Bertagnolli, Paul A.2021-12-202021-12-20December 22021-12December 2https://hdl.handle.net/10657/8380Karol Lipiński (1790-1861), through artistic activities centered around Polish musical idioms, significantly contributed to the dual process of carving the cultural identity of Poland and spreading it outside its confines. These achievements are reflected in the efforts of contemporary Polish scholars who promulgate an idealistic narrative that casts Lipiński as a genuine ambassador of Polish culture and heritage. I deconstruct such a portrayal by examining numerous fissures in his nationalistically constructed image, including his devotion to the Russian Tsar Nikolai I, his flexibility in tailoring concert programs to accommodate the expectations of local audiences, and his ideological conflict with Chopin. As I contextualize these fissures through the lens of Central European politics of Lipiński’s lifetime, I present him as an artist whose motivations in taking on a nationalist role were fueled predominantly by a pragmatic desire to advance his career, rather than a patriotic urge to display affinity for his homeland.application/pdfengThe author of this work is the copyright owner. UH Libraries and the Texas Digital Library have their permission to store and provide access to this work. Further transmission, reproduction, or presentation of this work is prohibited except with permission of the author(s).Karol LipińskiNationalismNationalism in musicPolish musicPolonaiseViolinViolin virtuoso2021-12-20Thesisborn digital