Grazyna Bacewicz Especially the Violin, Was on the Forefront
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Bacewicz, Grazyna “Nature, which graced me with the gift of composing, ga- ve me something in addition to that, which allowed me to cultivate this gift. Indeed I have a little, invisible engi- ne, thanks to which, I can do in ten minutes what takes others one hour: thanks to it, I run rather than walk, can write fifteen letters in half an hour, even my pulse goes faster than other people’s and I was born at seven months.” (Bacewicz 1974, pp.25-26, cited in Gąsiorowska 1999, p.239) Profile Grażyna Bacewicz is the most significant female Polish composer during the first half of the twentieth century and the first one to have gained an international reputati- on. She has to be credited with providing the ground- work for the recognition of female composers in a very conservative, patriarchally shaped Polish musical world. Bacewicz was a multi-talented worker, who followed her career as violinist and composer simultaneously over a long period of time, and who left an oeuvre of over two hundred compositions in various genres and instrumen- tations. Naturally, her interest in string instruments, Grazyna Bacewicz especially the violin, was on the forefront. She herself pre- miered many of her own works for violin and also for pia- Grazyna Bacewicz no. She also gained a reputation as a teacher, her pedago- Merried name: Grazyna Bacewicz-Biernacka gic violin literature is still used in Poland. As vice presi- Variants: Grazyna Bacewiczówna, Grazyna Grazyna dent of the Polish Composers Society (ZKP) she also sup- Bacewicz, Grazyna Grazyna Bacewicz-Biernacka, ported the distribution of Polish music in Europe. Grazyna Grazyna Bacewiczówna Cities an countries * 5 February 1909 in Lodz, Poland Grażyna Bacewicz spent her childhood in Łódź. She had † 17 January 1969 in Warszawa (Warsaw), Poland her first music lessons here. Warsaw became the centre of her life once she started studying. Due to her father’s composer, violinist, pianist, writer, lecturer of violin, Lithuanian nationality, Bacewicz had a deep connection harmony and counterpoint, professor of composition, to Lithuania and spoke the language. She gave several juror for various instrumental- and composition concerts in Kaunas, Lithuania. Numerous stays testify to competitions, vice president of the Polish Composers Bacewicz’ affinity to Paris as a musical centre: in 1932 Society (Związek Kompozytorów Polskich or ZKP) she belonged to Nadia Boulanger’s composition studio and André Touret’s violin studio at the École Normale de „Natura – darząc mnie łaskawie zdolnościami kompozy- Musique. She returned to Paris on further occasions for torskimi – wyposażyła dodatkowo w coś, co pozwala na concerts and competitions. Concert tours also took her to kultywowanie tych zdolności. Posiadam mianowicie ma- the then Soviet Union: Ukraine, Czechoslovakia, Latvia, leńki, niewidoczny motorek, dzięki któremu w dziesięć Romania and Hungary, and later, in addition to France, minut robię to, co inni w godzinę: dzięki niemu też zami- also England and Belgium. Bacewicz also visited multip- ast chodzić biegam, potrafię piętnaście listów napisać w le European countries in her capacity as judge in various pół godziny, nawet puls mi znacznie szybciej niż innym, a competitions and representative of the Polish Composers urodziłam się w siódmym miesiącu.“ Society. In 1956 she visited India. She also worked as a – 1 – Bacewicz, Grazyna professor at the conservatory in Łódź and Warsaw. where she was appointed professor in 1967. Grażyna Bacewicz died on 17 January 1969. Biography Grażyna Bacewicz was born 5 February 1909 as third of Parental home and first lessons four children to parents Maria and Vincas Bacewicz in Grażyna Bacewicz was born 5 February 1909 in Łódź/Lodz. The father was a Lithuanian teacher in exile, Łódź/Lodz. After two sons, she was the first daughter of the mother came from a wealthy Polish family with aris- Maria Bacewicz (nee Modlińska) and Vincas Bacewicz tocratic roots. All four children received violin and piano (the Polonised version of Bacevičius). Her mother had re- lessons from an early age as well as a basic education in ceived a very good academic and musical education th- music theory. Further education was taken on by compo- rough her open-minded, wealthy Polish parents who ca- ser Kazimierz Sikorski (1895-1986) at a music school in me from nobility. This also included being brought up to Lodz. First compositions date from that time. From 1928 be disciplined and independent, as the mother describes to 1932 Bacewicz studied the following subjects at the it in letters to her son Witold (Gąsiorowska 1999, academy of music in Warsaw: composition (Kazimierz Si- pp.11-13; K. Bacewicz 1986, p.17). Her father was a Lit- korski), violin (Józef Jarzębski), and piano for a few se- huanian teacher who had been exiled to Poland