The works of Jan Stefani (c.1750-1829) coincided with one of the more difficult periods in Polish history. This musician of Czech origins arrived in Poland following the First Partition of the Commonwealth of Poland and Lithuania in 1772 and stayed till his death. His output brought new aesthetic qualities to Polish music and became a cornerstone for later composers. Some of Stefani's works - like the opera Cud mniemany, czyli Krakowiacy i Górale (The supposed miracle, or Cracovians and Highlanders) - found a permanent place in the repertoire, while others feel into oblivion. Today we wish to revive awareness of one of the leading composers of the reign of Stanislaus Augustus and the early nine-teenth century. With that aim in mind, we present the series The Complete Works od Jan Stefani. We trust that each succesive volume will expand knowledge of this composer and of the epoch in which he worked. And we hope that his significant legacy, although only a small proportion of it has survived to our times, will find a place in concert halls and that the scores prepared in this series will give rise to numerous recordings.