Karol Józef Lipiński, born on 30th October 1790 in Radzyń, died on 16th December 1861 in Urłów (now Virliv in Ukraine).

For a romantic virtuoso, Lipiński had a rather unusual biography, lacking in scandals or legends, and without any supernatural intervention. The only more attractive point, as ‘The Warsaw Gazette’ reported, was that he had supposedly taken lessons from Paganini himself! Could there be any greater attraction and recommendation for the Warsaw audience? And yet, Lipiński decided to disclaim this ‘attractive addition’ to his life story.

Karol Lipiński’s contribution to European violin music can hardly be overestimated. This was most emphatically expressed by Vladimir Grigorev, a Russian violinist and musicologist, professor of Moscow Conservatory: “His [Lipiński’s] work was a culminating point in European violin history. [...] Lipiński paved the way for a worldwide recognition of the Polish national culture. He was one of the first great composers before Chopin whose work became known outside Poland and won acclaim in Europe [...].”

All of the 23 works by Karol Lipiński in our CD set represent the highest technical standards of composition, and the two Trios Op.8 and Op.12 are the work of genius. In comparison with the works of other composers from this period in the same genres, we are amazed by the composer’s imagination and by his exceptional sense of form and harmony.