On Friday, the 8th of May, at the next INTERNET CONCERT you will have an opportunity to listen to Violin Concerto No. 2 in D Minor, Op. 22 by Henryk Wieniawski performed by Bomsori Kim and Poznan Philharmonic Orchestra, as well as “Krzesany” by Wojciech Kilar in the interpretation of Poznan Philharmonic Orchestra. Both works were conducted by Maestro Marek Pijarowski. The concert was held in the Konzerthaus Berlin on the 23rd of October 2018 and it was broadcast by national German radio program Deutschlandfunk Kultur.

We encourage you to read the introduction to the program of the concert.

Henryk Wieniawski: Violin Concerto No. 2 in D Minor, Op. 22

Henryk Wieniawski (1835-1880), a violinist from Lublin educated in Paris, started his brilliant virtuoso career at the age of 11. Enthusiastically received in Europe and America, he was considered to be one of the most eminent performers and was admired by his excellent technique, passionate and energetic. Like other virtuosos of the era, Wieniawski also composed pieces he could perform himself. Though many of the works written by the others fell into oblivion, his artistic output survived to our day and appears in the repertoire of violinists all over the world. Out of two violin concertos by Wieniawski (probably his best works) Violin Concerto No. 2 in D Minor, Op. 22 is performed more frequently and regarded as more mature and more original. Other famous works of this composer are: Légende, Scherzo-Tarantelle, Kujawiak, Polonaises in D Major and A Major, mazurkas “Obertas” and “Dudziarz”, as well as Études-Caprices which are equivalent to Niccolo Paganini’s Caprices. The works of Wieniawski were published in almost 80 publishing houses in Europe and the United States, and the total number of issues reaches 600!

Wojciech Kilar: Krzesany

“Krzesany” by Wojciech Kilar (1932-2013) is an entrancing hit popular on all the continents. The word “krzesany” means a group of dance steps characteristic for highlander dances that includes striking one’s heels while jumping. The piece, written in 1974, was a real breakthrough in Wojciech Kilar’s artistic output, as his prior works were more avant-garde – mostly composed in the movement of sonorism. Wojciech Kilar, however, was greatly inspired by the whole range of elements deriving from highlander folk music, thus after “Krzesany” also other pieces influenced by this region appeared: “Kościelec 1909”, “Grey Mist”, “Orawa”. As the composer himself said about the piece, ‘the advantage of “Krzesany” is that it defends oneself from bad interpretations. They can’t harm it much, as it has a kind of multi-circuit security system found in cars or planes: even if one effect fails, we still have many more, etc. Luckily this work, which requires a large orchestral apparatus, is performed by excellent orchestras…’

Justyna Kroschel

(excerpt of the program of the concert in Konzerthaus Berlin, 23rd of October 2018)