by the tz- mesters (Józef Turczyński), for a short time also philoso- ar due to his involvement in the Lithuanian nationalist phy at the university. Following the completion of her di- movement. In 1923 he illegally returned to Lithuania to ploma she attended composition classes in 1932 and 33 continue fighting for his home country’s freedom. The fa- taught by Nadia Boulanger at the École Normale de Musi- mily remained in Poland, later two adult sons followed que in Paris. She frequently visited the French capital la- their father. The three older children as well as Wanda, ter in life. Even before she was discovered as composer, the youngest daughter, received their first violin and pia- Bacewicz became known as violinist. In 1936 she mar- no lessons by their father from the age of five. The father ried physician and medical professor Andrzej Biernacki hoped for a string quartet, thus, the oldest son Kiejstut al- (born 1963); the couple had one daughter: Alina Biernac- so learned to play cello. In addition, they were taught ba- ka, born 1942, is a famous painter today and administers sic music theory. Later the children attended Helena Ki- part of the Bacewicz’s estate together Grażyna Bacewicz’s jeńska’s music school where the children were taught by sister Wanda. Bacewicz was concertmaster of the newly composer Kazimierz Sikorski amongst others. The child- formed Polish Radio Orchestra for two and a half years. ren soon had opportunities to present their special tal- Bacewicz spent most of the post-war era in Warsaw, whe- ents in concerts. The younger son Witold Bacewicz star- re her compositions were played at secret concerts in ca- ted interpreting his own compositions early on and went fés and private apartments. It was only after the Warsaw on to become a successful pianist and one of the most riot in 1944 that she had to leave the burning city. Bace- well-known Lithuanian composers. He died in 1970 in wicz’s reputation grew during the post-war era, despite exile in America. Kiejstut Bacewicz became a pianist and the general censorship resulting from political realisati- frequently performed concerts with his sister Grażyna. on of socialist cultural reforms. She was called on to jud- Wanda Bacewicz gained a reputation as lyricist. Despite ge various internal instrumental and composition compe- her talent as pianist and violinist, Grażyna Bacewicz cho- titions. In 1954 she was involved in a severe car accident, se a career in composing when she was only 13 years old which caused her to retire from concerts and focus on (G. Bacewicz’s interview from the Polish Radio Broad- composing. Bacewicz took advantage of loosened cen- cast in: “Ruch muzyczny”, issue 33. volume 3. 1989, p.7). sorship regulations in 1956 to acquire expertise in the de- velopments of Western European music that had been The earliest preserved compositions, mainly for violin unattainable up to that point. As representative of the Po- and piano, date from her school years, including a doub- lish Composers Society she undertook numerous jour- le fugue for sting quartet – an instrumentation that neys and her compositions were awarded prizes in com- would play an important role in Bacewicz’s work. petitions throughout Europe. She was vice president of the Polish Composers Society from 1960 up to her death. Studies Having worked as lecturer for violin and music theory at After finishing school, she began studying at the Warsaw the conservatory in Lodz in 1945, she took on a composi- conservatory in 1928. She took courses in composition tion class at the academy of music in Warsaw in 1966, (Kazimierz Sikorski), violin (Józef Jarzębski), and piano – 2 – Bacewicz, Grazyna (Józef Turczyński). In addition to this, she attended the p.110f). Bacewicz returned from her third Paris visit, capital’s university to study philosophy. Bacewicz discon- which also saw the premiere of her first string quartet a tinued the two latter subjects after a few semesters. Ka- few months before World War II began. rol Szymanowski took over leadership of the conservato- ry in 1927 and, following his reformation efforts, the con- German Occupation servatory was awarded the status of academy of music in The beginning of the war put an abrupt end to Polish mu- 1930. However, in and around the academy there were in- sical life, which had just been injected with new life fol- fluential opposers of its director, so that Bacewicz’s stu- lowing the restoration of the Polish state. Contact to the dies also remained overshadowed by these disputes right musical world in the rest of Europe was impossible. Ho- up to her composition exam in 1932. She left the acade- wever, the Polish people’s will to resist in all aspects of so- my with diplomas certifying her as composer and con- cial and cultural life was very strong. Secret concerts cert violinist. From then onwards until her severe car ac- took place in cafés and private apartments.