Szymanowski: Masterworks for Violin and Piano and Piano Solo

Featuring

Blanka Bednarz
Matthew Bengtson
Karol Szymanowski
Paul Kochanski

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Performer Biography

Paweł Kochański, a virtuoso violinist, debuted with the Warsaw Philharmonic at age 12 and became its concertmaster at 14, later becoming a faculty member at the Juilliard School of Music.

Composition History

In 1905, Szymanowski co-founded a 'Publishing Company for Young Polish Composers' in Berlin to publish music and organize concerts for the 'Young Poland in Music' group.

Critical Reception

Despite his merits, Szymanowski's music has been performed rarely outside of Poland, partly due to his personal reticence and the technical difficulty and extravagant instrumentation of his works.

Composer Biography

Karol Szymanowski, born to a noble Polish family, spent his childhood in Tymoszówka (now Ukraine) in a highly cultured environment that encouraged artistic activity.

Composer's Artistic Vision

Szymanowski's middle period, influenced by travels to Italy, Sicily, North Africa, Rome, and Paris, developed a highly exotic, otherworldly character with references to Greek mythology and Persian and Arabic cultures.

Composer Biography

Szymanowski spent his last years tragically poor, battling tuberculosis and frequently performing concerts despite his illness to earn income.

Composition History

The 'Nocturne and Tarantella' and 'Myths' were composed in Zarudzie during WWI, a period when Szymanowski collaborated intensely with virtuoso violinist Paweł Kochański, who profoundly influenced his violin writing style.