instrumentation: Viola and Piano
ISMN: 9790801507716
cover: Małgorzata Flis
editor: Jadwiga Kubieniec, Marcin Kowalczyk
number of pages: 36+12
Romanza is a transcription of the second movement of Mieczysław Karłowicz’s Concerto in A major Op. 8 for violin and orchestra. This piece was composed between November and December 1902, and dedicated to Professor Stanisław Barcewicz "as a mark of admiration and gratitude". Notes, copies of the score and a piano reduction written by the composer were lost during World War II. First editions from 1906 (Leipzig) and 1912 (Warsaw), however, were preserved, and form the basis of this arrangement. Two pieces that follow (Serenade and Impromptu) date from Karłowicz’s youth; the time of his studies under Heinrich Urban in Berlin. Serenade in G major for cello and piano was composed in March 1896. The composer gifted the work to an acquaintance from his Heidelberg years, cellist Zygmunt Butkiewicz. In the mid-20th century, the piece was transcribed for cello and orchestra, symphony orchestra, and even for big brass band. At the end of 1895, Karłowicz completed work on his Impromptu in D major for violin and piano, of which we find mention in correspondence with Kazimierz Prószyński. This composition, which reveals a clear fascination with the romantic style of Tchaikovsky, remains little known (it went unpublished for more than a hundred years). It is deserving of attention, and provides the performer with ample opportunity to display his or her talent. Each transcription was written in the same key as the original.
The author of the transcriptions, Jerzy Kosmala, writes: Although the 20th century raised the viola to the rank of the solo instrument, the literature for this instrument is very limited, as far as Polish romantic music is concerned. Asked, on several occasions, to perform a recital consisting entirely of Polish music, I found difficulty in selecting a repertoire. To meet this challenge, I prepared my own transcriptions and adaptations of works written for other instruments, in particular for the violin and cello. On one such occasion, I drew my attention to the beautiful works of Mieczysław Karłowicz. I believe that this publication significantly enriches the collection of arrangements of Polish music of the turn of the 20th century, and thus, the world’s literature of the viola.
