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THE ROMANTIC VIOLIN CONCERTO ~ 4
Moszkowski
Violin Concerto in C, Op 30
Ballade in G minor, Op 16 No 1
Karlowicz
/
Violin Concerto in A, Op 8
TASMIN LITTLE
BBC SCOTTISH
SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
MARTYN BRABBINS
ORITZ MOSZKOWSKI is scarcely a familiar name
today, although there are perhaps a few among
us of a certain age who may have fading
recollections of him as the composer of such piano pieces
as
Serenata, Guitarre
or
Valse Mignonne—lighter
salon
music with a prerequisite for melody—or, of course, the
Spanish Dances
for piano duet, copies of which would
have been found in most piano stools throughout the
civilized world and beyond, before the onset of later
twentieth-century distractions. During the past few
years, however, and thanks to the dedication and
enthusiasm of certain performers together with the
support of enterprising record companies, we have been
given a unique opportunity to rediscover a whole new
world of such forgotten repertoire—forgotten to a large
extent due to changes in fashion and ensuing unjust
prejudices.
Born in 1854 in Breslau (now WrocÏaw, Poland, but
then the capital of the East Prussian province of Silesia),
Moszkowski’s natural musical talent was soon evident,
both at the piano and as a composer, and he produced a
piano quintet at the age of thirteen. His serious musical
studies commenced in Dresden, then from 1869 con-
tinued in Berlin, firstly at Julius Stern’s Conservatory, and
finally at Theodor Kullak’s ‘Neue Akademie der Tonkunst’,
where while still aged only seventeen he accepted Kullak’s
invitation to join his teaching staff. After a successful
pianistic debut in Berlin in 1873, he toured extensively
throughout Europe while still fulfilling his teaching duties;
but during the early 1880s he began to suffer from a
nervous disorder which restricted his performing
activities, although this enabled him to concentrate more
on composition. He also began to gain recognition as a
conductor and as such in 1885 made the first of several
visits to England, to conduct a performance of his
symphonic poem
Joan of Arc
Op 19, at the invitation of
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M
the Philharmonic Society, which later granted him an
honorary life membership.
In 1897 Moszkowski settled permanently in Paris,
having married Henriette Chaminade, the younger sister
of Cécile, the composer of the celebrated
Automne.
He had
become much sought-after as a teacher and among his
many pupils were Josef Hofmann and Wanda Landowska.
Furthermore, in 1904 a young Thomas Beecham came to
Moszkowski to study orchestration, at the suggestion of
Massenet.
From about 1910, however, Moszkowski’s fortunes
went into decline with the loss of his wife and daughter,
and his once considerable popularity as a composer
decreased as musical tastes began to change. In an artistic
world in which he increasingly felt out of touch,
Moszkowski virtually ceased composing and became a
recluse, by then constantly affected by ill health. His last
years were spent in poverty, as he had invested his
considerable wealth in German and Russian securities,
which were rendered worthless after the outbreak of war in
1914. He died in Paris from stomach cancer on 4 March
1925, all but forgotten.
Mendelssohn, Chopin and Schumann all influenced
Moszkowski to some degree, especially in the earlier
pieces, and he of course established his reputation with
his piano music. But he did achieve some early success
with a number of orchestral works. The first edition of
Grove’s
Dictionary of Music and Musicians
(1880) has a
short entry for Moszkowski and mentions a piano concerto
and two symphonies in manuscript; similarly J D Brown’s
Biographical Dictionary of Musicians,
published in
1886, has Moszkowski’s own autobiographical entry which
mentions the same works, as well as an overture. However,
none of these was published and unfortunately all must at
present be considered lost. We do know that the afore-
mentioned piano concerto was performed in Berlin in
1875 and was praised by Liszt, who subsequently arranged
and took part in a two-piano performance, but this work
must not be confused with the later E major concerto
Op 59, which appeared in 1897 (and which is recorded on
Hyperion, CDA66452). Moszkowski was a more-than-
competent violinist, and the American Amy Fay, in her
entertaining book of memoirs
Music Study in Germany
(1885), notes him as playing first violin in the academy
orchestra.
