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2011 Gra#yna Bacewicz and Her Violin Compositions: From a Perspective of Music Performance Hui-Yun (Yi-Chen) Chung

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COLLEGE OF MUSIC

GRAŻYNA BACEWICZ AND HER VIOLIN COMPOSITIONS- FROM A

PERSPECTIVE OF MUSIC PERFORMANCE

By

HUI-YUN (YI-CHEN) CHUNG

A Treatise submitted to the College of Music in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Music

Degree Awarded: Fall Semester, 2011

Hui‐Yun Chung defended this treatise on November 3, 2011.

The members of the supervisory committee were:

Eliot Chapo Professor Directing Treatise

James Mathes University Representative

Melanie Punter Committee Member

The Graduate School has verified and approved the above‐named committee members, and certifies that the treatise has been approved in accordance with university requirements.

ii

To my beloved family

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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

I would like to express my deep gratitude and thanks to Professor Eliot Chapo for his support and guidance in the completion of my treatise. I also thank my committee members, Dr. James Mathes and Professor Melanie Punter, for their time, support and collective wisdom throughout this process. I would like to give special thanks to my previous violin teacher, Andrzej Grabiec, for his encouragement and inspiration.

I wish to acknowledge my great debt to Dr. John Ho and Lucy Ho, whose kindly support plays a crucial role in my graduate study. I am grateful to Shih‐Ni Sun and

Ming‐Shiow Huang for their warm‐hearted help. I would like to express my sincere appreciation to my sister, who always supports me in my years of learning music.

Thanks to my parents and husband for their endless love and continuous encouragement. Without them, this journey would have never been possible and completed.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

LIST OF TABLES…………………………………………………………………………………………………………vi LIST OF MUSICAL EXAMPLES…………………………………………………………………………………...vii ABSTRACT…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………ix

I. THE OVERVIEW OF MUSIC GACKGROUND DURING THE TWENTIETH CENTURY (FROM 1909‐1969)...... ……………1 SURVEY OF MUSIC HISTORY IN POLAND FROM 1909‐1969………………………………….2

II. BIOGRAPHY OF GRAŻYNA BACEWICZ…………………………………………………………………9 CHARACTERISTICS OF HER COMPOSITIONS IN DIFFERENT PERIODS…………..……15

III. THE SELECTED WORK OF GRAŻYNA BACEWICZ’S VIOLIN COMPOSITIONS‐ FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF PERFORMANCE PRACTICE……………………………………………..20

Bacewicz’s Second Compositional Period……………..……………………………………22 Polish Caprice………………………………………………………………………………………..23 Sonata No.4 for violin and piano…………………………………………………..……….30

Bacewicz’s Third Compositional Period………………………………………………………..38 String Quartet no.6…………………………………………………………………….………….38 4 Kaprysy……………………………………………………………………………………………….45

IV. SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION…………..…………….………………………………………………53

BIBLIOGRAPHY………………………………………………………………………………………………………..55 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH…………………………………………………………………………………………..59

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LIST OF TABLES

TABLE 1 Polish Capriccio Overview…………………...... 25 TABLE 2 Sonata No.4 for violin and piano Overview…………………...... 32

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LIST OF MUSICAL EXAMPLES

Example 3.1 Polish Capriccio, mm. 1‐4…………………………………………………………………...26 Example 3.2 Polish Capriccio, mm. 90‐92………………………………………………………………. 27

Example 3.3 Polish Capriccio, mm.1‐2……………………………………………………………………..27

Example 3.4 Polish Capriccio, mm. 119‐121…………………………………………………………….28

Example 3.5 Polish Capriccio, mm. 95‐97………………………………………………………………..29

Example 3.6 Polish Capriccio, mm. 113‐118…………………………………………………………….30

Example 3.7 Sonata no.4 for violin and piano, First movement, mm. 1‐ 12…..…………32

Example 3.8 Sonata no.4 for violin and piano, First movement, mm. 1‐ 19……………..35

Example 3.9 Sonata no.4 for violin and piano, First movement, mm. 20‐ 25……………36

Example 3.10 Sonata no.4 for violin and piano, First movement, mm. 236‐ 243……..37

Example 3.11 String Quartet No.6, First movement, three measures before figure

22……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………41

Example 3.12 String Quartet No.6, First movement, Figure 22………………………………..41

Example 3.13 String Quartet No.6, First movement, mm. 1‐4………………………………….42

Example 3.14 String Quartet No.6, First movement, Figure two………………………………43

Example 3.15 String Quartet No.6, Third movement, mm. 10‐12…………………………….44

Example 3.16 Romanza Andalusa (Spanish Dances), Op.22……………………………………..47

Example 3.17 4 Kaprysy I, m. 15………………………………………………………………………………47

Example 3.18 4 Kaprysy I, mm. 74‐78………………………………………………………………………48

Example 3.19 4 Kaprysy I, mm. 74‐78 (with modification)……….………………………………48

Example 3.20 4 Kaprysy II, mm. 41‐46……………………………………………………………………..49

Example 3.21 4 Kaprysy II, mm. 66‐71……………………………………………………………………..50

Example 3.22 4 Kaprysy II, mm. 6‐15……………………………………………………………………….51

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Example 3.23 4 Kaprysy IV, mm. 12‐17……………………………………………………………………52

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ABSTRACT

In the twentieth century, new compositional concepts were introduced to Poland, which had been devastated by wars. Poles absorbed these new music trends

happening in the world, and eventually created their unique music. Consequently, many fabulous Polish composers emerged in the twentieth century, but they did not receive the recognition they deserve. Therefore, my motivation to write this treatise is to better understand the contemporary music in Poland.

The first chapter of this treatise provides an overview of the music background in the twentieth century, along with brief history and music background in Poland in the first sixty years of the twentieth century. The second chapter, introduces an outstanding female Polish composer, Grażyna Bacewicz. Her detailed biography, music

characteristics and representative violin compositions from her second and third

compositional periods will be addressed in the second and third chapters. Her

representative compositions addressed include Polish Capriccio (1949) and Sonata no.4

for Violin and Piano (1949) from her second compositional period, and String Quartet no.6 (1960) and 4 Kaprysy (1968) from her third compositional period. Given that the author is a violin player, this treatise will also introduce these compositions from a perspective of performance.

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CHAPTER ONE

THE OVERVIEW OF MUSIC GACKGROUND DURING THE TWENTIETH CENTURY

(FROM 1909‐1969)

There was a significant shift in music style during the twentieth century. The new music trends at this time were all‐inclusive. For example, the new music concepts in the first sixty years of the twentieth century included atonalism, neo‐classicism, folklorist elements, avant‐gardism, and minimalism. There were also other, more minor, developments.

In the twentieth century, the traditional tonal thinking based on Classical

European Music was no longer the only way for composers to compose their work.

In fact, the expressive music phrases, expanded music structures, and the usages of advanced harmonies from the late romanticism period had become outdated. “The result of new musical development everywhere in the early years of the century was the weakening or the destruction of the accepted implications of traditional functional tonality.”1 Nevertheless, some composers kept working on the music language and styles from the previous century, such as Sergei Rachmaninoff and

Edward Elgar.

Igor Stravinsky played an important role in contributing to the music of the twentieth century. After moving to Paris in 1920, Stravinsky started to shift his compositional style to ‘neoclassicism.’2 As Salzman points out, “A large body of the

1 Eric Salzman, “Twentieth‐century music: an introduction” edited by H. Wiley Hitchcock. 3rd ed, Prentice‐Hall history of music series (Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall, 1988), 45. 2 Neo‐classism: “A movement of style in the works of certain 20th‐century composers, who, particularly during the period between the two world wars, revived the balanced forms and clearly perceptible thematic processes of earlier styles to replace what were, to them, the increasingly exaggerated gestures and formlessness of late Romanticism.” Arnold Whittall, "Neo‐classicism," in Grove Music Online. Oxford Music Online, 1

new tonal music, centered on the work of Igor Stravinsky, has been known as

‘neo‐Classical’; a more logical and inclusive term might be ‘neo‐tonal.’ Part of this

music style is composed of the forms and materials derived from the traditional

classical music. However, a great part of this music style derives from an earlier or a

more recent past or no particular past at all.”3 For instance, the definition of, ‘past’,

that Stravinsky had in mind might only come from the classical period, or may not

even be classic at all. He may get inspired from the composers in the Renaissance,

or some of his contemporaries.

The city of Paris was critical to the development of ‘neo‐classicism’. Paris was

the music center during and after the two world wars, and it facilitated

‘neo‐classicism’ to become a dominant trend in music. This trend in Paris also indirectly affected music development in other countries, such as Poland.

SURVEY OF MUSIC HISTORY IN POLAND FROM 1909‐1969

Poland is one of those European countries that has a very rich history and cultural heritage, and it has produced a few famous composers such as Chopin and

Wieniawski in the nineteenth century. In the early twentieth century, Poland still

kept producing many composers from its own land, even though Poland was isolated

from the rest of the world because of the World Wars and its complex political issues,

such as socialist control in the post‐war period.

During this difficult period of time, it is surprising that Poland could still produce

many representative composers in the twentieth century, such as M. Karlowicz

(1876‐1909), K. Szymanowski (1882‐1937), S. Wiechowicz (1893‐1963), B. Szabelski

http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com/subscriber/article/grove/music/19723 (accessed October 12, 2011). 3 Salzman, 46. 2

(1896‐1979), J. Maklakiewicz (1899‐1954), A. Malawski (1904‐1957), W. Lutosławski

(1913‐1994), K. Pendercki (1933‐ ) and the one who will be the focus of this article –

Grażyna Bacewicz (1909‐1969).

These established Polish composers represented diverse music movements that

developed separately or simultaneously in the past century. First of all, the Młoda

Polska (Young Poland) movement came out in the beginning of the twentieth century.

Its concept to elevate general culture had widely spread from literature to music.

Some of the most eminent members representing Młoda Polska included M.

