O estetyce muzycznej ks. Wacława Sierakowskiego

Abstract

Wacław Sierakowski in his treatise "The art of music – a book for Polish youth" published in 1795 tried to explain the whole problem of music i. e. the creative process, composition preformance, the evaluation of musical culture and the educational function of the art of music. His system was a kind of compilation of European ideas - from antiquity to the Encyclopaedists. The works of. J. J. Rousseau were the most significant influence of him. Sierakowski also refers to Holy Scripture in his essay, though he often does so in quite a superficial way. Nevertheless, he tries to found his aesthetics on a. theological base. In general, two traditions go to make up Sierakowski's aesthetics: 1. the conservative counter-reformation which attempts to maintain the "purity" of church music, and, 2. the aethetlc theoretical tradition of the musical Enlightenment. His understanding of beauty and of the music can be described in three categories: sensual beauty, sentimental beauty and associative or imitative beauty. This conception of music was characteristic of the whole XVIIIth century, not only of Rousseau, whose ideas were so fascinating for Sierakowski. On the other hand, the author of "The art of music" added to the musical aesthetics of the Enlightenment period some social and educational thoughts concerning the task of music in Poland, which gives his treatise a didactic aspect.