The
Ballade
in G minor for violin and orchestra Op 16
No 1 was originally composed for violin and piano during
the early 1870s (it was published with a companion piece,
a
Bolero
Op 16 No 2). Subsequently Moszkowski
orchestrated the
Ballade
(but not the
Bolero),
and as such
it would appear to be his earliest surviving orchestral work
(the famous
Spanish Dances
Op 12 appeared earlier, but
were in fact orchestrated by Philipp Scharwenka and
Valentin Frank, the original version being for piano duet).
The
Ballade
was dedicated to Gustav Hille (born 1851), a
German violinist and minor composer who was one of
Moszkowski’s fellow students at Kullak’s Academy, and
although intended as a virtuoso display vehicle it also
reflects Moszkowski’s natural gift for melody.
The opening is marked
Andante con moto,
and the
orchestra sets the scene with a brief introduction before
accompanying the soloist who enters with a lilting theme,
the basic rhythmic make-up of which is used extensively
throughout. A short quasi-cadenza then leads directly into
the second part—Tempo
animato (quasi allegro)—
where the tension is gradually built up with increasing
momentum as the work heads towards its main
fortissimo
climax. The short coda then fades away to a
molto
tranquillo
conclusion. It is interesting to note that there
are several differences from the original violin and piano
version, where Moszkowski had written a completely
different bravura ending, perhaps more suitable for the
3
salon work as it was originally conceived. Later editions
show that he had second thoughts about this, bringing the
piano reduction into line with the orchestral score.
Overall, the
Ballade
is typical of Moszkowski’s affable and
eclectic style, and although it is to some extent limited in
its emotional range it provides more than enough interest
and enjoyment for the listener with its contrasts in texture
and colourful orchestration.
The Violin Concerto in C major Op 30 appeared nearly
ten years after the
Ballade,
and was dedicated to the
famous French violinist Emile Sauret, who gave the first
perfomance in Berlin in 1883. Cast in the usual three
movements, it is a substantial full-blooded romantic work
in every aspect, demanding exceptional virtuosity, but
never for its own sake, and always subservient to the
musical content. The first movement—Allegro
comodo—
is of considerable length but basically adheres to
convention, and also serves as ample confirmation of
Moszkowski’s ability and confidence in developing a
coherent large-scale structure, thus belying his unjust
reputation as being merely a competent composer of salon
trifles. Set in compound time, four in a bar, graceful dotted
dance-like rhythms abound, which bear some similarity to
the figurations used in the
Ballade,
alternating brilliant
passagework with the introduction of syncopation and the
appearance of the second subject. Moszkowski all but
dispenses with the traditional cadenza, instead introducing
three short improvisatory passages for the soloist, the last
one of which appears before the recapitulation.
The second movement—Andante—is one of Mosz-
kowski’s most inspired movements, introducing a lyrical
main theme of uncommon beauty which contrasts with
the following build-up in intensity and emotion. As the
orchestra restates the opening theme, the soloist floats
above,
molto espressivo,
in rhapsodic vein before the
movement dies peacefully away.
The finale—Vivace—is the soloist’s
tour de force,
entering with a breathless 38-bar
perpetuum mobile.
The
momentum is sustained and only briefly interrupted by a
more lyrical counter-theme, which in turn gives way to a
gypsy-like dance before the brilliant coda brings the work
to a most exhilarating and exciting end.
Born a generation after Moszkowski, MieczysÏaw KarÏowicz
inhabited a much-changing musical world. Had it not
been for his tragic premature death in 1909 he would
conceivably have played a major role in the development
of music in Poland during the first half of the twentieth
century, alongside Karol Szymanowski, Ludomir Ró˙ycki
and Grzegorz Fitelberg, who in turn were the mainstays of
the ‘Young Poland in Music Publishing Group’.
KarÏowicz was born on 11 December 1876 at Wiszniew,
east of Wilno (now Vilnius), the capital of Lithuania, which
was at that time under Russian jurisdiction. His father, Jan
KarÏowicz (1836 –1903), was an educated man—a
distinguished linguist and ethnologist as well as a
musician who had published articles on Polish folk music
and had composed some songs and minor piano pieces.
MieczysÏaw, the youngest of four children, commenced his
musical education in Heidelberg, where he received his
first violin lessons after the family had left Lithuania in
1882. Eventually, in 1887, having spent five years travelling
in Europe with some time in Dresden and Prague, the
KarÏowicz family finally settled in Warsaw, where
MieczysÏaw continued with his violin studies under the
tutelage of StanisÏaw Barcewicz (1858–1929), a celebrated
virtuoso. Although MieczysÏaw achieved moderate success
as a performer he was never particularly comfortable
before the public, and whilst Barcewicz acknowledged his
technical ability he felt that his temperament was not in
accordance with that required of a virtuoso.