Karlowicz (1876‐1909) and K. Szymanowski (1882‐1937). Karlowicz, a successor of

R. Strauss in many ways, he was the one “successfully introduced the symphonic

poem into Polish music.”4 Szymanowski embraced late romanticism and was

influenced by different musicians during his music development. For example, he

absorbed the music of Richard Strauss and Wagner initially, and then Debussy,

Scriabin, Bartok, and Stravinsky.5

In the 1930s, the main stream of music in Poland was neoclassicism. Many of

the Polish composers started to explore this musical style and assimilated it into their

compositions. Moreover, they tried to learn this concept from French composers,

and the important Stravinsky.6 Some of the young Polish composers graduated

from the conservatory in Poland and went to Paris for either more advanced study or

performance opportunities. These young composers and writers formed an

organization called Associations of Musicians of (composers of) Young Poles

(Stowarzyszenia Młodych Muzyków Polaków or SMMP) in 1927. The first chairman

was a writer, P. Perkowski. SMMP’s goal was to introduce some old Polish

4 Lidia Rappoport‐Gelfand, Musical Life in Poland: The Postwar Years 1945‐1977 (New York, Gordon and Breach, 1991), X. 5 Ibid. 6 Ibid. 3 compositions to the general public in Paris, which was the world center of music at that time. On the other hand, these young composers of SMMP also brought different types of music back to Poland. Some composers’ names can be found in

Rappoport‐Gelfand’s comment ‐ “A. Malawski, B. Szabelsk, J. Maklakiewicz,

T.Szeligowski, P. Perkowski, G. Bacewicz, W. Lutoslawski, Z. Mycielski, and S.

Kisielewski all continued to work in the sphere of neoclassicism.”7 They were the important musicians who played a part in Polish music history during the Second

World War and the post‐war period.

The Second World War started in 1939 and finally ended in 1945. New infrastructure was needed everywhere; on the other hand, everything had a brand‐ new beginning. Paris, the world music center in the pre‐war period, tried to re‐gain its glories from the past days. Olivier Messiaen (1908‐92) and one of his outstanding pupils, Pierre Boulez (1925‐ ) were among the great composers representing this post‐ war era in Paris.

Mournfully, many Poles were killed and the whole society was heavily destroyed during World War II. However, Poles were determined to put their efforts together in order to get their life back after the war. As a result, the Polish Provisional

Government of National Unity was formed in 1945. However, Poland was not an independent country at that time. In fact, Poland was heavily influenced by Soviet

Communist, became one block of the Soviet Union, and turned into a socialist country.

There were several major cultural events that would benefit Poland’s music development for a very long period of time. In 1945, the Union of Polish

Composers (Zwiazek Kompozytorów Polskic, or call ZKP) was established. An education overhaul has taken place since 1945, and consequently music programs

7 Lidia Rappoport‐Gelfand, xi. 4 have become pivotal part of education from the elementary school to the university level. Some significant music journals were established in Poland, such as Muzyka8 and Ruch Muzyczny.9 The Polish Music Publishing House (Polskie Wydawnictwo

Muzyczne SA or PWM) was created during this time period. It has a significant meaning in terms of preserving music culture and encouraging music creations.

Consequently, Polish Radio was established; opera houses and philharmonic halls were built. Moreover, Polish composers and society encouraged higher levels of music performances and more and more music activities.

Under this atmosphere, Polish composers started to restore the previous music foundations in Poland. Gradually, some Polish musicians created a new direction in music. “Among these musicians were such major figures as K. Sikorski, W. Rudzinski,

S. Wiechowicz, W. Lutosławski, G. Bacewicz, and B. Szabelski.”10 The previous trend in the pre‐war years was neoclassicism, but the new direction created by these musicians included folklore elements.

There were many music rebuilding activities going on during the post‐war years, however, from 1949 most composers faced pressure from the government. “The years 1949‐1955 were beyond any doubt exceptionally difficult for Polish composers.

The highest commandment, that music must be distinctly national, directed all cultural policy. And national meant ‘connected with folklore’‐ it could not be otherwise.”11 In fact, the Polish Ministry of Culture hosted a composer conference in Łagów Lubuski, August 1949, trying to convince composers to follow certain procedures. Although fewer than half of the composers from the composer’s union

8 A music journal which featured contemporary music was founded in Warsaw by the composer and writer Mateusz Gliński (1892‐1976). 9 Or called MUSICAL MOMENT, is a bimonthly periodical journal. 10 Rappoport‐Gelfand, xii. 11 Stefan Jarocinski, Contemporary Music in Europe: A Comprehensive Survey (New York: G. Schirmer, 1965), 248. 5

(ZKP) attended the conference, many of them were influential composers. This move from the Polish Ministry of Culture truly “reflected the ideology of the Stalinist era.”12 Under this circumstance, composers barely have freedom for their

creations.

In the years following Stalin’s death, the gradually looser control from the Soviet

Union benefited the music and arts creation in Poland. In 1956, Poland hosted an

international music festival of contemporary music in Warsaw, which was called

‘Warsaw Autumn International Festival of Contemporary Music’. Witold Lutosławski

(1913‐1994) gave the opening speech and said “for the first time in a long while, our

assembly is taking place in an atmosphere of true creative freedom,” in which “no

one is going to persecute anyone for so‐called formalism, and no one is going to keep

anyone from expressing their aesthetic opinions, regardless of what individual

composers may represent.”13 Poles had not only the ‘true creative freedom’ as

Lutosławski mentioned, but also the opportunities to listen to music from composers

such as Schoenberg, Berg, Messiaen, Webern,Bartok, Shostakovich, Prokofiev, and

others. Moreover, Poles could also learn some avant‐garde composers (e.g. Boulez,

Stockhausen, Nono, etc.) and electronic music. In addition, musical scores and

recordings also became more accessible from the same year of the first ‘Warsaw

Autumn’. Moreover, because of the geographic location, Poland became an

important center of the cultural exchange between the West and East of Europe.

Polish composers benefited from this cultural exchange. After absorbing so

many new concepts outside of Poland, Polish composers started to develop a new

trend ‐ avant‐garde. It became the popular concept to apply in compositions

12 Lidia Rappoport‐Gelfand, 1. 13 Adrian Thomas, Polish Music since Szymanowski (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2005), 92. 6 especially among the younger generation composers. Since then, it became the dominant voice in Poland. The contemporary music in Poland became the synonym of sonorism and experimentalism. According to Grove Music Online, Sonorism “is essentially limited to the style within Polish music of the 1960s that explored contrasts of instrumentation, texture, timbre, articulation, dynamics, movement, and expression as primary form‐building elements.”14 Two composers from this time period soon became permanent figures: Zygmunt Krauze (1938‐ ) and Tomasz Sikorski

(1939‐1988). “Although the precise borders of sonorism proper have been debated, representative examples of the style include works by Penderecki (Anaklasis,

Threnody, String Quartet No. 1, Polymorphia), Górecki (Scontri, Genesis), Kilar (Riff

62, Générique, Diphtongos), and Szalonek (Les sons, Improvisations sonoristiques) as well as a number of pieces by Baird, Serocki, Kotoński, Dobrowolski, and Bogusław

Schaeffer.”15 In fact, this list should have also included two of Penderecki’s pupils,

Marek Stachowski and Krzysztof Meyer, because they worked in the same style as well.

In summary, the music development in the twentieth century was very fascinating. There were abundant, new music concepts occurring in various moments and countries. One of the most captivating countries is Poland because of its history and location. No doubt, Poland had a sorrowful history in the twentieth century. Surprisingly, even under this difficult situation, Poland still produced many outstanding musicians, who adopted avant‐ garde concepts and eventually created their own voice in the 1960s. Learning from the vitality of Polish music and the profundity of Polish culture, people now have opportunities to

14 Zbigniew Granat, "Sonoristics, sonorism," in Grove Music Online, Oxford Music Online, http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com/subscriber/article/grove/music/2061689 (accessed October15, 2011). 15 Ibid. 7 understand the spirit of music creativity and the inspiration of Polish culture to human society.

8

CHAPTER TWO

BIOGRAPHY OF GRAŻYNA BACEWICZ

Grażyna Bacewicz was born on February 5, 1909 in Łódź, Poland. Her musically

oriented family encouraged her to study music at a very early age. Her first music

teacher was her father, Wincenty Bacewicz, who gave her violin and piano lessons.

One of her older brothers, Kiejstut, was a pianist, and he premiered many of her

piano compositions and accompanied her violin sonatas. Her talent shined at a

very young age. For example, she started her public performance by age seven.

Bacewicz’s first composition, a march for piano, was written when she was only

eleven years old. She started her study at the Warsaw Conservatory in 1928, where

she studied violin with Józef Jarzębski (1878‐1955), piano with Józef Turczyński

(1884‐1953), and composition with Kazimierz Sikorski16 (1895‐1986). During her

study at the Conservatory, she also became interested in literature and philosophy.

After graduating from the Warsaw Conservatory in 1932, Bacewicz followed the

advice of Karol Szymanoski (1882‐1937) and pursued her study in Paris. Ignacy

Paderewski17 (1860‐1941) sponsored her with a scholarship. In Paris from 1932 to

1933, Bacewicz studied composition with Nadia Boulanger18(1887‐1979) and studied

violin with André Touret. 19 During her study with Boulanger in Paris in 1933,

16 “A composer of great experience, professing neo‐classical views, was for a long time the spiritual leader and patron of young musicians. He educated many gifted composers, among others Bacewicz, Krenz, Malawski, Palester, Panufnik, Serocki, Spisak, Szalowski.” See Stefan Jarocinski. Contemporary music in Europe; a comprehensive survey, ed., by Paul Henry Lang and Nathan Broder (New York, NY: G. Schirmer 1965), 245. 17 Ignacy Paderewski: the Polish piano virtuoso, composer, statesman, and later, second Prime Minister of the Republic of Poland. 18 Nadia Boulanger was a French conductor, teacher, and composer and taught many excellent musicians in the twentieth century. There are several big names in her student list, such as: Aaron Copland and Philip Glass. In addition, she also taught many Polish composers, including Szeligowski, Perkowski, Woytowicz, Kondracki, Mycielski, Szalowski, Spiska, Bacewicz, and many others. 19 André Touret: The second violinist of the Capet Quartet, which was a French musical string quartet 9

Bacewicz’s composition Wind Quintet20 became her first work to win a prize in a major competition.

