 | Stanisław Gruszczyński (vocal) Przyjdź (Come!) (Jerzy Petersburski / Andrzej Włast) Tango from the revue „Tęcza nad Warszawą (Rainbow Over Warsaw) in the theatre „Morskie Oko, Syrena Electro 1932
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Stanisław GRUSZCZYŃSKI (b. 1891 in Ludwinów by Wilno, died 1959 in Milanówek by Warsaw) - one of greatest Polish singers (tenor) in the history.
During his schoolyears in Wilno, in the age of 14, he was engaged in the Polish anti-Tzarist conspiracy, for which he was expelled from school with no right to continue. Having a natural strong tenor, he decided to go to Warsaw where - in the years 1910-15, working as a waiter in Hotel Angielski, he had a chance to get into artistical circles and to receive first propositions for little roles in the theatres. At last, one of Hotel Angielski regular customers got interested in his vocal talents and helped him in the engagement into Warsaw Operetta.
After the very first performance, his success was enormous. Overnight, he could choose among offers. He choose Radames in Warsaw Grand Theatre performance of „Aida", in 1916. This role he guaranteed him forever the nickname of the „Polish Caruso" as well as the solid rank among the greatest Polish tenors of the I-st half of XX century. During 1920 that nice village boy from nearby Wilno used to take all possible roles on the prime stages of Europe: La Scala, Madrid, Barcelona, Hamburg, Paris, Lisbon. Because of the lack of a solid music education he sung in Polish, usually causing the little sensations among conoisseurs and journalists. Nevertheless, they all agreed in one point: Europe has not had for a long time, such performer of Wagnerian roles!
He was given enormous voice and phenomenal music memory. He could learn his part overnight. Therefore, he was exploited beyond measure. Lack of education, as well as his spontaneous, uncritical character, made him take at once any proposition and sing anywhere, without guaranteed conditions. Thus he sung in best operas as well as in the smoky cafes; he also performed in the movies. He recorded dozens of sides for best gramophone companies in Europe, which earned him a fortune. This was the beginning - and the end of his hi-speed life as a European celebrity. In the beginning of 1930s, having bought for himself a race horse team and a villa in the snobistic settlement area of Milanówek by Warsaw, he had to consider the first alarming signs of his voices decline. The critics started to complain about his failures on the stage. And suddenly, in 1932 his still great name appears on the posters advertising new revues in Warsaw cabaret "Morskie Oko" - where he was mercifully employed for the revue premiere. Soon he became alcoholic.
During 2nd World War he worked as a doorman and a physical worker. After war, his long-time-ago fans arranged the modest jubilee for him in the Warsaw Opera, as well as they found for him the low-paid yet stabile employment in the Music Library. In 1958, he retired, to die soon on a hart attack, in poverty and oblivion. |