Bartłomiej Pękiel

Pekiel was an organist and composer who served in the Warsaw court around 1633. He became associated with Sacchi who was the royal director until 1649 at which time Pekiel became the deputy director. He left Warsaw in 1655 and went to Krakow. In 1658 he became the director of music for the Wawel Cathedral chapel. When Pekiel composed in Warsaw he composed a number of dramatic pieces including "Missa La Lombardesca" and instrumental works that included ricercares, fugues and dances for the lute. When he was in Krakow Pekiel's music consisted primarily of sacred works including masses for four to eight voices with Baroque polyphony and tonality. "Missa pulcherrima ad instar Praenestini" is recognized as "the" important four-part mass from Poland during the middle of the Baroque period. It contained and reflected musical ideas derived from some of Pekiel's own compositions, Gregorian chants and Polish carols. ~ Keith Johnson