# Henryk Wieniawski



## Aramis

Polish violinist from romantic era. As far as I remember, he is the last great violin virtuoso which was also a famous by composing. His music is maybe not so good as the violin works of greatest ones, but its surely interesting and worth of listening.


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## handlebar

Love his violin concertos! The Heifetz recordings to me are still the best available IMHO.

Jim


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## Taneyev

Heifetz recorded only the second, with some cuts. But his version of famous Scherzo-Tarantelle is incredible. IMHO, the first concerto is better (and much more difficult).
Is a pity that Henrik did'nt write a full violin sonata. But his brother Joseph, a pianist, had a huge, long sonata that nearly nobody knows, and nobody ever plays.


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## handlebar

Didn't Heifetz record that 2nd twice?? I seem to recall two in my set. I will have to look when I get home.

Jim


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## YsayeOp.27#6

handlebar said:


> Didn't Heifetz record that 2nd twice?? I seem to recall two in my set. I will have to look when I get home.
> 
> Jim


That's right. And he recorded the Romance from the d minor concerto accompanied by the piano too.


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## World Violist

I love the D major polonaise... Heifetz has to be the best thing that ever happened to Wieniawski...


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## jurianbai

Just re listen carefully his violin concerto. In no.1 , 1st movement, around minute 8 ongoing, there is a pattern/style/phrase (not sure how to term this) sound very similar to Paganini. Paganini had been using this kind of phrase in many of his piece, like in his Caprices, repeated again in his Violin concerti. 
I wonder if Wieniawski doing some tribute or musical cameo on Paganini.


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## Aramis

Today I'm going to talk about Wieniawski because I have nothing better to do.

I remember I once started a thread about him before but it was long ago and I'm sure it was full of nothing and not too informative.

Yes indeed.

Henryk Wieniawski.

Pretty cool geezer:








But how you ask - as well you should - did I never hear this great song of our times

In fact nobody has ever heard this evepopular classic

When Gil Shaham's recording of his both concertos entered the market they sold only two copies - I bought one and Wieniawski bought one... where were you?

Yes, Gil Shaham:










Concertos are peaks of Wieniawski's cunst and this recording is most reasonable choice. You could find better recordings of 2nd but never better recording of both concertos + Legende.

Some say the 2nd is greatest.

No, in fact the 1st is.

It's midde-romantic frenzy, could be compared with Liszt's two piano concertos. There is true romantic expression, poetry... yes, Wieniawski was great poet, greatest poet of violin music... perhaps not?

Or perhaps yes.

I think he could be.

Tone painting? All those people think that virtuoso can't be good tone painter. But Wieniawski, though he didn't write 423987429342 symphonic poems, had something of tone painter. His skills in writing for orchestra were more than good. Paganini wrote poor symphonic expositions, some say that Chopin wasn't much better but Wieniawski knew how to do it.

Just listen to the dark, deep, dense facture of Legende. Or the orchestral opening of 1st concerto - what a unforgetable experience, and when the violin makes it first enterance after it, ARGH, what a beautiful and haunting music

So - the concertos, legende. The most important pieces.

After Shaham you could try Wanda Wiłkomirska (rare stuff from Olimpia label, but worth of seeking out), Piotr Pławner... Heifetz has so poor quality, only for devoted fans of his playing. Mischa Elman, same. Joshua Bell's isn't that bad.

There is some chamber music as well. For violin and piano, of course, among which you can find many snacks:


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## HarpsichordConcerto

I quite enjoyed the second piece/clip above, _Chanson Polonaise_. The violin was simply singing, and it sounded eastern European if I could put it that way.


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## Aramis

HarpsichordConcerto said:


> I quite enjoyed the second piece/clip above, _Chanson Polonaise_. The violin was simply singing, and it sounded eastern European if I could put it that way.


He, I re-arranged my post and it's the first one now. It's indeed folk-influenced piece - a mazurka, Wieniawski wrote a couple of them, charming miniatures, influenced by Chopin you could say. The one I posted is my personal favourite.


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## mmsbls

I agree completely - the first violin concerto is wonderful. I also adore Legende.

The Fantaisie brillante on themes from Gounod's Faust is another wonderfully expressive work for violin and orchestra.

Wieniawski wrote several lovely and short etudes-caprices (Op. 18) for 2 violins. I have a CD by Gringolts and Bulov.


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## Aramis

This thread doesn't seem to prosper, let me cast a bit of life into it with an anegdote. 

So, Wieniawski was giving a concert before tsar while, suddenly, tsar's dog (a huge beast) jumped at him and leaned against his arms with his forefeet. Wieniawski didn't cease to play though and kept performing with this dog on his back.

MY DEAR WIENIAWSKI - ASKED TSAR - IT SEEMS THAT MY DOG DISTURBS YOU

NO - WIENIAWSKI REPLIED - IT IS I WHO DISTURB HIM 

HO HO HO

THAT'S FUNNY ISN'T IT


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## Taneyev

Quartet of the Beethoven Society, London.: Joachim. Ernst, Wieniawski and Piatti. I wonder how those monsters sound together.


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## MaestroViolinist

Well, in Couchie's thread I said I support Wieniawski. So, here goes:

Wieniawski was an unappreciated Polish composer/violinist who lived most of his life in Russia. He played for the Tsar there, and his playing ability has been compared with Paganini. At sometime or other he went and studied composition in Paris.

Here's something better than I could ever write: _Wieniawski's career entered a new phase in 1860, when he moved to St. Petersburg. Wieniawski immediately became one of the country's principal musical figures. First violinist to the Tsar and professor of violin at the newly-founded Conservatory, he also led the Russian Musical Society's orchestra and string quartet. He exerted a tremendous influence on the Russian violin tradition; his unusual bowing style, with a stiff wrist and raised elbow, later became a trademark of Russian violinists, who, despite the seeming discomfort of the technique, kept rising to the pinnacle of violin performance. Wieniawski also matured as a composer._

Stuff you should DEFINITELY listen too: 
*Legende:* 



*Fantaisie Brilliante on themes from Gounod's Faust:* 



*Concerto No. 1 F# minor* 



*Concerto No. 2 D minor* 



*Polonaise Brilliante* 




My contribution for the day.


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## Miranna




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## SanAntone

The quartet named after him, Wienawski String Quartet, is very good and in the process of recording the complete cycle of string quartets by another Polish composer, Krzysztof Meyer.


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