After returning to Poland, she taught harmony, counterpoint, and violin at a school in Łódź that she attended during her childhood. Shortly after, she realized

that teaching took too much time away from her performing and composing. As a

result, she decided to return to Paris in 1934 for advanced study with Boulanger.

During the same year, she also worked with the great Hungarian violinist and

pedagogue Carl Flesch (1873‐1944).21

Although Bacewicz was busy studying in Paris, she continued to compose. She

finished Partita for Violin and Piano during this time period and then premiered with

pianist Jerzy Lefeld when she returned to Warsaw in 1935. This composition turned

into a big success: "This composer has no need for sensational effects and is to be

commended on the beauty and seriousness of the work. There is a sense of youth

in the composition while simultaneously there is a high degree of maturity. The

musical impressions will overwhelm you and the musical thoughts will absorb you.

She has a lot to say, and she already knows how to say it well."22

One year later, she met David Oistrakh (1908 – 1974)23 in the first Wieniawski

International Violin Competition in 1936. Ginette Neveu received first prize, David

Oistrakh won second prize, and Bacewicz received an honorable mention. Given

that there were over one hundred and eighty contestants in that competition,

founded in 1893. 20 This Wind Quintet was composed in 1932 for flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, and horn. 21 Carl Flesch (Hungarian, 1873 –1944) was a distinguished violinist and teacher. He published a number of instructional books, including Die Kunst des Violin‐Spiels (The Art of Violin Playing, 1923), Scale method, and others. 22 Felicjan Szopski, The Warsaw Courier, no date. Quoted in Biographical Notes, original typescript in Polish in the possession of Wanda Bacewicz, (no date), 27. 23 David Oistrakh: (1908 – 1974) was a Great Soviet violinist in the twentieth century. Many composers dedicated their work to him, including Dmitri Shostakovich’s (1906‐1975) violin concertos and Aram Khachaturian’s violin concerto (1903‐1978). 10

Bacewicz’s honorable mention demonstrated her outstanding violin skills.

Bacewicz returned to Poland again in 1936 and married Dr. Andrzej Biernacki,

who later became a professor at the Medical Academy. In the same year, Bacewicz

took the position of the principal violinist in the Polish Radio Orchestra. It was a

beneficial position for her because it sharpened her orchestration skills and provided

her an opportunity to perform her own work. During this period, she composed

Symphony No.1 and Three Songs for tenor and orchestra.

At the time of her concert contract, she toured the continent and returned to

Poland just two months before the start of World War II (September 1, 1939). The

war years from 1939 to 1945 were a difficult time. During this difficult time,

Bacewicz still managed underground concerts in Poland, and she even offered her

house to war victims. In 1942, her daughter Alina was born, which “helped Grazyna

avoid being deported to Germany after being part of the August 1944 uprising by the

Polish resistance force ‐ quelled by the Germans via putting Warsaw to the torch.”24

After this incident, Bacewicz and her family became homeless and could not

returned to Warsaw until the end of the war in May 1945.

At the end of the war, Bacewicz started serving in many international

competitions as a juror25 and became a member of the Polish Composers Union.

Poland was still a socialist country. The complete freedom of creativity was a dream

for Polish musicians and artists.

The government’s first music house, Polish Music Publishers (Polskei

Wydawnictwo Muzyczne‐PWM) was established in 1945. The institute created a

large number of organizations, such as philharmonic societies, symphony orchestras,

24 Anne K. Gray, the World of Women in Classical Music (La Jolla, California: WordWorld, 2007), 124‐125. 25 For example, she joined David Oistrakh in the third Wieniawski International Violin Competition. She also went to Moscow to serve the first Tchaikovsky Competition in 1958. 11 and music schools. Moreover, nationalization spread in every corner, encouraging people to collect and catalogue folklore. Consequently, Bacewicz and her contemporaries adopted folklore in many of their compositions after the war period.

At the same time in 1946, she regained her career as a violinist by playing

Szymanowski’s violin concerto no.1 in Paris.

Three years later, two of her compositions achieved great success. In 1949, the piano concerto received the second prize in the Chopin Composition Competition

in Warsaw. In 1951, Sonata No.4 for violin and piano won the first Prize in the

Polish Music Festival in Warsaw. In 1952, she wrote three more compositions and

received a “National Prize” ‐ the String Quartet no.4, Violin concerto no.4 and Sonata

No.4 for violin and piano. After this success, she became interested in a new music

genre, ballet music, and finished the composition of The Peasant King. This

composition was based on a comedy from the seventeenth century written by Piotr

Baryka.

Unfortunately, her career as a violinist suffered in 1954 due to a serious car

accident. Although she suffered a great deal of pain during the recovery, she

remained optimistic and positive. After a long recovery, Bacewicz wrote Partita ‐

her first composition after the incident. There are two versions of Partita. The

Warsaw Philharmonic premiered the orchestral version, and Bacewicz and her

brother performed the violin and piano version.

“Warsaw Autumn,” a festival featuring many contemporary compositions, took

place in October 1956 in Poland. Many influential composers presented their work

in this festival, including Stravinsky, Schoenberg, Berg, Bartok, Shostakovich,

Prokofiev, and others. Bacewicz also presented three compositions26along with

26 The three pieces performed in the festival were Overture (1943), Concerto for String Orchestra (1948), and String Quartet no.4 (1951). 12 other Polish musicians, such as Szymanoski, Lutoslawski, Malawski, and Spisak. Her compositions were successful, and therefore her works have been performed in festivals since then. Because of the world wars and unstable political environment,

Polish people had little access to listen to contemporary works from composers outside of Poland. As a result, the “Warsaw Autumn” played a critical role in

introducing Poles to twentieth‐century music.

The “Warsaw Autumn” contributed to the end of Poland’s long period of

musical isolation from the rest of Western countries since World War II (1939). For

example, Polish composers were overwhelmed by the trend of the Avant‐Garde.

Not surprisingly, Bacewicz was among these composers. However, she faced a

dilemma. Judith Rosen said, “She was impressed by the new musical expressions

that were taking place around her, yet she was not sure to what extent they could be

included in her own musical language.”27 While pondering her decision, she

actually slowed down her writing pace. Her letter to a close friend showed this:

“Forgive me, but I have never had such trouble with a composition before, and it may

turn out to be either a big…(nothing) or‐ in fact, there is no “or.” Yes! I am sure, it will

turn out to be nothing.”28

Later on, she discussed her difficulty with the composer and critic Stefan

Kisielewski, with a more positive attitude: “I am very interested (in Schoenbergism,

experiments with electronics), because in music like in everything else, something

new must come along from time to time. The technique itself is very important to

me because it provides the necessary rigor and formal technique for the composer.

Without this base, improvisation could not be created.”29

While Bacewicz was confused during this period of time, there were three

27 Judith Rosen, “Grażyna Bacewicz: Her Life and Works,” Polish Music Journal 5/1 (Summer 2002): 30. 28 Ibid. 29 Judith Rosen, 31. 13 perceptible changes in her artistic style: “1) departure from tonality, 2) greater attention to instrumental color, and 3) enrichment of rhythmical patterns.”30

She eventually overcame the dilemma and wrote several important compositions in the 1960s. For instance, the String Quartet no.631(1960) became one of her most successful and frequently performed compositions. Her other important compositions during this time period included Pensieri Notturni (1961), the Concerto for Orchestra (1962), Cello Concerto no.2 (1962), and Quartet for Four Cellos (1964).

Bacewicz became even more prolific in 1965, producing Musica Sinfonica in Tre

Movimenti, String Quartet no.7, Violin Concerto no.7, Piano Quintet no.2, Small

Triptych for piano, Divertimento for String orchestra, Incrustations for Horn and

Chamber Ensemble, and Trio for oboe, Harp and Percussion.

In 1966, she started teaching at the State School of Music (the Warsaw

Conservatory). Although teaching took time away from her music creation, she was able to maintain her productivity during her teaching years. In her final years, she still completed several commissioned pieces (e.g. Esquisse for organ, Viola Concerto),

wrote a few pieces for animated and children’s films, and produced some light music

for radio. Her final piece during this time period is the ballet Desire, which was

based on Picasso’s play according to her statement: “I’m writing a full‐length ballet

to honor Picasso with his total knowledge and approval. As a foundation we used

his theatrical play, but we depart from it. This rather interesting play is only a

pretext‐with the composing and staging a whole new work is being created.”32

Bacewicz almost finished the ballet Desire in the last month of 1968, but, unfortunately, was unable to complete it before her unexpected death due to a

30 Judith Rosen, “Grażyna Bacewicz: Her Life and Works,” Polish Music Journal 5/1 (Summer 2002), 28‐29. 31 It contains twelve tone techniques that were different from those in Bacewicz’s previous work. 32 Judith Rose, 35. 14 medication mistake in January 1969. She had an ominous feeling before finishing the composition. Therefore, she left detailed instructions to complete the small,

final section of the ballet.

The ballet was eventually completed by Bogusław Madey, who followed the

instruction left by Bacewicz. Interestingly, the Grand Theater of Warsaw decided to

premiere this ballet on March 18, 1973 based on Bacewicz’s unfinished version, but

not the completed one from Madey.

Bacewicz’s sister, Wanda, had some thoughts about the decision from the Grand

Theater of Warsaw:

The order that had always prevailed in her work took the upper hand even in this critical

moment. The decision of the Grand Theatre, I felt, was justified. Nothing had to be added to

my sister’s music.33

Grażyna Bacewicz was one of the greatest musicians in Poland's history. To appreciate her musical and humanitarian contribution, Poles named several streets

and schools after her.

CHARACTERISTICS OF HER COMPOSITIONS IN DIFFERENT PERIODS

Grażyna Bacewicz’s music connects the older generation (e.g. Szymanowski ) to

the younger one (e.g. Lutosawski and Panufnik), and therefore her important role in

Polish music is indisputable.

