# Mieczysław Karłowicz



## Aramis

Hello, my name is Aramis and I'm here to make you listen to Mieczysław Karłowicz.

Who was he? He, dear friends, was Mahler of Eastern Europe.

Three things I will tell you to support this claim.

First of all, Karłowicz developed his music in two genres: orchestral music and song. The only exception is his violin concerto. He wrote only one symphony and it's early work, but it's not form that really matters, huh? Biggest part of his output belongs to genre of symphonic poem.

Secondly, his music goes almost side by side with Mahler in historical context - that is, he never lagged behind, until his 6th, Mahler didn't write anything that would be much more modern that music of Karłowicz. Did Karłowicz reshape music like Mahler, is he equal titan? No. But find me better example of post-romanticism and expressionism from this period at eastern side of the Oder. Don't even try to name Scriabin.

Third thing: both Mahler and Karłowicz have cool photos while their sit at chair looking like goddamn kings on their thrones.
















​
His life was short. 1876 - 1909 (100th death anniversary took place last year). He died in accident in mountains (he was mountaineer) and did not write everything that he could. But he wrote enough to be called great composer and, like I said, Mahler of Eastern Europe.

Now, the music.

There are three volumes by Naxos with his symphonic poems, conducted by Antoni Wit. I recommend it. These are his greatest works so start with them.

I disrecommend his violin concerto from Romantic Violin Concerto series (together with Moszkowski). Harsh violin timbre. But the concerto itself is very beautiful.

His symphony, "Rebirth", was recorded few times, you may try one by Jerzy Maksymiuk with Sinfonia Varsovia, there are other good choiced though.

Songs. Good CD there is, with his songs and those by Szymanowski (by the way, they were mates) - by Katarzyna Jankowska and Uruszula Kryger.


----------



## HarpsichordConcerto

Thank you, member Aramis. This is an interesting thread. I shall take note of Karlowicz's three voulmes of symphonic poems (when Naxos goes on sale again at my favourite website every now and then).


----------



## StlukesguildOhio

I have this disc and agree that Karlowicz composed some truly marvelous music. As a great fan of vocal music and song I must look into his songs. Wit does a marvelous job with Penderecki so I will certainly be looking into his recordings of the rest of Karlowicz' orchestral music. While I'm currently obsessed with building upon my collection of Baroque and earlier music, I have long had a soft spot for late post-Romantic decadence... before Schoenberg screwed it up.


----------



## Aramis

HarpsichordConcerto said:


> Thank you, member Aramis. This is an interesting thread. I shall take note of Karlowicz's three voulmes of symphonic poems (when Naxos goes on sale again at my favourite website every now and then).


Surprised to see you interested, especially because I can't assure you that his music is any civilised. But if comparison to Mahler (which, as I remember you do not particularluy like) did not scare you and you feel like listening to this kind of music, well, I'm glad and good luck in looking for recordings.



> Wit does a marvelous job with Penderecki so I will certainly be looking into his recordings of the rest of Karlowicz' orchestral music.


Go for Vol. 2 if you want new thing, it contains his greatest poem of those that you don't have on this Chandos stuff - Eternal Songs. It's kind of symphonic triptych (like Debussy's La Mer), beautiful description of his reflections that he had while wandering through the mountains, at least that's what he wrote in his letters.


----------



## Aramis

Here is tasty substitute for you, I've posted outstanding coda from his symphony on YouTube:






The magnificent chorale that you hear here is short final form of it and appears in diffrent ways through the whole final movement of the symphony. It's one of greatest symphonic chorales I can think of and it's very special, like no other reminiscent of Roman Catholic church music (there is no context in this similiarity though).

Today I have ripped the whole work from my CD in loseless format. If someone is too short of cash but wants to listen *I'll be glad to send him it via e-mail* :tiphat:


----------



## Aramis

Some updates considering recommended recordings. For spine of his work - symphonic poems - I still recommend Wit at first place. But considering the rest I explored some more recordings recently and concluded that:

The best recordings of violin concerto are those by Konstanty Andrzej Kulka, Wanda Wiłkomirska or eventually Nigel Kennedy.

Example:






The songs sound at their best when sung by baritone (they were performed by all kind of voices except bass I think) Andrzej Hiolski. There are quite a lot of songs by Karłowicz but he managed to record all of them and it's ultimate recording.

Example:






There is for sure no better recording of his "Rebirth" symphony than one I recommended before, that is Jerzy Maksymiuk (example in previous post of mine).


----------



## Ukko

Aramis said:


> The best recordings of violin concerto are those by Konstanty Andrzej Kulka, Wanda Wiłkomirska or eventually Nigel Kennedy.


I have the recording by Wilkomirska (with Rowicki I think). Fine late-Romantic music, and a great violinist performing it.


----------



## Art Rock

At your recommendations I bought the two naxos CD's with his symphonic poems. The second arrived yesterday. Both are absolute eye-openers, fantastic late romantic music, some of the best symphonic poems I ever heard. I particularly like the three part Eternal songs op.10. I will take Karlowicz even over Richard Strauss in this genre (with Bax and Respighi still staying on top). Your nickname "Mahler of Eastern Europe" is very apt.

Thanks again for this recommendation.


----------



## Aramis

The more I dig him the more I think that the Mahler comparison was a bit missed. 

The similiarities I wrote about - in genres, in the "decadence" etc. are true but I think the spirit is diffrent + Karłowicz didn't particularly love Mahler. He was very unenthusiastic after attenting performance of his 5th and felt more at home with Tchaikovsky (it's possible that he was his major influence despite the fact that you can hardly hear it in his mature works, except his E minor symphony which is sort of Tchaikovsky's 7th just like Brahms 1st is called Beethoven's 10th) and - of course - Wagner. 

The more appropriate comparison would be perhaps with Sibelius, not because one could hear any literal similiarities between two of them but because they both were conservative-originals, that is: their originality didn't bring forth any incredible, new values into music as a whole but served the purpose of developing personal, unique musical language for the sake of their own output. When you hear Sibelius symphonies you think "there is no revolution, yet they are so fresh and one of a kind" - the same is with Karłowicz's symphonic poems and to some extent his earlier works.


----------



## robert

I have an excellent double disc of all Symphonic Poems of Karlowicz by Silesian State Philharmonic Orchestra Jerzy Salwarowski on DUX


----------



## Aramis

I'm just hearing this recording of E minor symphony:










It's not bad. It's very good. Perhaps even as good as the one by Maksymiuk and for sure easier to get worldwide.

Or you can listen to it online, in full:

http://w778.wrzuta.pl/audio/9e6tBcJ...rmonic_-_symfonia_e-moll_odrodzenie_op._7_-_1
http://w778.wrzuta.pl/audio/0MuFiOj..._i_andante_-_symfonia_e-moll_odrodzenie_op._7
http://w778.wrzuta.pl/audio/0uajy0L...iii_vivace_-_symfonia_e-moll_odrodzenie_op._7
http://w778.wrzuta.pl/audio/2mUc4K8...o_maestoso_-_symfonia_e-moll_odrodzenie_op._7

Don't get confused with weird words all over the site, just hit the standard "play" button - all necessary options are visual buttons lke on CD player.


----------



## Moscow-Mahler

Dziękuję, Aramis, for drawing our attention to this composer. From Antoni Wit I have heard only Szymanowski on CD (and some fragments of Mahler and Chopin with Lukas Geniusas on youtube) - and *I envy you of having such a conductor!*


----------



## Andante Largo

I recommend his Lithuanian Rhapsody, Op 11 and A Sorrowful Tale, Op. 13.


----------

