# Mieczyslaw Karlowicz



## Mirror Image

Mieczysław Karłowicz (December 11, 1876 - February 8, 1909) was a Polish composer and conductor. He was born in Vishneva (present-day Belarus), and his father Jan was a Polish historian and musician. As a child he studied the violin, for which instrument he later wrote his only concerto.

Karłowicz studied at Warsaw with Prof. Noskowski, Piotr Maszyski, and Gustaw Roguski. He later studied in Berlin with Heinrich Urban. From 1906 to 1907 he studied conducting with Arthur Nikisch. His music is of a late-romantic/fin-de-siècle character, showing some affinity with Richard Strauss, Albéric Magnard and Alexander Scriabin.

Karłowicz wrote a symphony (Revival), a violin concerto (in A major, opus 8) and his output also contains several tone poems, including Eternal Songs, Stanislaw and Anna Oswiecimowie and The Returning Waves. He also wrote a number of songs for voice and piano, setting words by Kazimierz Tetmajer, Adam Asnyk, and others. Much of the rest of his small output was lost during World War II.

The music of Karłowicz inhabits a prime place in the history of Polish music between Fryderyk Chopin and Karol Szymanowski.

Karłowicz spent much of his later years in Zakopane, in the south of Poland, often enjoying one of his favorite hobbies, photography in the nearby mountain scenery, and died when skiing in the Tatra mountains in an avalanche in 1909. Mieczysław Karłowicz was buried at Warsaw's Powązki Cemetery.

[Article taken from Wikipedia]

Another composer whose life was cut way too short. He composed some beautiful music. I recommend his recordings on Naxos with Antoni Wit and the Warsaw Philharmonic.

Are any of you familiar with his works? Andre, I know you are.


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## Bach

Can't say I've ever heard of the man.. I do find it quite surprising that you know the music of obscure composers like Karlowicz and remain unfamiliar with Handel and Bach. Still - it seems like that won't be for much longer..!


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## emiellucifuge

Ive never heard of him, what would you recommend to start with?


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## Taneyev

His very romantic violin concerto.


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## Mirror Image

Bach said:


> Can't say I've ever heard of the man.. I do find it quite surprising that you know the music of obscure composers like Karlowicz and remain unfamiliar with Handel and Bach. Still - it seems like that won't be for much longer..!


I think you're forgetting my friend Bach that I'm hardcore fan of the Romantic period. This is still my favorite era in classical music.


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## Bach

Yes, I know you are.. although I don't often hear you speak of Wagner or Brahms (the two greatest romantic composers) - you're more of a 20th century romantic..


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## Mirror Image

emiellucifuge said:


> Ive never heard of him, what would you recommend to start with?


I would checkout "Stanislaw and Anna Oswiecimowie" and then move on from there.


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## Mirror Image

Bach said:


> Yes, I know you are.. although I don't often hear you speak of Wagner or Brahms (the two greatest romantic composers) - you're more of a 20th century romantic..


Oh, I LOVE Brahms, Bach. You've got me all wrong on that one. Brahms is one of my absolute favorites, but the reason I don't speak about him very much is because Brahms has already gotten a lot of press around here. 

The reason I don't talk about Wagner is simple: I don't like opera and that was his idiom. I know Wagner is excellent if you enjoy opera, but I don't, so that's why I don't talk about him.

I suppose I am a late-Romantic guy, but I like all kinds of Romantic composers.


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## emiellucifuge

I too prefer the romantic era.

thanks for suggestions, Ill let you know what i think


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## Mirror Image

emiellucifuge said:


> I too prefer the romantic era.
> 
> thanks for suggestions, Ill let you know what i think


You're welcome. Happy listening!


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## Nick Axmaker

I thought Wagner was more of a Modern composer rather than Romantic. Maybe I'm barking up the wrong age?


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## Mirror Image

Nick Axmaker said:


> I thought Wagner was more of a Modern composer rather than Romantic. Maybe I'm barking up the wrong age?


No Wagner's music is definitely in the Romantic tradition. Check this out:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Wagner


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## Nick Axmaker

Interesting, I read the article on Wikipedia (huge fan of Wikipedia). 

I think maybe that's why I've actually been liking him a bit more lately. I'm not a huge fan of opera, but his music seems to speak to me more lately, for sure. I wonder if it's because I've been listening to a lot of metal lately and have been enjoying a bit more of the angry music. I've always seen Wagner as more angry... with a beautiful way of putting himself out there. 

But then again, since this is not a thread about Wagner, enough about him here. I would hate to derail the first thread I post in. 

I'm not familiar at all with Karlowicz. Going to have to see if I can Google up some Youtube videos with his music, as I'm rather broke at the moment as far as buying new music.


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## Mirror Image

Nick Axmaker said:


> Interesting, I read the article on Wikipedia (huge fan of Wikipedia).
> 
> I think maybe that's why I've actually been liking him a bit more lately. I'm not a huge fan of opera, but his music seems to speak to me more lately, for sure. I wonder if it's because I've been listening to a lot of metal lately and have been enjoying a bit more of the angry music. I've always seen Wagner as more angry... with a beautiful way of putting himself out there.
> 
> But then again, since this is not a thread about Wagner, enough about him here. I would hate to derail the first thread I post in.
> 
> I'm not familiar at all with Karlowicz. Going to have to see if I can Google up some Youtube videos with his music, as I'm rather broke at the moment as far as buying new music.


If you want some aggressive music, forget metal, and go listen to Shostakovich, Bartok, Stravinsky, Hindemith, Mahler, and Langgaard. Honegger, etc. All of these composers will suit your need for aggression.


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## Guest

*Mirror Image* How about posting a track from one that you have in your collection and consider worthy, I am with bach and Co in that I don't know his music either, so please post a track


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## Mirror Image

Andante said:


> *Mirror Image* How about posting a track from one that you have in your collection and consider worthy, I am with bach and Co in that I don't know his music either, so please post a track


I actually haven't received the recording I ordered yet, but you can hear samples on Amazon right here:

http://www.amazon.com/Karlowicz-Sym...dm_cd_album_lnk?ie=UTF8&qid=1245002312&sr=1-1


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## Guest

OK Thanks, post it when it arrives


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## Mirror Image

Andante said:


> OK Thanks, post it when it arrives


I might or I might not. The world will never know.


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## Guest

Mirror Image said:


> I might or I might not. The world will never know.


You little Devil, playing hard to get eh,


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## Mirror Image

Andante said:


> You little Devil, playing hard to get eh,


Yes, I'm very tricky. They used to call me "The Merry Little Prankster," but then that nickname ended up being changed to "The Old, Farty Fat Prankster."


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## tuffy

I'm necromancing another old thread. I've just discovered the music of Karlowicz. I bought the four Antoni Wit records available on Naxos and I'm rather stunned. It is romantic music that can certainly be compared to many great names of the era. Apart from having a tricky name, why did he disappear? To die young was an extra credit at the time, so that doesn't explain it.


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