Franciszek Zachara


Franciszek Zachara was a Polish pianist and composer who concertized extensively throughout Europe in the years leading up to 1928. He was a professor of piano at a Polish conservatory from 1922-1928, and two American colleges from around this time until his death in 1966. Zachara composed well over 150 works, including many works for piano solo, a piano concerto, a symphony, several works for band, and various chamber pieces. The archive of his manuscripts is held at the at Florida State University. Most of these manuscripts are originals from the composer's own hand.

Biography

Franciszek Zachara was born in Tarnów, Austrian Poland to parents Ludwig and Maria Zachara on December 10, 1898. He was educated in the State Gymnasium in Warsaw, and graduated from the Imperial Conservatory in Saratov in 1919. He then attended the Imperial Conservatory in St. Petersburg, studying piano with Alexander Dubassoff, and graduated in 1921. From 1922 to 1928 he was professor of piano at the Silesia State Conservatory in Katowice, Poland.
On November 18, 1928 Zachara gave his American debut in New York's Town Hall. He played an extensive program of works by J.S. Bach, Beethoven, Chopin, Mozart, Scarlatti-Tausig, Scriabin, Debussy, Liszt, and a piece of his own. The recital was reviewed enthusiastically by The New York Times, The New York Sun, and The New York Herald-Tribune. After this performance, he began a year-long concert tour of the United States, and became Professor of Piano at Brenau College in Gainesville, Georgia, where he remained until 1946. During this time he married Patty Haralson, took up marksmanship, and won many medals in this new hobby. He is quoted:
I began shooting as a sport or hobby after America entered the war, in 1942. At that time I was living in Gainesville, Georgia. … The National Guard was offering a course in marksmanship to civilians who wished to take part. I thought that every American man should become proficient with firearms since we were fighting for our existence; so I registered for the course.

In 1946, Zachara became a U.S. citizen, and relocated to New York for a short period. In 1948 he became Associate Professor of Piano at Florida State University, where composer and pianist Ernő Dohnányi had also just started teaching. On February 25, 1952, the American premiere of Zachara's Piano Concerto in E Major was performed by the State Symphony of Florida, with the composer as soloist and Dohnányi conducting. Becoming a full professor in 1955, Zachara continued composing, performing, and teaching at the School of Music at Florida State University until he was hospitalized on January 21, 1966 suffering a heart attack. He died less than two weeks later, on February 2, in a Tallahassee hospital.. He was survived by his widow Patty and a nephew Stanley. They had no children.
Zachara was a member of several organizations, including the Florida Composers League, the Florida State Music Teachers Association, the Music Teachers National Association, the Kiwanis Club, the Manhattan Chess Club, the National Rifle Association, the Tallahassee Rifle and Pistol Club, Pi Kappa Lambda, the International Who's Who in Music, and the American Association of University Professors.

Zachara's music and publications

Zachara composed well over 150 works, including many works for piano solo, a piano concerto, a symphony, several works for band, and various chamber pieces. Many of these works were dedicated to his friends and colleagues over the years.
Zachara's music is mostly written in a Romantic vein, and most of his piano music follows in the footsteps of his countryman, Frédéric Chopin. Zachara was an expert in the music of Chopin, and it is said that he had all of Chopin's music memorized. He occasionally did transcriptions of the music of other composers, including Chopin, Liszt, Strauss, and others. Partial scores of transcriptions exist of Chopin's 'Butterfly' Etude for piano solo, and two-piano versions of Chopin's Etude Op. 25 No. 9, and 'Minute Waltz'. Zachara had used his own opus numbering system earlier in his career, extending at least to his piano sonatas but this system seems to have been abandoned by the early 1950s. The list of works below reflects original opus numbers assigned by Zachara. A new system of assigning notation to all of Zachara's works, whether completely or partially existing, is currently being created.
Zachara's works for piano solo largely reflect models used by J.S. Bach and Chopin. Zachara wrote many preludes, fugues, etudes, and waltzes, often arranging them in collections of 12, 24, or 48. Though some of these collections no longer exist in their entirety, it seems Zachara was aiming to create collections which would give examples in all major and minor keys. An extensive collection titled New Well-Tempered Clavicord for the Piano is clearly taken from the Bach model, consisting of 24 sets of preludes and fugues in all major and minor keys, with an additional 25th prelude and fugue added at the end. Zachara seems to have composed at least three piano sonatas, but only partial scores exist for these works.
Zachara wrote many chamber works for a variety of instruments. His best-known chamber piece is the Sonata for Clarinet and Piano No. 1. This work was published by Leblanc Publications in 1964, and is still available today, published by Southern Music Company. Aside from the piano solo music, only one other solo piece exists ; and Zachara only wrote one vocal piece, Help me oh Lord. Eleven sonatas for solo instrument plus piano survive, as do two of his three string quartets. Some of the chamber music, such as Valse Sentimentale and Grande Suite in Blue were scored for both chamber and band/orchestral settings.
Zachara's music has been published by at least 8 publishers, including Gamble Music Co., Theodore Presser Co., Leblanc Publications Inc., Music Publisher's Holding Corp., Remick, G. Schirmer, Shattinger Piano & Music Co., and Southern Music Co. Vinyl recordings of him playing works by Liszt, Chopin, Delibes- Dohnányi, and Strauss-Zachara were released by Transphono/Ohio Recording Service.

