basket (1966)
The Ashes (1965)
Bugler's Monologue (1965)
Penguin (1965)
The Cats (1965)
The Flag (1965)
Interrupted Flight (1964)
The Law and the Fist (1964)
The World's Most Beautiful Swindlers (1964)
Ubranie prawie nowe (1964)
Around the Platforms (1964)
Hvad med os? (1963)
The Criminal and the Lady (1963)
Teenager (1963)
Here Is My Home (1963)
Pistolet typu "Walter P-38" (1963)
Niezawodny sposób (1963)
Kraksa (1963)
Mammals (1962)
Mój stary (1962)
Nad wielką wodą (1962)
Opening Tomorrow (1962)
Knife in the Water (1962)
The Verdict (1962)
Ambulance (1961)
The Fat and the Lean (1961)
Glass Mountain (1960)
Innocent Sorcerers (1960)
Good Bye, Till Tomorrow (1960)
Bad Luck (1960)
When Angels Fall (1959)
Two Men and a Wardrobe (1958)
Jazz Talks (1957)
Mrówcze szlaki (1956)
Professor Tutka Club
Ratings
Information
Known ForSound
GenderMale
Birthday1931-04-27
Deathday1969-04-23 (37 years old)
Birth PlacePoznań, Poland
CitizenshipsPoland
Also Known AsChristopher Komeda, Krzysztof Trzciński-Komeda, Krzysztof Komeda-Trzciński, Krzysztof Trzciński
This article uses material from Wikipedia.
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