Violin Concerto No. 1 (Szymanowski)
Encyclopedia
Karol Szymanowski
’s Violin Concerto No. 1, Op. 35, is considered one of the first modern violin concertos. It rejects traditional tonality
and romantic aesthetics.
It was written in 1916 while the composer was in Zarudzie, Ukraine
. Paul Kochanski
advised Szymanowski on the fine point of violin technique during the composition of the concerto, and he later wrote the cadenza
. The work is dedicated to Kochański. The likely inspiration for the concerto was Noc Majowa, a poem by the Polish poet Tadeusz Miciński
. The concerto doesn't follow or duplicate the poem, yet Szymanowski's ecstatic, sumptuous music is an ideal companion to Miciński's language:
All the birds pay tribute to me
for today I wed a goddess.
And now we stand by the lake in crimson blossom
in flowing tears of joy, with rapture and fear,
burning in amorous conflagration." >
The Violin Concerto No. 1 was premiered 1 November 1922 in Warsaw
with Józef Ozimiński
as the soloist.
Karol Szymanowski
Karol Maciej Szymanowski was a Polish composer and pianist.-Life:Szymanowski was born into a wealthy land-owning Polish gentry family in Tymoszówka, then in the Russian Empire, now in Cherkasy Oblast, Ukraine. He studied music privately with his father before going to Gustav Neuhaus'...
’s Violin Concerto No. 1, Op. 35, is considered one of the first modern violin concertos. It rejects traditional tonality
Tonality
Tonality is a system of music in which specific hierarchical pitch relationships are based on a key "center", or tonic. The term tonalité originated with Alexandre-Étienne Choron and was borrowed by François-Joseph Fétis in 1840...
and romantic aesthetics.
It was written in 1916 while the composer was in Zarudzie, Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
. Paul Kochanski
Paul Kochanski
Paul Kochanski was a Polish violinist, composer and arranger.- Training and early career :...
advised Szymanowski on the fine point of violin technique during the composition of the concerto, and he later wrote the cadenza
Cadenza
In music, a cadenza is, generically, an improvised or written-out ornamental passage played or sung by a soloist or soloists, usually in a "free" rhythmic style, and often allowing for virtuosic display....
. The work is dedicated to Kochański. The likely inspiration for the concerto was Noc Majowa, a poem by the Polish poet Tadeusz Miciński
Tadeusz Micinski
Tadeusz Micinski was an influential Polish poet, gnostic and playwright, and was a forerunner of Expressionism and Surrealism. He is one of the writers of the Young Poland period . His writings are strong influenced by Dark Romanticism and Romantic gothic fiction...
. The concerto doesn't follow or duplicate the poem, yet Szymanowski's ecstatic, sumptuous music is an ideal companion to Miciński's language:
for today I wed a goddess.
And now we stand by the lake in crimson blossom
in flowing tears of joy, with rapture and fear,
burning in amorous conflagration."
The Violin Concerto No. 1 was premiered 1 November 1922 in Warsaw
Warsaw
Warsaw is the capital and largest city of Poland. It is located on the Vistula River, roughly from the Baltic Sea and from the Carpathian Mountains. Its population in 2010 was estimated at 1,716,855 residents with a greater metropolitan area of 2,631,902 residents, making Warsaw the 10th most...
with Józef Ozimiński
Józef Oziminski
Józef Ozimiński was a Polish violinist and conductor.-References:*...
as the soloist.
Sources
- Karol Szymanowski, "Violin Concerto No. 1 Op. 35" culture.pl (Retrieved 27 July 2008)
- Chicago Symphony Program Notes "Violin Concerto No. 1, Op. 35" (Retrieved 4 December 2009)[Dead link]