Relevance of the Research. This article addresses the issue of preserving and reinterpreting Poland’s 19th century cultural heritage, with a focus on the largely forgotten composer Antoni Wincenty Rutkowski. His musical legacy remains underexplored, making him an example of an artist whose contribution to musical culture has been unjustly neglected. In the context of lost or forgotten cultural artifacts, the author emphasizes the need to reintroduce such works into contemporary musical discourse, highlighting the relevance of this study. Research Objective. The objective of this research is to identify the musical genealogy of Antoni Wincenty Rutkowski’s creative output by analyzing the influences that shaped his compositional style and by contextualizing his artistic activity within the political, cultural, and musical landscape of his era. Research Methods. The author employs a comprehensive approach combining several methods: biographical analysis — to study the composer’s life and career; comparative musicological analysis — to identify stylistic influences from other composers; interpretative method — through the author’s own experience as a pianist performing Rutkowski’s works; music archiving and editing — including the search for, editing, publication, and recording of the composer’s chamber and piano compositions. Main Findings and Conclusions. The study resulted in the identification of sources of inspiration and artistic influences on Rutkowski’s music. It also led to the recognition of his direct mentors and formative figures, such as Moniuszko, Żeleński, Noskowski, and Janota, as well as the acknowledgment of indirect influences from prominent Polish and European composers, including Maria Szymanowska, Fryderyk Chopin, Ignacy Jan Pade- rewski, Carl Maria von Weber, Robert Schumann, Isaac Albéniz, and Claude Debussy. Furthermore, the research demonstrated the stylistic transformation and development evident in Rutkowski’s compositional output and affirmed the artistic value and originality of his works within the broader context of Polish Romanticism. The conclusions emphasize the need for continued scholarly research and a fundamental reassessment of the legacy of 19th century composers whose works remain scattered and overlooked. Significance of the Research. This research holds both academic and cultural value. It contributes to restoring historical justice to underrecognized composers, expanding the modern performance repertoire, and enriching the understanding of Polish Romantic musical traditions. Moreover, it encourages further studies in the field of music archiving and the recovery of forgotten repertoire.
Katarzyna Makal–Żmuda (Mon,) studied this question.