Some music scholars and critics try to categorize her composition history. A

conventional way is to divide her music into four periods: 1932‐44, 1945‐54, 1955‐60,

33Judith Rose, “Grażyna Bacewicz: Her Life and Works,” 36. 15 and 1961‐6934. As a matter of fact, her compositional aesthetic did not change dramatically until 1960, and with only few exceptions. She started with the neo‐classic style. After 1945, she added folklore or folk‐like as an important

element into her composition. In 1960, she wrote the String Quartet No.6, which

marks an important milestone in terms of her writing style. Since then, her compositions have moved towards the avant‐garde and continued until the last day of her life.

According to the composer and musicologist, Adrian Thomas, “it is more

accurate to regard Bacewicz’s career as consisting of broad, closely‐related spans of which the first (1932‐44) is largely preparatory to the second (1945‐59), with the third (1960‐69) begins a more distinct entity.”35

Bacewicz’s first composition period showed the influence of her previous study with Sikorski in Warsaw, then with Boulanger in Paris. Her music during this period is in the neoclassical style in general. During WWII, she gradually changed her

writing direction to the neoclassical style plus the folk inflections. In the post –war

years, she composed several compositions that contain Polish folk music elements.36

Many of them are a combination for both violin and piano, with only a few exceptions. For example, Polish Dance (1948) is for violin and piano, Polish

Capriccio (1949) for violin solo, Oberek No. 1 (1949) for violin and piano, Oberek No.

2 (1951) for violin and piano, String Quartet No. 4 37(1951) for violin and piano,

Slavonic Dance (1952) for violin and piano, Sonata No. 2 (1953) for piano, and others.

Bacewicz tried to add the serial procedures, as well as the neoclassicism and

34 Adrian Thomas, Grażyna Bacewicz: Chamber and Orchestral Music (Friends of Polish Music, 1985), 25. 35 Ibid. 36 Please see Chapter One for more background information. 37 Bacewicz’s String Quartet No. 4 won First Prize in the Concours International pour Quatuor a Cordes competition in Liege, 1951. 16 folklorist elements, to the String Quartet No.4 (1951); however, she eventually kept her original style in the end. This was explained in a note (1960s) from Bacewicz herself:

For me personally the major‐minor system is outdated. In order to completely extricate myself

from it—I used the serial system in the 4th Quartet, however in very specific ways. Presently I

have abandoned this system and am going my own way.38

Polish musicians lacked opportunities to experience new music during the

Stalinist socialist control until the ‘Warsaw Autumn.’ This music festival was established in 1956 in Poland and gave Polish composers a great opportunity to access the latest contemporary music that happened outside of their homeland.

On the other hand, they had chances to introduce their compositions to other foreign musicians.

Bacewicz felt this change and wrote a letter to her brother Witold (Vytautas

Bacevicius) in October 1958:

For me the work of composing is like sculpting a stone, not like transmitting the sounds of

imagination or inspiration…Discipline, strict discipline in composition is essential to for me.

There is a saying: the house will fall down if it were to be built without principles. However,

since dodecaphony does not appeal to me very much I am sitting alone and working out my own

system.39

38 Grażyna Bacewicz, "From Notes and Letters by Grażyna Bacewicz," Polish Music Journal 1/2 (Winter 1988). 39 Maja Trochimczyk, “GRAŻYNA BACEWICZ,” Polish Music Center, http://www.usc.edu/dept/polish_music/composer/bacewicz.html#words (accessed October 07, 2011). 17

Thenceforth, Bacewicz’s modernist style started to grow in her last decade

(1960‐1969). She added experimentalism and sonorism to her compositions. She was focused on tone color exploration, techniques for string instruments, and different harmonic effects. Some contemporaries of Bacewicz also worked on the

same track, such as Tadeusz Baird (1928‐1981), Stefan Kisielewski (1911‐1991), Jacek

Krenz (1948‐ ), Roman Palester (1907‐1989), Sir Andrzej Panufnik (1914‐1991), and

Kazimierz Serocki (1922‐1981).

Although Bacewicz changed her music styles across different compositional periods,

she did not change the habit of giving performers detailed information about how to

perform her music. For instance, this was from her letter to French horn player

Wiesław Moczulski, in which she talked about her composition ‘Incrustation’40

(1965):

Incrustation demands some explanation. … This should be determined before distributing the

parts. For example, at the beginning of the movement, the gong should be struck by the flutist

or the violinist (this must be written into their part). The part for the harp is quite difficult. In

the places marked sul ponticello, the string must really play sul ponticello‐ the same applies to

the places marked con legno.41

Bacewicz had a very close relationship with her brother Witold42, who was a leading Lithuanian composer.43 Fortunately, this relationship is documented by some well‐preserved notes and letters between Bacewicz and her brother. In those

40 Incrustation is a fifteen minutes piece for Horn and Chamber Ensemble. 41 Grażyna Bacewicz, "From Notes and Letters by Grażyna Bacewicz.” 42 He spelled his name Vytautas Bacevičius. He was a leading Lithuanian composer. Later on he moved to the United State where he worked as a composer, pianist and teacher. 43 Grażyna Bacewicz came from a bi‐national family. Her father was a Lithuanian and her mother was a Polish. 18 documents, Bacewicz shared not only her thoughts or struggles about her life, but also her point of view in music writing. For instance, she wrote, “I am an opponent of slavishly holding on to a system, in which a work has been written,”44 and also “I see to it that the work serves the composer and not the other way around. Every system is good under the condition that the work is good.”45

Bacewicz refusal to follow certain rules explains why sometimes it is difficult to

classify her compositional style, even though the outline of her three compositional

periods is conspicuous. Indeed, she attempted to try new concepts and mix them

with her own music style. Hence, there are always some exceptions among her

compositions, and that must be a reason why her music is so fascinating.

44 Grażyna Bacewicz, "From Notes and Letters by Grażyna Bacewicz." 45 Ibid. 19

CHAPTER THREE

THE SELECTED WORK OF GRAŻYNA BACEWICZ’S VIOLIN COMPOSITIONS‐ FROM

THE PERSPECTIVE OF PERFORMANCE PRACTICE

In the beginning of Bacewicz’s career as a composer, she received a few prestigious music awards for her work, such as the Quintet for Flute, Oboe, Clarinet,

Bassoon and Horn (1932) and Trio for Oboe, Violin and Cello (1935). The works

from her first compositional period were all based on neo‐classical concepts and did

not vary that much. In her second compositional period, she started to shift some

of her emphases to folklore ideas. Later, in her third compositional period, she took

more experimental approaches and moved her focus to the avant‐garde concept.

To help understand Bacewicz’s music and the shifts in her music style, this chapter

will focus on her second and third composition periods. Specifically, I will use her

violin compositions to demonstrate that Bacewicz not only kept the neoclassical

concept as her base, but also enriched her music language by adding new elements,

such as folklores, and later on, serialism and avant‐garde concepts.

Grażyna Bacewicz was productive and composed over two hundred

compositions in the sixty years of her life. Her compositional focus is not only on

violin repertoires but also other genres. For example, her compositions included

four numbered symphonies, and other compositions for orchestra, such as Concerto

for Symphony Orchestra (1962), Contradizione for chamber orchestra (1966). She

also had compositions for voice and orchestra, such as Olympic Cantata (1948) for

choir and orchestra. Because of this composition, she won a mention in the

International Olympic Arts Competition in London. Besides these compositions

20 mentioned above, she also composed some stage work, for example, Z chłopa król

(Peasant King, 1953) and Le Désir attrapé par la queue (Desire, 1968‐1969; her final composition) for ballet. Moreover, Bacewicz composed music for solo instruments, such as violin, organ and piano. Bacewicz was indeed a good pianist and played piano for the premier of her own Sonata No. 2.

Of her over two hundred compositions, some highlight Bacewicz’s contribution to violin music. As an outstanding violinist as well, Bacewicz was amazingly prolific in terms of producing violin compositions, especially compared to other composers in the twentieth century. She had more than forty compositions for violin, including two sonatas for violin solo, many violin showpieces, four Sonatas for violin and piano, seven string quartets, two piano quintets (with strings), and seven violin concertos.46

Based on the number of violin compositions she wrote, she is among the most talented and prolific composers for violin in contemporary music history.

In the following sections of this chapter, I will introduce Bacewicz’s music by summarizing the basic characteristics of her compositions, providing brief formal or stylistic analyses, and pointing out some interesting music techniques she used from the perspective of performance practice. I will also address some difficulties performers might face when they learn Bacewicz’s music. To better demonstrate

Bacewicz’s music, I will divide this chapter into two sections. The first section will focus on Bacewicz’s compositions from her second compositional period, and the second section will focus on her compositions from her third compositional period.

In the first section, I will include Polish Capriccio (1949) and Sonata no.4 for Violin and Piano (1949) as the representative work of her second compositional period.

In the second section, I will use String Quartet no.6 (1960) and 4 Caprice (1968) to

represent her work from her third composition period.

21

The basic characteristics of Bacewicz’s compositions include a combination of technically and lyrically displaced accents, polytonal collisions, expressive mastery, constantly driving rhythms, and rapid rhythms. We can understand why she had these characteristics by reading her own explanations about her personality, which is certainly mirrored in her music:

Nature bestowed on me a certain talent and also a little something that enables me to use this

talent. Deep inside I possess a minuscule, invisible motor that allows me to accomplish a task

in ten minutes, that would take others an hour or more. Thanks to it, I run, not walk. I speak fast,

47 even my pulse beats faster than normal, and I was born two months premature….

Her statement should help explain her music characteristics (e.g. constantly

driving rhythm elements) and why she was so amazingly productive in music writing.

Bacewicz’s Second compositional Period

Folk‐like elements were the key to Bacewicz’s music style in her second

compositional period. Two of her representative compositions from this period,

Polish Capriccio (1949) and Sonata no.4 for Violin and Piano (1949), all contain

folk‐like elements, while it is unclear whether these two compositions draw exactly

from traditional Polish folk music. There are different kinds of Polish folk music, and

many of them contain characteristics for dancing. Popular Polish dances include

kujawiak, oberek, okrągły, światówka, powolniak and Polka. Usually, different kinds

47 Joanna Kurkowicz, program note to Grażyna Bacewicz, Grażyna Bacewicz: Violin Concertos Nos 1, 3 and 7, Joanna Kurkowicz and Polish Radio Symphony Orchestra, Chandos, CD 2010. 22 of dances or music represent different regions in Poland.

