Clarinet Polka

"The Clarinet Polka" or "A Hupfata"[1] (Polish "Polka Dziadek", Estonian "Vanaisa polka" – Grandpa Polka) is a popular musical composition from the end of the 19th century. Since 1971 it has been used as an opener in Lato z Radiem − one of the most popular shows of Polskie Radio Program I.[2] The piece, performed (as its name implies) as a polka, has a simple and catchy melody, featuring a prominent extended eight-note arpeggio. It is typically performed in B-flat major.

According to Polskie Radio Program I, the music was created in Austria by a composer named A. Humpfat.[2] Other sources claim that "The Clarinet Polka" was written under the name "Dziadunio Polka" by the Polish composer Karol Namysłowski.[3]

  1. ^ "A Hupfata". Svenska Filminstitutet. Retrieved 2011-06-27.[dead link]
  2. ^ a b "Lato z Radiem ma 35 lat - nasze URODZINY !". Lato z Radiem. Archived from the original on 2011-09-27. Retrieved 2011-06-27.
  3. ^ "Dziadunio polka; by K. Namyslowski, arr. F. Przybylski; clarinet solo" (Catalog of Copyright Entries: Musical compositions. 1941)
    "Columbia set up a studio in Chicago in 1915 and discovered Frantisek Przybylski and his Polish Village Orchestra, which recorded 'Dziadunio,' later known as 'The Clarinet Polka.'" (Polish-American Folklore, 2000, p. 128)
    "In 1915, Columbia made its first Chicago recordings, and a group led by Frank Przybylski recorded 'Laughing Polka' ('Cieszmy Się', literally 'Let Us Rejoice') (Columbia E-2221); on the other side was 'Dziadunio Polka,' which was the ancestor of 'Clarinet Polka.'" (Ethnic recordings in America: a neglected heritage, 1982, p. 141)