KarÏowicz’s first works dated from 1891—he had
4
taken lessons in harmony the previous year—but these
early attempts were apparently of little consequence
(several songs and short pieces for violin and piano); they
remained unpublished and were destroyed during the
bombing of Warsaw in 1939. His earliest surviving
composition is a short piano piece entitled
Chant de Mai,
dating from 1893.
Poland as a political entity had ceased to exist after
1795, when its territories were split and divided between
Russia, Prussia and Austria. The two abortive armed
insurrections of 1830 and 1863 were followed by ruthless
repression and persecution from the authorities, which
resulted in a general stagnation and decay, both economic
and on an artistic level. Thus gradually during the nine-
teenth century Warsaw had become a provincial back-
water, barely influenced by intellectual developments
which had been taking place elsewhere across Europe.
Against such a background KarÏowicz had decided to
progress his musical education abroad, and after giving up
the idea of being a performer he concentrated his efforts
on composition, and moved to Berlin in 1895 where he
studied with Heinrich Urban (1837–1901). Coming into
contact with the latest musical ideology, KarÏowicz firmly
sided with the progressive neo-romantics—followers of
Wagner as represented by such figures as Richard Strauss,
against the opposing classical conservatism of Brahms and
his supporters.
Aside from Strauss, KarÏowicz was also drawn to the
music of Bruckner, Tchaikovsky and Grieg, but he was
uncompromisingly dismissive of many others, even
including such classical masters as Beethoven. KarÏowicz’s
own compositions from his student days in Berlin
included a number of songs, most of which were pub-
lished as his Opp 1, 3 and 4, a Serenade for strings Op 2
(1897), and
BiaÏa GoÏ·bka
(Bianca
da Molena)
Op 6 – a
‘Symphonic Prologue and Intermezzo’ to Nowinski’s
drama
The White Dove.
He also started work on his
Symphony in E minor ‘Rebirth’ Op 7 in 1900, which was
completed in Warsaw in 1902.
Having returned to Warsaw in 1901, he involved
himself in various musical activities, but he was constantly
at odds with the rather reactionary Polish musical
establishment which was trying to reassert itself; it was
only in 1901 that a permanent symphony orchestra, the
Philharmonia, was founded, under the directorship of the
composer, violinist and conductor Emil MÏynarski
(1870 –1935). Among other things, KarÏowicz was
concerned that very little Polish music was being
programmed, and after a dispute with MÏynarski he
refused any offer of having his own works performed in
protest. Thus he had to arrange and promote his own
concerts. It was such an event on 21 March 1903 in Berlin
that saw the first performance of his symphony, together
with the music for
The White Dove,
and his latest work to
date, the Violin Concerto in A major Op 8.
KarÏowicz’s enduring reputation as a composer, how-
ever, rests firmly with the next (and unfortunately, last)
works he produced, between 1903 and 1909—namely the
six symphonic poems, the last of which was completed by
Fitelberg in 1913 from unfinished sketches.
Due to the ongoing problems in Warsaw, KarÏowicz was
anxious to leave again and so travelled extensively in
Europe. In 1906 he visited Paris, and then spent the winter
in Leipzig, where he was able to study conducting at Artur
Nikisch’s rehearsals. In the summer months he moved to
Zakopane, in the Polish Highlands, and he eventually
made this his permanent home, preferring the lonely
solitude and remote beauty of the Tatra Mountains, where
he was able to pursue his other interests—walking,
cycling, skiing and photography. It was while out skiing
that he was killed by an avalanche on 8 February 1909.
The appearance of the Violin Concerto in 1902 marks a
5
MIECZYSLAW KARLOWICZ
/
/
turning point in KarÏowicz’s creativity, with his preceding
output, the symphony included, being considered as
‘student’ works. During the spring of 1902 KarÏowicz had
approached his former violin teacher, Barcewicz, asking if
he would take part in his forthcoming Berlin debut concert
in March 1903, although at that time he had not yet
actually written the concerto. The invitation, however, was
duly accepted and the work was completed in December
1902, with a dedication to Barcewicz.

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