Jan Rakowski (1898–1962): Viola D'amore Spiritus Movens in Poland
The aim of the article is to present the profile of the outstanding Polish musician Jan Rakowski. His artistic activities were related to playing the viola and viola d'amore, which was completely unknown at that time. The author describes the use of viola d'amore in Poland until the end of the 19th century, and outlines its popularity in Western Europe and the United States. In order to reliably present the figure of Jan Rakowski, press excerpts about his achievements concerning playing the viola d’amore are presented. This leads to the assessment of his activity. An important element of the work is a reference to Stefan Bolesław Poradowski’s composition, Concerto for viola d’amore and string orchestra, and drawing attention to the problem with the dating and titling of the work.