Works

Much of Zachara's music is now lost or exists in fragmentary forms. The list below was selected from the works that exist in their entirety.

Piano solo collections

Americana for Piano Solo

Barcarolle

Berceuse for Piano Solo

Boogie Woogie Etude

Burlesque

Capriccio in E-flat Major

Capriccio in F-sharp Major

Dutch Dance

Gavotte in B Minor

Gavotte in D Major

Grand Valse Chromatique

Indian Sacrifice

Menuet in A Minor

Menuet in Classic Style

The Music Box

The Music Box: Cracoviene Polish Natinoale Dans

Poeme

Rondo for Piano Solo

Sans Souci

Scherzo in E Minor

Second Rhapsody by Liszt

Slavic Dance

The Star Spangled Banner

Suite in Classic Style

Twelve Variations on the Theme "America"

Twelve Variations on the Theme "Happy Birthday" for Piano and Orchestra

Waltz in G Major

Chamber works

Americana for Two Pianos or Four Hands

Double Concerto for Two Clarinets and Strings

Fantasia for Trumpet and Piano

Five Fugues for Woodwind Trio

Fugue in Six Voices

Grande Suite in Blue for Clarinet and Piano

Help me oh Lord

Humoresque

March for Two Pianos

Meditation

Pastorale and Fugue for Woodwind Trio

Perpetual Motion

Piano Concerto in E Major

Polonaise Brilliante for Flute Alone

Rondo Brillante for Strings

Rondo Brillante for Woodwind Trio and Strings or Piano

Serenade for Violin and Piano

Six Pieces for Cello and Piano

Sonata Expaniole for Woodwind Trio

Sonata for Bassoon and Piano

Sonata for Cello and Piano – various versions

Sonata for Clarinet and Piano No. 1

Sonata for Clarinet and Piano No. 2

Sonata for Horn and Piano

Sonata for Oboe and Piano

Sonata for Oboe and Piano

Sonata for Trombone and Piano

Sonata for Trumpet and Piano

Sonata for Violin and Piano

String Quartet in D Major

String Quartet in G Major

Ten Master Pieces for Discriminating Woodwind Performers

Three Organ Chorales

Toccata for Two Clarinets and Piano

Triple Concerto for Oboe, Clarinet, Bassoon and Strings

Twenty-Four Variations on the Theme "Happy Birthday" for Two-Pianos

Two Organ Chorales for Woodwind Trio

Valse Sentimentale

Valse Triste

Variations and Fugue for Oboe, Clarinet and Bassoon

Variations on a Nursery Rhyme for Woodwind Trio

Band/orchestral works

Concerto Grosso No. 1

Concerto Grosso No. 2

Concerto Grosso No. 3

Concerto Grosso No. 4

Concerto Grosso No. 5

Concerto Grosso No. 6

Grande Suite in Blue for Clarinet Solo and Symphonic Band

March Carnaval

March No. 1

March No. 2

March No. 3

March No. 4

Mediation for Symphonic Band

Piano Concerto in E Major

Rhapsody for Trumpet and Symphonic Band

Romanza Espaniole

Rondo Brillante for Solo Clarinet and Symphonic Band

Symphonic Waltz No. 2

Symphony No. 1

Twenty-Four Variations on the Theme "Happy Birthday" for Piano and Orchestra

Valse Sentimentale for Symphonic Band

Valse Symphonique