Patrons

The patrons who supported Szymanowski played a crucial role financially in the composer’s life. Until October 1917, Szymanowski subsisted on profits from the family property of Tymoszówka, which from 1905 were divided between his mother and the four siblings. With his arrival in Poland in 1919, the family’s financial situation greatly deteriorated, as the house and property, which assured their livelihood, were lost. The sisters, who had never worked before, contributed their very modest earnings, and Feliks earned small sums by giving piano lessons and private lessons, so the duty of providing for his mother and the rest of the family fell on Karol, who made some money from royalties, concerts, writing for the press. For a few years he was paid a salary as the head of the Music Conservatory, and later the Academy of Music in the amount of 650 złotys, which was roughly equivalent to US$70. ¹ When, at the beginning of 1934, the support of his American patronesses ceased, Szymanowski – in spite of his weak health – re-embarked upon concert tours all over Europe as the soloist in his Symphonie Concertante. The composer continued to perform until the end of 1935, when his health deteriorated considerably.