Szymanowski found refuge from prevailing European attitudes towards homosexuality in the art and philosophy of Ancient Greeks and medieval Islamic poetry.
Composer Biography
Despite composing captivating dance music like the Tarantella, Szymanowski's own movement was impeded since childhood by a knee defect.
Compositional Technique
Szymanowski entrusted the composition of the solo cadenza for his First Violin Concerto to his friend, the violinist Paul Kochański.
Composer Biography
Karol Szymanowski, the composer, grew up in a comfortable aristocratic home in Tymoszówka, which is now Tymoshivka in Ukraine.
Composition History
The violinist Paul Kochański became a vital musical influence on Szymanowski, with changes in Szymanowski's violin writing occurring after they began working together.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Szymanowski's musical world was a refuge from reality, blending Polish folk music with Ancient Greek drama and Islamic mysticism, creating a dream-like landscape.
Instruments
The violin used in this recording is an Antonio Stradivarius from 1724, kindly loaned by Florian Leonhard Fine Violins.
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