In Maria Szymanowska (1789-1831): A Bio-Bibliography. Anna E. Kijas examines the career of the highly influential Polish pianist and composer, focusing on Szymanowska's life from her days as a
young artist, to her public concert tours between 1822 and 1828, to the last three years of her life in St. Petersburg. Kijas considers the daily aspects of touring, such as organizing
concerts, securing transportation and lodging, and managing finances, and reviews Szymanowska's reception in the cities in which she performed, paying attention to her repertoire, the critics'
remarks, ticket prices, and other artists on the program.
Separated into works, discography, and literature, the bibliography lists more than 100 compositions for piano, voice, and chamber, ensemble. The discography provides details for CD, LP, and
cassette recordings from 1960 to the present, and the literature section examines more than 120 primary source documents such as nineteenth century reviews and advertisements, personal
correspondence, journals, and scrapbooks. Secondary sources include articles, books, and essays about Szymanowska as a composer and pianist. Complete with a list of sources and an index, this
comprehensive reference provides insight into the struggles and accomplishments related to concert life for a professional woman in early nineteenth century Europe.
