Wincenty Pol (1807–1872) romantic poet, guardian of the national tradition — Stanisław Moniuszko (1819–1872) representative of Polish Romanticism in music, restorer of the national opera, author of several hundred solo songs.
Pol and Moniuszko knew and inspired each other with their work, which was significantly influenced by folklore from the borderlands. Moniuszko’s masses, litanies and cantatas were one of the incentives for Pola to address the issue of religious music in his lectures.
Both were connected with four Polish scientific and cultural centers: Vilnius, Warsaw, Krakow and Lviv, where they met in 1865.
The poet and composer had mutual friends and acquaintances: recognized composers-conductors, writers and poets, music critics and actors. They both considered art as one of the means to educate the society living under the partitions. They entered the history of Poland as defenders of the native language and culture.