I would like to highlight two dance forms, ‘Kujawiak’ and ‘oberek’, because there is an interesting connection between these two dances and Bacewicz’s second compositional period. According to the definition from Grove Music Online,

Kujawiak is a “Polish folk dance from the Kujawy region.” It has “triple time with a

displacement of the accent to the second or third beat of the bar.”48 Oberek is a

“Polish folk dance in triple time, with a rhythmic character similar to the Mazurka,

but distinguishable by its rapid tempo. …The dance originates from the Mazovia

region.”49 Nowadays, oberek is usually played by a group of instruments, such as

group of violins, harmonium, or drums. The main difference between Kujawiak and

oberek is that Kujawiak accommodates longer phrases, extends embellishment, and

more developed stanzas. In the following paragraphs, I will provide detailed

explanations for how Bacewicz adapted elements of Polish folk dances (e.g. Kujawiak

and oberek) in Polish Capriccio (1949) and Sonata No.4 for Violin and Piano (1949)

from her second compositional period.

Polish Capriccio (1949)

Capriccio or Caprice (in Polish, Kaprysy) is usually a single movement piece that

has a freely structured form and may contain several different motives and sections.

According to the definition in Oxford Music Online, Capriccio is a term applied to “a

piece of music, vocal or instrumental, of a fantastical or capricious nature.

Rousseau defined it in his dictionary (1768) as ‘A kind of free music, in which the

48 Stephen Downes, "Kujawiak," in Grove Music Online. Oxford Music Online, http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com.proxy.lib.fsu.edu/subscriber/article/grove/music/15651 (accessed October 19, 2011). 49 Stephen Downes, "Oberek," in Grove Music Online. Oxford Music Online, http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com.proxy.lib.fsu.edu/subscriber/article/grove/music/20205 (accessed October 19, 2011). 23 composer, without subjecting himself to any theme, gives loose rein to his genius, and submits himself to the fire of composition’.”50 Bacewicz wrote several compositions with this kind of liberal music style. For example, Bacewicz wrote three violin solo Caprices respectively in 1949, 1952 and 1968. Her first solo caprice was Kaprys Polski (1949), which is called Polish Capriccio. Three years later, she wrote her second violin solo caprice. In 1968, she finished her third violin solo caprice. This one is unique because it includes sonoristic concepts and has four individual caprices as a set. Besides violin solo caprices, Bacewicz also wrote caprices that require both violin and piano, such as Capriccio for Violin and Piano

(1946) and Melodia i Kaprys na skrzypce i fortepian (Melody and Capriccio for Violin and Piano) (1949).

As mentioned in previous chapters, it was common for Polish composers to put folk melodies in their compositions after WWII because these composers either

faced pressure from the hegemony or wanted to adapt new concepts. Polish

Capriccio (1949) is obviously a product of this time period because of its folk‐like

materials, highlighting Bacewicz’s shift in her music style from her first to second

compositional period. Polish Capriccio (1949) is a popular short piece and full of

dramatic intensity and dancelike energy. While it is about only two minutes in

length, it might be the most frequently performed among her compositions for violin

solo. Besides the violin version, there are many different versions for different

instruments or ensembles, such as for viola solo, cello solo, violin with orchestra, and

clarinet with piano.

Bacewicz used both neoclassic and folklore concepts in the Polish Capriccio.

50 Thompson, Wendy and Jane Bellingham, "capriccio," in the Oxford Companion to Music, edited by Alison Latham. Oxford Music Online, http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com.proxy.lib.fsu.edu/subscriber/article/opr/t114/e1159 (accessed August 19, 2011) 24

Bacewicz was very skillful because she combined both concepts perfectly. The following paragraphs will analyze this combination based on tonality design, structure, and melodic materials.

As a caprice, Polish Capriccio has a free style, folk tune elements, lots of sequence passages, and lively scales. From the perspective of tonal design, the key of this composition in the very end does not go back to its original tonic (should be E minor instead of A major), but it still stays on diatonic tonality or so called major‐ minor tonality. This may be because Bacewicz still kept some compositional concepts from her first compositional period, which was based on neoclassicism.

Hence, the Polish Capriccio carries major‐minor tonality instead of pentatonic scales which are common for folk music51 (TABLE 1). Although Polish Capriccio is based on major‐minor tonality, it still can match the characteristics of Polish folk music. Folk music in Poland usually mixes major and minor modes in the same piece. Given that Polish Capriccio departs from the slow minor to the energetic major key, Polish

Capriccio could still qualify as folk music.

TABLE 1: Polish Capriccio Overview

Section Introduction A B A’

Measure numbers 1‐24 25‐48 49‐90 91‐124

Tempo Andante Allegro non

troppo;

Molto allegro

Keys E minor E major D major; C A major

major;

51 Pentatonic scales are common elements in folk music from different regions in the world, such as Chinese and Scottish. 25

Polish Capriccio starts with e minor for the slow 3/4 recitative like introduction

(see Example 3.1), and then moves to the bright E major Allegro dance section with

2/4 time. The tonalities change several times in the middle of the piece, which acts

as the development (B) section (mm.49‐90). Then the tonality moves to the A key when the second motive returns in measure 91 (Example 3.2), and the A major

remains until the end of this composition. From a structural point of view, this

piece is a ternary form, or ABA’ form. Interestingly, a Polish dance, Kujawiak,

usually has a very similar design. Kujawiak is a dance slower than mazurka and

much slower than oberek. It is a dance in walking pace. According to Stephen

Downes, in a Kujawiak “The usual form is ternary, with a faster middle section and an

acceleration to the final cadence. The changes of tempo often reflect characteristic

preoccupations with sleeping and hunting.”52 Since the definition of Kujawiak

Downes provided matches the structure of Polish Capriccio perfectly, this suggests

that Bacewicz adapted the structure from Kujawiak dance in her Polish Capriccio.

Example 3.1 Polish Capriccio, the slow recitative‐like first theme (mm.1‐4)

52 Stephen Downes, "Kujawiak," in Grove Music Online. Oxford Music Online, http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com.proxy.lib.fsu.edu/subscriber/article/grove/music/15651 (accessed October 19, 2011). 26

Example 3.2 Polish Capriccio, second theme returns in measure 91 (mm.90‐92)

The motive in the beginning (mm.1‐2) is the most important one in Polish

Capriccio (see Example 3.3), and it goes through the entire piece with some

transformations E‐D‐C‐D. The motive changes when the dance like tempo comes in

measure 25. This time, it transfers to E‐D#‐C#‐B with alternate tempo and plays in

the major key. The same motive then goes through the entire piece but with

different adornments.

Example 3.3 Polish Capriccio, motive and transformations (mm.1‐2)

The key changes to major, and time signature changes from 3/4 to 2/4 in measure

25.

The time signature remains the same, but with repeated notes (mm91‐92).

27

From a performer’s point of view, Polish Capriccio is very entertaining and can be arranged as the last piece of a recital program or encore piece. However, this piece may be categorized for an advanced level for two reasons. First, the constant three‐note chord progressions are not that friendly to amateur players and children

(Example 3.4). Second, the fast tempo B section would be challenging to some players.

Example 3.4 Polish Capriccio, continuously chord progressions (mm. 119‐121)

On the other hand, the same continuous figure patterns make this music piece

an excellent example in music teaching. For example, the measure from 95 to 97 is

the descending half step passage (Example 3.5). There are several accidental marks

making the passage look very difficult, especially when the passage is in a fast tempo.

If one can figure out the finger pattern, the result will be fruitful because he/she will

be able to play easily next time facing similar situations. There are four, sixteenth

notes in a group, two groups in one measure, and six groups in total (Example 3.5).

All of the groups require the first, second, and third finger to collaborate. For the 28 first group, all of the three fingers are in the open position (1 2 3). The groups from number two to five share the same fingering pattern. A performer needs to put his/her first and second fingers next to each other, and keep the space between the second and the third finger (12 3). The last group of sixteen notes has a

different finger arrangement from others. Because the half step of interval is

between C natural and B natural, the second and the third finger should be next to

each other (1 23).

Example 3.5 Polish Capriccio, continuously same figure patterns on group 2 to 5.

The markˇindicate the half step intervals (mm. 95‐97)

Another similar example is from measure 114 to 121, and the continuously

triadic passage seems very challenging to players. However, the open E on the E

string is the stable note, which appears in every chord. Therefore, performers can

focus on the lower two notes in the chord first, using two figures to practice the

shifting in D and A strings, and play the open E string later as a triad (Example 3.6).

29

Example 3.6 Polish Capriccio, the real part that needs practice is the lower two notes from measure 114 (mm. 113‐118)

This is such an interesting piece for performers and audience. The slow, tragic

first theme and the lively, cheerful second theme can easily lead the audience to the

atmosphere the composer would like to create. Bacewicz cleverly designed this

music by successfully mixing two concepts, neoclassicism and folklore music. The

ternary form and the major‐minor content also reflect the style of the Kujawiak.

Sonata No.4 for violin and piano (1949)

As mentioned in the previous chapters, in the post‐ war period, many

composers started to adopt folklore elements into their compositions. As a

composer who went abroad to Paris and learned the essential neoclassical concept,

Bacewicz, combined two musical techniques in her second compositional period.

“Bacewicz’s language remained rooted in her pre‐war musical experiences in Paris

and she was able to utilize her essentially neo‐classical idiom, enriched with folk

inflections, in steering an overtly non‐programmatic path through the minefield of

socialist realism.”53 Many Polish composers faced pressure from the Polish Ministry

of Culture, which was actually controlled by the Soviet Union, but Bacewicz was

patriotic and managed to resist the influence in her composition.

53 Adrian Thomas, Polish Music since Szymanowski (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2005), 71. 30

In her life, Bacewicz wrote several violin sonatas with piano, and wrote violin sonatas for solo violin. The five violin sonatas with piano, all from her second compositional period, were composed in 1945, 1946, 1947, 1949 and 1951. Also, there are two sonatas for solo violin which were composed in 1941 and 1958.

Violin Sonata No.4 was composed in the same year as the Polish Capriccio

(1949). These two compositions of different genres share the same idea –folklores.

