Mikołaj Gomółka

Mikołaj Gomółka (* 1535 in Sandomierz, † after 1591, probably 1609) was a Polish musician and composer.

It can be regarded as one of the first composers who seriously sought a national Polish art style. Special mention deserve its four-part settings of texts, the written January Kochanowski on the basis of Psalms.

Life

At a party in the town of King Sigismund became aware of the young Gomółka II August 1545 and took him to his court. After three years, he became a pupil of a royal Fistulators ( excellent instrumentalists of the king) named Klaus in January, where he spent 10 years. Then Gomółka was also Fistulator as a member of the chapel. At the court he spent 12 years. He was appointed to the so-called Italian Fistulatoren.

In 1563 GOMOLKA Mikolaj has left the yard, and spent 15 years in his native town in some extra-musical areas. In 1578 he found a powerful protector in the person of Bishop Piotr Myszkowski, an outstanding humanist and patron of artists and writers. Earlier Myszkowski January Kochanowski had asked for a translation of the Psalms of David, which were printed in 1579 in Krakow. Next, the musical adaptation Gomółkas appeared. This proximity suggests that Kochanowski and Gomółka most likely were in close contact or even could have worked. From the dedication speech stands out that only the support Myszkowskis made ​​the pressure of Gomółkas Psalms possible. In addition, there is an epigram by Andrzej Trzecieski who praises the cooperation of Kochanowski and Gomółka.

By no later than 1590 to Gomółka was at the court of the chancellor in January Zamoyski, which in turn was also a generous patron. In 1591, it shows the last message via Gomółka. Probably this was also his death year. It's hard to believe that the Psalms of David were the only work of the composer. Polish musicologist as Kolberg (19th century), Jachimecki ( turn of the century ) and Kosela informed about two exhibitions and two other songs, but these works are either lost in the meantime, or is this is a mistake, for all later studies these statements are not confirmed.