Henryk Wieniawski

Henryk Wieniawski (July 10, 1835 Lublin, Congress Poland, Russian Empire - March 31, 1880 Moscow) was a Polish violinist and composer.

He was born into a Polish-Jewish family, whose father, Tobiasz Pietruszka, converted to Catholicism. His talent for playing the violin was recognized early on, and in 1843 he entered the Paris Conservatoire. After graduation, Wieniawski toured extensively, giving many recitals on which he was often accompanied by his brother Józef on piano. In 1847 Henryk Wieniawski published his first opus, a "Grand Caprice Fantastique", the start of a modest but important catalog of 24 opus numbers.

When his engagement to Isabella Hampton was opposed by her parents, Wieniawski wrote "Légende", Opus 17; this work helped the parents change their mind and the couple married in 1860.

At the invitation of Anton Rubinstein, Wieniawski moved to St. Petersburg, where he lived from 1860 to 1872, teaching many violin students and leading the orchestra and string quartet of the Russian Musical Society. From 1872 to 1874 Wieniawski toured the United States with Rubinstein. In 1875 Wieniawski replaced Henri Vieuxtemps as violin professor at the Conservatoire Royal de Bruxelles.

During his residence in Brussels, Wieniawski's health was in obvious decline, often stopping him in the middle of concerts. He gave a farewell concert in Odessa on April 1879 and died from a heart attack the following year in Moscow. He is interred in the Powązki Cemetery in Warsaw.

Henryk Wieniawski was considered a violinist of genius and wrote some of the most important works in the violin repertoire, including two extremely difficult violin concertos, the second of which (D minor, 1862) is more often performed than the first (F# minor, 1853). His "L'Ecole Moderne, 10 Etudes-Caprices" is a very well-known and required work for aspiring violinists. His "Scherzo-Tarantelle", Op. 16 and "Légende, Op. 17 are also frequently performed works. He also wrote two popular mazurkas for solo violin and piano accompaniment (the second one, "Obertass", in G Major), using techniques such as left-hand pizzicato, harmonics, large leaps, and many double stops. Wieniawski has been given a number of posthumous honors. His portrait appeared on a postage stamp of Poland in 1952 and again in 1957. A 100 Złoty coin was issued in 1979 bearing his image.

What is sometimes called the "Russian bow grip" ought to be called the "Wieniawski bow grip": Wieniawski taught his students his own kind of very stiff bowing that allowed him to play a "devil's staccato" with ease.

The first violin competition named after Wieniawski took place in Warsaw in 1935, and the International Henryk Wieniawski Violin Competition has been held every five years since 1952.

His daughter Irena Regina Wieniawska (Brussels, 16 May 1880 — London, 28 January 1932), married first to Theodore Presser Poldowski and then to Sir Aubrey Dean Paul and thus Lady Dean Paul, but known in the musical world as Madame Poldowski, was also a composer.

Compositions

Published works, with opus numbers

* Grand Caprice Fantastique, Op. 1
* Allegro De Sonate, Op. 2
* Souvenir de Posen, Mazurka, Op. 3
* Polonaise de Concert No. 1, Op. 4
* Adagio Elegique, Op. 5
* Souvenir de Moscow, 2 Russian Romances, Op. 6
* Capriccio-Valse, Op. 7
* Grand Duo Polonaise For Violin and Piano, Op. 8
* Romance sans Paroles et Rondo Elegant, Op. 9
* L'Ecole Moderne, 10 Etudes-Caprices For Violin Solo, Op. 10
* Le Carnaval Russe, Improvisations and Variations, Op. 11
* 2 Mazurkas De Salon, Op. 12
* Fantasie Pastorale, Op. 13
* Concerto No. 1 In F# Minor, Op. 14
* Theme Original Varie, Op. 15
* Scherzo-Tarantelle, Op. 16
* Légende, Op. 17
* Etudes-Caprices Na Dwoje Skrzypiec, Op. 18
* 2 Mazurkas, Obertasse et Le Menetrier, Op. 19 (NB No 2 is known as both 'The Bagpipe Player' [ABRSM Vln Gr VIII Syllabus] , and 'The Village Fiddler' [Naxos Records] )
* Fantasie Brillante sur Gounod's "Faust", Op. 20
* Polonaise Brillante, Op. 21
* Concerto No. 2 In D Minor, Op. 22
* Gigue in E Minor, Op. 23
* Fantasie Orientale, Op. 24

Unpublished works, and works without opus numbers

* Wariacje na Temat Własnego Mazurka (ok. 1847)
* Aria z Wariacjami E-Dur (przed 1848)
* Fantazja i Wariacje E-Dur (1848)
* Nocturne Pour Violon Seul (1848)
* Romance (ok. 1848)
* Rondo Alla Polacca E-Moll (1848)
* Duo Concertant na Temat z Opery "Łucja z Lammermooru" Donizettiego (ok. 1850)
* Duo Concertant na Temat Hymnu Rosyjskiego A. Lwowa (ok. 1850)
* Duo Concertant na Temat Rosyjskiej Melodii Ludowej (ok. 1850)
* Fantazja na Temat z Opery "Prorok" Meyerbeera (ok. 1850)
* Mazur Wiejski (ok. 1850)
* Fantazja na Temat z Opery "Ryszard Lwie Serce" Gretry'Ego (ok. 1851)
* Duet na Tematy Finlandzkich Pieśni (ok. 1851)
* Dwa Mazurki (1851)
* Marsz (1851)
* Wariacje na Temat Hymnu Rosyjskiego (ok. 1851)
* Wariacje na Temat "Jechał Kozak Zza Dunaju" (ok. 1851)
* Kujawiak A-Moll (1853)
* Wariacje na Temat Hymnu Austriackiego (1853)
* Rozumiem, pieśń na głos z fortepianem (1854)
* Souvenir de Lublin, polka koncertowa (ok. 1855)
* Fantazja na Temat z Opery "Lunatyczka" Belliniego (ok. 1855)
* Wspomnienie z San Francisco (ok. 1874)
* Kujawiak C-Dur
* Polonaise Triomphale
* Reverie Fis-Moll na Altówkę i Fortepian

External links

* cite web
first=Maria
last=Pilatowicz
title= HENRYK WIENIAWSKI
url=http://www.usc.edu/dept/polish_music/composer/wieniawski.html
accessdate=2006-05-13 — [http://www.usc.edu/dept/polish_music/ Polish Music Center at USC]
* [http://www.wieniawski.pl/ Henryk Wieniawski Society (en)]
* [http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=10132877 Henryk Wieniawski's Gravesite]
*