Specifically, Violin Sonata No.4 is different from Polish Capriccio in its formal design.

As a traditional sonata, Sonata No.4 follows the typical scheme in the Classical period.

The form of a Sonata54has been developed over many centuries. It has been

transformed since it appeared as the instrumental genre ‘canzone’ in the early

seventeenth century. Sonatas vary with the different beliefs in aesthetics, formats

and also possibly, nationalities.55

Sonata No.4 for violin and piano is a four‐movement composition that

follows a traditional pattern. It is a duo for violin and piano which is the most

common combination. Sonata No.4 follows a common design in which the first

movement is succeeded by a slow second movement. In terms of tonality, the first

movement starts with an F pentatonic scale. The second movement is in A minor.

In the third movement, Bacewicz follows the style that Beethoven introduced in his

54 In summary, a definition of the sonata genre as understood and practice in the Classical period might be a work in three (or, less commonly, four) movements, most often for piano solo or else for duo (violin and piano being numerically the most significant type), whose first movement was almost invariably cast in sonata form, perhaps preceded by a slow introduction, followed by a contrasting slow middle movement in a related key.... Minuet (or scherzo) and trio movements are sometimes found sandwiched between the slow movement and finale (as in many of Beethoven’s sonatas up to op.31). Frequently, mid‐18th‐century sonatas had featured a minuet as finale. Sandra Mangsen, et al., "Sonata," in Grove Music Online, Oxford Music Online, http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com.proxy.lib.fsu.edu/subscriber/article/grove/music/26191 (accessed October 21, 2011). 55 In the early period of classical music, such as Haydn and Mozart’s time period, sonatas usually contain three movements, which are in a fast–slow‐fast tempo. Later in the ‘high’ Classical period, Beethoven became a pioneer to place the minuet and later Scherzo into the scheme for sonatas. After that time, Beethoven’s format became a common setting for sonatas. In accordance with the definition of sonata provided by John Irving, Bacewicz’s Sonata No.4 for violin and piano follows the sonata genres of the ‘high’ Classic period more than those from the early classical period. 31 sonata writing. She put the fast tempo scherzo to contrast the second movement and the finale, which are in sonata form (TABLE 2).

TABLE 2: Sonata No.4 for violin and piano, Overview

Section First Second Third Fourth Movement Movement Movement Movement Tempo Moderato; Andante ma Scherzo Finale‐ Allegro non non troppo Con passione Troppo

Form Sonata Form ABA’ ABA’CA’’ Sonata Form

As expected of Bacewicz’s second compositional period, the piece emphasizes folk‐like elements. For example, in the beginning of the first movement, the

pentatonic scale56 played by piano obviously demonstrates folk‐like elements. The

frequently changing modes are shown in the beginning of the eight‐measure passage.

The main theme is played by piano with an F pentatonic scale (F‐G‐A‐C‐D), and violin

joins four measures later with an E pentatonic scale (E‐F#‐G#‐B‐C#) (Example 3.7).

Example 3.7 Sonata no.4 for violin and piano, first theme (mm. 1‐ 12)

56 The pentatonic scale is an element in folk music in some countries, such as Scotland, China. It could be found in American folk song and American blues music. 32

Bacewicz’s music language varies between tonal and atonal concepts which creates complex chromaticism and alternates frequently. As in the music example shown above (from measures 1 to 8), the main theme starts from an F pentatonic scale and then shifts to an E pentatonic when the violin joins the music. Piano and violin play almost identical melodies from measures 1 to 3 and measures 7 to 9, starting from different scale degrees. The beginning G on piano and F sharp on violin create a major seventh or minor second, which produces dissonance. All of these elements make the movement chromatic.

After staying in the E pentatonic for three measures on violin, the direction of this music changes again with an unexpected C natural. Without modulation, the C natural would be C sharp and the eighth note G would be G sharp. The C natural here acts as a connection that moves the music to a new direction. As a result, this section requires performers to pay extra attention to dynamic control.

Because of their unexpected modulation, the unsettled tonalities in this music give the audience a fresh feeling. Nevertheless, these tonalities at first prove

33 challenging for performers. Many musicians grow up learning the music theory from the common practice era in their young age. Some young piano students may

explore different tonalities by practicing the one hundred fifty‐three pieces

‘Mikrokosmos’ by Béla Bartók (1881‐1945). However, there are not that many

examples or etudes for violin that focus on atonal practice. Therefore, if violin

players do not have enough atonal training, they will need to conquer unfamiliar

finger patterns and have solid ear training in order to perform this music well.

As highlighted in the beginning of this music piece (from measures one to

measure eight), the music modulates for three times. The piano presents a

statement sentence in the beginning, and then the violin follows by introducing the

same motive in a brand new mode. Whether atmosphere the violinist used to start

the passage, the transition note, C natural, in measure eight will be the emphasis.

Above is just an example performers may need to pay attention to, and there are

more similar examples performers may want to explore.

Bacewicz was a distinctive composer, who not only worked on music details but

also cared about the quality of her publication. This is evidenced in her own words to her brother Witold, written on November 14, 1966:

Music has so transformed itself in the past 20 years, not mentioning the past 40 years, that I, for

instance, not only worry when they play my symphonies (luckily, very seldom), but I would never

agree to a second edition. I don’t even mention, that I threw away a whole mass of

57 compositions, and I would never permit to have them published or performed.

As a fastidious composer, she liked to make minor changes to the themes while keeping the same motives. For instance, the main theme is first delivered by a

57 Wanda Bacewicz, “Letters of Grazyna Bacewicz,” Polish Music Journal, 1/2(Winter 1998). 34 pianist with left hand playing parallel octaves and the right hand playing solely the same melody. The dynamic mark starts from pianississimo alone with a simple pentatonic scale and gradually crescendos to pianissimo (Example 3.8).

Example 3.8 Sonata no.4 for violin and piano, First movement (mm. 1‐ 19)

After the completion of the statement in measure 14, the same pentatonic

theme appears again with a different setting (Example 3.8). This time, Bacewicz

moves the parallel octave to the right hand, creating sounds in the higher register in

this case. Moreover, the dynamic mark changes to piano and even crescendo to

mezzo forte at the end of the phrase when the violin comes in. By doing that, 35

Bacewicz emphasizes the main theme again to her audiences. Additionally, this change acts as a bridge connecting the first theme and the vibrant dance‐like second theme (Example 3.9).

Example 3.9 Sonata no.4 for violin and piano, moves to the second theme (mm. 20‐

25)

The main theme appears again as a conclusion in the very end of the first movement, and as a hint for the beginning of the slow second movement (Example

3.10). The difference this time is that only the violin plays the main theme, while

the piano plays a prolonged chord to support the main theme from below. The

dynamic begins with piano in measure 236 and then moves to mezzo forte in

measure 240. Bacewicz’s intension to focus on E” is very obvious. Although E is

not belongs to F pentatonic scale, the surprising E is the dominant key of A minor, the

key in the second movement.

36

Example 3.10 Sonata no.4 for violin and piano, First movement (mm. 236‐ 243)

Reviewer Jules Wolffers wrote:

“The Sonata no.4 by Grażyna Bacewicz was performed in the United States for the first time.

This piece was the most impressively touching and controversial on the whole program. The

58 composer is a master of melody, which challenges the listener in the way it is expressed.”

The Sonata No.4 not only received grateful comments overseas, but also won

Bacewicz First prize in the Polish Music Festival in Warsaw (1951) and the State Prize

in Second Class the following year.

As an excellent violinist, Bacewicz was also a good pianist.59 Therefore, she not

only focused on violin writing in this composition, but also created fair challenges for

the piano. Consequently, this composition may require a professional pianist to

best present the music. Indeed, on September 26, 1950, Grażyna Bacewicz gave

the premier with her skillful brother Kiejstut Bacewicz in Cracow, Poland. By

learning the details about the Sonata No.4 for violin and piano, we can understand

how much effort Bacewicz had put in her writing, and this understanding will

58 Judith Rosen , “Grażyna Bacewicz: Her Life and Works,” Polish Music Journal, 5/1 (Summer 2002): 24. 59 Bacewicz gave the premier of Sonata No. 2 for Piano herself in 1953. 37 facilitate our enjoyment of her musical style and aesthetic.

Bacewicz’s Third Compositional Period String Quartet No.6 (1960)

The String Quartet no.6 (1960) and 4 Kaprysy (1968) were written in Bacewicz’s

third composition period, the last decade of her life. In 1960, the trend of

avant‐garde was like a raging fire and became the dominate voice in Polish music.

Some representative compositions were created during this period of time, such as

Baird’s Egzorta (Exhortation) for reciter, chorus and orchestra, Dobrowolski’s

Passacaglia for electronic tape, Gorecki’s Scontri (Collisions) for orchestra, and

Penderecki’s Threnody for the Victims of Hiroshima for strings.60 Bacewicz was not

that radical compared to her contemporaries, such as Bolesław Szabelski (1896‐1979)

and Witold Lutosławski (1913‐1994). At the same time, she was willing to

assimilate new techniques in her music writing. Her attitude was not being

restricted by any concept, which put her at a very unique position in Poland.

Bacewicz’s third compositional period started in 1960. After struggling with

the impact of avant‐garde trends, she eventually assimilated new compositional

styles and techniques into her neo‐classical language. Bacewicz’s String quartets

are an important contribution to the twentieth century literature. In fact, she wrote

seven string quartets and two piano quartets (with strings) in total. String Quartet

no.6 was written in 1960. In the same year, the world premiere took place in

‘Warsaw Autumn’ music festival in September. Since then, this piece became one

of her most successful and frequently performed works. Although she created this

60 Adrian Thomas, Grazyna Bacewicz: Chamber and Orchestral Music, Polish Music History Series 3 (Los Angeles, California: Friends of Polish Music, University of Southern School of Music, 1985), 46. 38 successful piece, she sometimes still faced a dilemma in incorporating new musical concepts in her music writings. Hence, we can observe that occasionally backward or advanced innovations may occur in her compositional language from time to time.

