Violinissimo. Gems of Contemporary Music

Violinissimo. Gems of Contemporary Music is an opportunity to discover twentieth- and twenty-first-century violin chamber repertoire. Grażyna Bacewicz’s Polish Caprice for Solo Violin, composed in 1949, is one of the most popular and virtuosic works in the composer’s output while her String Quartet for Four Violins is distinguished above all by its excellent sense of violin texture and its clear form. As a violinist herself, Bacewicz wrote the parts in a way that perfectly highlights the sonic qualities of the instruments. Another work to be performed during the concert is Krzysztof Penderecki’s Cadenza for Solo Violin. The composition was originally conceived as an addition to and embellishment of Concerto for Viola and Orchestra before becoming an independent and demanding concert piece. The work represents the composer’s mature, neo-Romantic style, moving away from his earlier sonoristic experiments. We will also listen to a miniature masterpiece by Béla Bartók: a selection of duets from the collection 44 Duos for Two Violins. The work was composed in 1931 and, although originally intended for students, quickly gained the status of exceptional, mature concert literature in which folklore is combined with modern harmony. In addition, the evening will feature two rare works from the violin repertoire: Adagio and Toccata for two violins by Waldemar Wróblewski and Trio for three violins by the American composer Paul Trapkus.