Marian Nowakowski- The people that walked in darkness

Marian Nowakowski (1912-2000)

Most collectors remember Polish bass Marian Nowakowski, if at all, from his participation in Sir Thomas Beecham's recordings of Beethoven's Mass in C and Mozart's Requiem (released on the EMI and Sony labels, respectively). His recorded legacy is very small, but the striking voice makes it eminently deserving of recognition. Hence, I thought a few examples of his art would be welcome on Youtube.

Brought up in Poznan, Nowakowksi studied briefly at the Lwow Conservatory with the great Polish bass Adam Didur, making his debut at the city's Opera in 1937. His formative years were interrupted, however, by the outbreak of World War II. Nowakowski spent several years as an army officer- first in Poland, then Hungary, France, and eventually Scotland. After the War he chose to remain in England and soon became a favorite at Covent Garden (where he bowed in 1947), Sadler's Wells (now the English National Opera), and the Welsh National Opera. He was also highly respected as an oratorio singer, collaborating frequently with leading British conductors of the time, such as the aforementioned Beecham, Barbirolli, Boult, and Sargent. After retiring from the stage in the mid '60's, Nowakowski taught successfully for many years; it was a second career that took him from the Guildhall School of Music to the Royal College of Music in Kingston and even the University of Southern Mississippi!

In contrast with "high" basses such as Chaliapin and his own teacher Didur, Nowakowski's voice displays a genuine profondo coloration. The instrument is both dark and sonorous, reminiscent occasionally of Szekely, with a tendency towards openness on top, and low notes that are vibrant and rock-steady. 'The people that walked in darkness', from Handel's "Messiah", gives us ample evidence of the latter. The voice is also quite secure above the staff, if not as spectacular, and the performance is very much in the grand manner, without the prissiness of the "period performance practice" school. Nowakowski's English diction, while a bit mushy at times, is reasonably clear overall. Unfortunately, I do not know the date of the recording.