In String Quartet no.6, Bacewicz herself was unconstrained by the dodecaphony

(twelve‐tone technique) she put into this composition. Bacewicz said:

In writing [my] Sixth String Quartet, I want to sustain certain sections with serial technique, but

at the same time I want to give it a different character than usual. Present‐day pointillism does

not interest me very much‐ it is perhaps a rather narrow path, a trend without a great future.

On the other hand I am struck by electronic music: it invents new sound colours and new

rhythms…………I am less curious about experiments that combine creativity and its execution,

61 such as aleatoricism, etc.

In this interview above, she pointed out her compositional interest and direction for her third period. The ‘new sound colours’ is shown in the music score of String

Quartet No.6, Pensieri notturni (1961), and other successful following compositions.

Later on, more details about ‘new sound colours’ – sonorism—will be given in the last composition in this chapter, 4 Kaprysy.

Composing the Quartet No.6 gave Bacewicz difficulty, and she may not be the only one who suffered. The difficulties for composers would be to blend the twelve‐tone technique with the original concepts the composers have. When the old friend of Bacewicz, Stefan Kisielewski, asked her:

What is your reaction to the latest direction in music such as those based on Schoenbergism or

61 Grażyna Bacewicz, interview 1960 (Kraków: PWM, 1966), 205, 6. 39

the experiments with electronics?62

Bacewicz answered:

I am very interested… As a drawback, I find that often the works that have been written all

sound quite alike. In the composition I am writing‐‐ the String Quartet no.6‐‐ I want to

maintain certain sections in the serial technique, but by the same token I want to give them a

different character. I am not interested in pointillism because I believe the road to be too

63 narrow,….

As a matter of fact, Bacewicz composed this String Quartet No.6 and tried to apply the twelve‐ tone procedure in the first movement. Other than the

twelve‐tone procedure in the first movement, the remaining three movements are

based on atonal concepts. New, extended violin techniques are widely used in the

movements, such as harmonics, glissando, sul ponticello, scordatura.

Since the violin, commonly adopts ‘open’ tunings such as G‐D’‐A’‐E”‐ Bacewicz

suggested the first violin retune the open E” to E”flat. Thus, the unconventional natural harmonics of the triton A‐E flat would become more obvious. ‘Sul ponticello’

is one of the techniques related to sound effect. From three measures before figure

22, performers are asked to play sul ponticello on G string with a soft sound, which

makes a glassy sound but less intense (Example 3.11). Only three measures later (in

figure 22), Bacewicz again instructs the performer play sul ponticello with a fast,

chromatic passage and gradually increasing the volume. By doing this, the glassy

sound becomes even more obvious (Example 3.12).

62 Judith Rosen, “Grażyna Bacewicz: Her Life and Works,” Polish Music Journal 5/1 (Summer 2002): 31. 63 Judith Rosen, 32.

40

Example 3.11 String Quartet No.6, first movement (three measures before figure 22)

Example 3.12 String Quartet No.6, first movement (Figure 22)

41

In the beginning of the first movement, the first two notes, A and B flat that begin the twelve‐tone row as harmonics. The following glissando played between two violins veils the certainty of the musical direction. However, the beginning A and B‐flat appear again in measure four, but this time they are played by viola and first violin in the higher register (Example 3.13). Performers are asked to put on mutes (con sordino) and play harmonics and glissando which create unusual

sonorities.

Example 3.13 String Quartet No.6, first movement (mm. 1‐4)

According to Thomas’ analysis, the groups of the twelve chromatic pitches

appear later at figure 2 (Example 3.14)64

64 Adrian Thomas,“Grazyna Bacewicz: Chamber and Orchestral Music,” Polish Music History Series: (Friends of Polish Music, 1985), 94. 42

Example 3.14 String Quartet No.6, first movement (Figure two)

Example 3.14 Continued score

As stated by Thomas: “The predictability that results from all lines having fixed

43 points of repetition is a rhythmic inhibition that is most noticeable in her later compositions.”65 The first violin keeps playing triplets while the second violin continues eighth notes. At the same time, the viola plays double‐ stops while the cello plays syncopated rhythms in the 4/4 time (Example 3.15)

Example 3.15 String Quartet No.6, Third movement (mm. 10‐12)

Another note the composer wrote to her brother after the festival in September,

1960 states the following:

“My sixth quartet was played at the festival; it irritated some of the oldies

(e.g., Sikorski) but surprised the youngsters. These latter thought that I am already incapable of

moving forward, so they have begun to acknowledge me anew…The young are perhaps too

65 Adrian Thomas, “Grazyna Bacewicz: Chamber and Orchestral Music,” 49. 44

surprised (that’s their right!), but the middle [generation] endeavours to make music from this

‘strangeness’, not just experiments. In any case, there’s no progress without freedom of

experimentation.”66

The thought that Bacewicz had after the ‘Warsaw Autumn’ music festival was interesting. Apparently, she enjoyed the responses that people had after they

heard the Quartet. As mentioned in the chapters, Bacewicz was never a radical

musician, on the other hand, she did not want to be left behind the new trends

either.

After understanding the techniques that Bacewicz applied in this String Quartet,

we certainly need to realize that techniques are the devices for composers to deliver

what they would like to express. The twelve‐tone techniques or serialism are still

not easy languages for performers. In order to understand the music, learning the

composition concepts is necessary. Meanwhile, only focusing on the theoretical concepts but forgetting the artistry of the music itself can make for structurally perfect, but might not necessarily present the beauty of music.

4 Kaprysy (1968)

Since World War II, more and more composers tried radical ways to show their

ideas. They put more unconventional elements in their musical language which were far from the tonally European traditions from the common practice era.

Nowadays, the traditional notation and techniques could not express what

66 Grażyna Bacewicz, “letter (12(?) September 1960) to her brother, Witold,” quoted in Małgorzata Gąsiorowska, Bacewicz (Kraków: PWM, 1999), 325.

45 composers had in their mind. Non‐traditional notation, extensive techniques, new ways to articulate music, expressive dynamics, even new timbres have been some of

the trends in many contemporary scores. The innovation was bold and personal,

therefore, the meaning of the notations and technique on the scores may imply

different meanings by different composers, because the new notations do not have

standard meanings as the conventional one does. Many of the composers would

list detailed information in the inserted pages to explain how to perform the music.

Fortunately, many of the composers who work on radical concept were born when

the recording technology was available. Therefore, those indications became the

first supporting resources for performers.

Grażyna Bacewicz, as a concert violinist, knew the instrument well in order to

write magnificent compositions for it. At this period of time, she was influenced by

the new contemporary trends, and worked in this style for a few years. Much of the

groundwork for all this innovation was Sonorism. Sonorism was the new concept in

Bacewicz’s last compositional period.

The 4 Kaprysy are full of novelty and variety of sonoristic concepts which create

an abundance of experimental timbres and unique tone colors. The difficulty for

performers to interpret the 4 Kaprysy is not only how to illustrate music itself, but

also how to follow the composer’s instruction correctly. Along with some new

music indicators, 4 Kaprysy, as an extraordinary solo monologue, carries many

Bacewicz signature characteristics, such as the expressive lyrical melodies and rapid

passages. The detailed explanations of ornaments and music excerpts will be

provided in the following section.

Spiccato‐glissando

Glissando, in relation to the violin, means playing a passage in the fast sliding 46 motion in the left hand. Traditionally, the left hand controls the glissando along with the smooth bow stroke (either with down or up bow). For example, the nineteenth‐ century glissando style would be like the excerpt shown in example 3.16 which is from the virtuoso violinist and composer Sarasate’s violin piece, Romanza

Andalusa (see Example 3.16). As stated in Grove music online, glissando could be categorized into two different types, glissando and portamento.67 Applying the explanation of Grove music online, the glissando that Bacewicz asked for at the measure 15 belongs to glissando rather than portamento. There is the example for

chromatic glissando along with the separate spiccato bow stroke (Example 3.17).

Example 3.16 Romanza Andalusa (Spanish Dances), Op.22 by Pablo de Sarasate

Example 3.17 4 Kaprysy I, glissando alone with the separate spiccato bow stroke (m.

15)

67 “with the voice, violin or trombone, a sliding from one pitch to another is more readily effected without distinguishing any of the intervening notes, a method of sliding which is often called Portamento” David D. Boyden and Robin Stowell, “Glissando,” in Grove Music Online. Oxford Music Online, http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com.proxy.lib.fsu.edu/subscriber/article/grove/music/11282 (accessed September 5, 2011) 47

Notation

Notation in the 4 Karprysy also shows the composer’s distinctive style. For some measures Bacewicz only indicated the direction of the passage but did not write out the exact notes. For instance, there is a group of sixteenth notes from measure 74 to 78 in Kaprysy No.1, and the score only shows the contour of music

(ascending or descending) and points out some important notes in the passage

(Example 3.18)

Example 3.18 4 Kaprysy I (mm. 74‐78)

However, another possible interpretation is to play out the exact notes. In fact, if one starts counting from the starting note to the end of the passage with half intervals from measure 76 to 77, the amount of spaces for the sixteenth‐ notes and the chromatic half‐step intervals will match (Example 3.19)

48

Example 3.19 4 Kaprysy I (mm. 74‐78)

Concerning hand position, violin players can use the first finger for shifting half steps each time moving up from the third position to the fifth position on the A string

(stop at F). By doing this, the position of another downward passage starting on the

D string is right next to it (the F). Then using the second finger to move to G sharp will make another destination, A sharp (G string), easy to be detected. The long phrase of omitted notes in measures 76 to 77 truly shows that the composer did know each note she wanted rather than just the general contour of the passage.

That being said, performers might get confused by the unconventional way the composer notated her music. It looks like that composer was willing to give performers certain freedom for three to four measures. On the other hand, performers still need to follow and understand the hint the composer provides

between the lines. Bacewicz’s composition cleverly combined the two points of

view as a composer and as a fine violinist. Therefore, her compositions are friendly

and logical for the performers when they try to understand and perform the piece.

In addition, Bacewicz gives thorough indications in the music scores which are helpful for performers to decode the unconventional notation.

Pivot notes

In her compositions, Bacewicz favored to emphasize certain notes by pivoting

above and below them, and these notes are most likely played on an open string. A

49 representative example can be found from her Kaprysy II (see Example 3.20).

Example 3.20 4 Kaprysy II (mm. 41‐46)

Obviously, the D is the center of the passage in Example 3.20, and it acts as a pivot note surrounded by notes above and below. Another similar example is from

the measure 66 to 71. The bass note is an open A. No matter which notes go

above it, the music always comes back to A, the center of the phrase (Example 3.21).

Example 3.21 4 Kaprysy II (mm. 66‐71)

Harmonics

Harmonics are not a new technique for string players. Composers used

harmonics not only in the twentieth century, but also in previous centuries. The

difference between now and then may be in the frequency of harmonics in

compositions. Bacewicz employed the technique of harmonics not only in her third

compositional period, but also in her second period. However, she used harmonics

differently in these two periods. In her second compositional period, Bacewicz

focused on folklore concepts and often used harmonics in order to produce rattling

50 or rapid sound for dance‐like rhythms. Differently, she used harmonics in her third compositional period likely because she wanted to use their characteristics to enrich sound quality. Specifically, Bacewicz used natural harmonics more often in her second period because these natural harmonics can produce bright sound quality and better match the characteristic of dance‐like elements. However, she applied both natural and artificial harmonics in her third period to extend her notes possibilities. The example below indicates her usage of both natural and artificial

harmonics. This passage offers a variety of possibilities in notes selection (Example

3.22)

Example 3.22 4 Kaprysy II (mm. 6‐15)

Tremolo

Bacewicz wrote this interesting symbol in the No.4 Kaprysy. The mark

‘Z’ between notes (see Example 3.23) means to play between notes. As suggested

by the symbol of ‘Z,’ performers should play the notes as tremolo. For instance,

performers should play tremolo between D and D’ and follow the time indicated by

their composer. Many composers use this symbol to indicate tremolo in

contemporary music.

51

Example 3.23 4 Kaprysy IV (mm. 12‐17)

As an outstanding composer, Bacewicz had craftsmanship, moved forward all the time, learned new concepts consistently, and was willing to take on new challenges in her compositions. By studying her three compositional periods, we can better understand her surrounding music background and music development.

As an excellent violinist, Bacewicz showed her deep understanding in music creation and profound influences in violin music. The fingerings in her violin compositions are usually very reasonable, even in some difficult passages. In addition, the articulation and tempo markings all well deliver the composer’s concepts. The four compositions introduced in the chapter came from two of Bacewicz’s three

compositional periods. They might give audiences different experiences, but they

can deliver the same degree of beauty and joys to audiences, uniting people with

different background and from different corners of the world. Hopefully, more of

her violin compositions will be recorded and become available in the market in near

future.68 I also sincerely hope that more performers will introduce her music to the

general public.

68 Most of the pieces are introduced in the third chapter do have recording available in the U.S. The exception is the 4 Kaprysy. 52

CHAPTER FOUR

SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION

Polish composers, after being devastated by two world wars and the Soviet annexation, were still able to absorb some new trends from outside of their homeland and create many fascinating compositions. Grażyna Bacewicz was among of the group of composers who luckily went to Paris to study both violin and composition. She started composing at the age of thirteen and continued until the

last day of her life. She was a very productive composer, producing more than two

hundred compositions in her sixty years of life. Among these compositions, there

are ensemble pieces such as four numbered symphonies, a symphony for strings, and

Concerto for String Orchestra (1948; Polish State Prize in 1950). Besides orchestra

work, Bacewicz favored violin music and composed more than forty violin

compositions because she was also a concert‐level violinist. For instance, she wrote

seven violin concertos, seven string quartets, two piano quintets, five sonatas for

violin and piano, two sonatas for violin solo, and many showpieces for violin. She is

among the most talented and prolific composers for violin in the history of

contemporary music. Violin performers can find different genres of music from

Bacewicz’s compositions for different instrumental combinations or occasions.

It is a pity that even today, it is still difficult to find her scores or recordings in

libraries or music shops in the United States. Her compositions are valuable but not

easily accessed. Hopefully in the near future, more musicians will realize the

beauty of her compositions, and the hidden treasures in her music will be discovered

eventually by the public. Bacewicz was just like what the outstanding Polish

53 composer, Witold Lutosławski (1913‐1994), wrote:

She was born with an incredible wealth of musical talent, which she succeeded to bring to full

flourish through an almost fanatic zeal and unwavering faith in her mission. The intensity of

her activities was so great that she managed, in such a cruelly shortened life, to give birth to

such treasures that any composer of her stature with a considerably longer life span could only

69 envy.

69 Judith Rosen, 11‐13. 54

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Books

Będkowski, Stanisław, and Stanisław Hrabia. Witold Lutosławski: a bio‐bibliography, bio‐bibliography in Music. Westport, Connecticut: Greenwood Publishing Group, 2001.

Grażyna Bacewicz, “interview 1960,” reprinted in Stefan Kisielewski, Z muzycznej Międzyepoki. Kraków: PWM, 1966.

Grażyna Bacewicz, “letter (12(?) September 1960) to her brother, Witold,” quoted in Małgorzata Gąsiorowska, Bacewicz. Kraków: PWM, 1999.

Lukowski, Jerzy, and Hubert Zawadzki. A Concise History of Poland. 2 edition ed, Cambridge Concise Histories. United Kingdom, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2006.

Gray, Anne. The world of women in classical music. La Jolla, California: WordWorld, 2007.

Griffiths, Paul. Modern Music and Afetr. 3rd ed. New York, New York: Oxford University Press, 2010.

Jarocinski, Stefan. Polish Music after World War II, Contemporary Music in Europe: A Comprehensive Survey. New York: G. Schirmer, 1965.

Rappoport‐Gelfand, Lidia. Musical Life in Poland The Postwar Years 1945‐1977, tran. Irina Lasoff, ed. F. Joseph Smith, New York: Gordon and Breach, 1991.

Rosen, Judith. Grażyna Bacewicz: Her Life and Works, Polish Music History Series 2. Los Angeles, California: Friends of Polish Music, University of Southern School of Music, 1984.

Rosen, Judith. New Historical Anthology of Music by Women. Bloomington,

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Indianapolis: Indiana University Press, 2004.

Salzman, Eric. Twentieth‐century music : an introduction, ed. H. Wiley Hitchcock. 3rd ed, Prentice‐Hall history of music series. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall, 1988.

Schwartz, Elliott, and Daniel Godfrey. Music since 1945: Issues, Materials, and Literature. United States: Wadsworth, 1993.

Thomas,Adrian. Grazyna Bacewicz: Chamber and Orchestral Music, Polish Music History Series 3. Los Angeles, California: Friends of Polish Music, University of Southern School of Music, 1985.

Thomas, Adrian. Polish music since Szymanowski, ed. Arnold Whittall, Music in the 20th Century. Cambridge, United Kingdom: Camberidge University Press, 2005.

Periodicals

Bacewicz, Grażyna. "From Notes and Letters by Grażyna Bacewicz." Polish Music Journal, Vol. 1, No. 2 (Winter 1988).

Łabuński, Feliks R. "Poland's Contribution to Music." Polish Music Journal, Vol. 5, No. 2 (Winter2002).

Internet Sites

Boyden, David D., et al. "Scordatura." In Grove Music Online. Oxford Music Online, http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com/subscriber/article/grove/music/41698 (accessed October 23, 2011).

Downes, Stephen. "Kujawiak." In Grove Music Online. Oxford Music Online, http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com.proxy.lib.fsu.edu/subscriber/article/grove /music/15651 (accessed October 19, 2011).

Downes, Stephen. "Oberek." In Grove Music Online. Oxford Music Online, http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com.proxy.lib.fsu.edu/subscriber/article/grove /music/20205 (accessed October 19, 2011).

Thomas, Adrian. "Bacewicz, Grażyna." In Grove Music Online. Oxford Music Online, 56

http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com.proxy.lib.fsu.edu/subscriber/article/grove /music/01669 (accessed September 18, 2011).

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Trochimczyk, Maja. “BACEWICZ IN HER OWN WORDS.” In Polish Music Center, http://www.usc.edu/dept/polish_music/composer/bacewicz.html#words. (accessed October,07 2011)

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Discography

Bacewicz, Grażyna. In Grażyna Bacewicz (1909‐1969) Chamber music Selections. London: Olympia Compact Discs, CD, 1993.

57

Bacewicz, Grażyna. Grażyna Bacewicz Violin Concertos Nos 1, 3 and 7. Chandos, CD, 2010.

Bacewicz, Grazyna. Sonata No.4. Duo Pontremoli. Centaur Records, CD 1992.

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Kurkowicz, Joanna. Liner notes. Grażyna Bacewicz, Grażyna Bacewicz: Violin Concertos Nos 1, 3 and 7. Joanna Kurkowicz and Polish Radio Symphony Orchestra. Chandos, CD, 2010.

58

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH

Hui‐Yun (Yi‐Chen) Chung is a native of Ping‐Tung, Taiwan. She had her music education in Taiwan from a very young age. After receiving her bachelor degree in music under advisor Hui‐Ming Tu at the Tainan University of Technology, she came to the U.S. to study with Andrzej Grabiec at the University of Houston, where she

received her master degree in music performance. Driven by her passion for violin,

she continued her study under Professor Eliot Chapo (former concertmaster of the

New York Philharmonic) in the program of Doctor of Music at the Florida State

University

With an excellent academic performance, Hui‐Yun received scholarships from

the Moores School of Music at the University of Houston and off‐campus

scholarships when she studied at the Florida State University.

Hui‐Yun enjoys playing solo, chamber music and orchestras. She was a

member of Taiwanese Youth Orchestra and had domestic and international music

tours, including concerts in Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia, and Hong Kong. She was

later recruited by Kaoshing City Orchestra. After moving to the U.S. for graduate

study, she became a member in Moores School of Music Symphony Orchestra, Opera

Orchestra, and several symphony orchestras in Houston area, Texas, including the

Symphony North of Houston and the Brazosport Symphony Orchestra.

Growing up in a family of teachers, Hui‐Yun naturally likes to devote her time to

teaching and learning. Before studying in the U.S., she maintained a large, private

violin studio, received theory and piano certificates from the Royal Academy of Music,

and worked as a substitute music teacher in elementary schools in Taiwan.

59