2me Polonaise brillante pour violon avec acompagnement de piano op.21 Henryk Wieniawski wrote only two polonaises. The first one, op. 4 in D minor, is one of his youthful works; the other, op. 21 in A major, is one of the last works he composed. Moreover, H. Wieniawski is the co-author of another polonaise, op. 8, for violin and piano, which he wrote with his brother Józef Wieniawski, a pianist. The latter polonaise, like the Polonaise in D minor op. 4, is also a youthful composition (1852). The polonaise as a genre, therefore, does not occupy much space in Wieniawskis heritage. Nonetheless, both polonaises, in D minor and A major, constitute an essential part of his artistic inheritance. Likewise, both polonaises had been composed in two versions: for violin and orchestra, and for violin and piano. The Polonaise in A major was completed in 1870. It is not known precisely which of the versions, the one with the piano, or the one with the orchestra first came into being. It was the version with orchestra that the composer performed for the first time on 17 March 1870, in the Grand Theatre in St. Petersburg. But merely two months later he performed the Polonaise in Warsaw, accompanied by his brother Józef at the piano. It is quite possible that Wieniawski had already performed this version of the Polonaise. It is certain, nonetheless, that both versions either appeared simultaneously, or one was composed shortly after the other. From its first public performance until the end of his concert career, Wieniawski often included this Polonaise in his concert repertoire, playing one version or another, the choice depending on the needs and circumstances. Just to mention one occasion, he played the orchestral version during a concert tour of Sweden in 1870, when he dedicated and presented a manuscript of this piece to King Charles XV of Sweden. The dedication, however, was changed in print, and both versions were eventually dedicated to François van Hal. Both versions were published simultaneously, by Schott Publishers in Mainz, with the same plate number, though the orchestral version appeared only in parts, which was a common practice in those days. The piece was most probably not published earlier than 18751. The Polonaise was praised by the critics. The reviews reported that it was a magnificent piece2, and this opinion was shared by later critical reviews, both Russian and West European. The Polonaise remained popular after the composer had died, which is evident from the number of later editions of the piece (more than ten) issued by different publishers, mostly German, and prepared by different editors. In Poland, the Polonaise was published twice after the Second World War. All the editions introduced some more or less significant changes into the text, mostly concerning performance indications, but in a sense blurring the composers intentions. All those changes were pertinent to the violin and piano version, and it was mostly in this form that the piece appeared in concert and teaching repertoires. The performances with an orchestra were much more seldom which was, among other factors, due to limited availability of the orchestral version, as it had never been published again after the first edition, until now. The Polonaise in A major was composed approximately at the same time as the Violin Concerto No. 2 in D minor3. This convergence in time had influenced a certain similarity with regard to both composition and technical means, and also to the themes. In particular, the similarity becomes quite obvious in the second theme of the Allegro in the Concerto, and in the theme of the Polonaise. The Polonaise in A major is also in a certain way similar to the first Polonaise (in D minor), the motifs of the themes in both polonaises are alike. However, both pieces differ in style. The Polonaise in D minor shows the composers fascination with technical writing. Wieniawski makes the most of double-stops, chords, and all other sophisticated virtuoso techniques. The Polonaise in A major, written 18 years later, is much more mature. Although it is a virtuosic piece as well, the techniques used are somewhat more limited and subordinated to the expression. The virtuoso character of this piece is more fragile, much closer to the brillant style. At the same time, the Polonaise is typical of Wieniawskis violin playing technique. Here the composer uses the means regarded by his contemporaries to be typical of him, e.g., long staccato fragments played with one bow. The Polonaise is a concert piece in one movement extended form with a considerably abbreviated return of the first section at the end. The middle section is contrasting in character, due to the modulation to F major, change of tempo (meno mosso) and the reduction in the number of instruments (in the orchestral version). All the sections show thematic similarity. The first section, too, consists of three subsections, including a contrasting middle subsection (in E major). Zofia Chechlińska Footnotes 1. See The Critical Commentary, p. ? and onward. 2. See V. Grigoriev, Henryk Wieniawski. Życie i twórczość. [Life and Work] Warszawa - Poznań 1986, p. 184. 3. The first version of the Concerto No. 2 in D minor was completed in 1862, but in 1870, i.e., not until the Polonaise in A major was completed, Wieniawski had been working on the Concerto and implemented quite a few changes. Publisher: PWM/Towarzystwo Muzyczne im. Henryka Wieniawskiego w Poznaniu Series: Henryk Wieniawski - Complete Works Cover: softback Nr ISMN: 979-0-2740-0753-9 Number of pages: 34+8 Format: N4 stoj. 235x305 Language version of text: pol., Eng.

Friedrich Seitz (1848 1918) was one of the best-known and most sought-after violinists of his day. The Student Concerto Op.12 starts with a resolute allegro in G minor followed by a gentle adagio in E-flat major and flows into a cheerful dance-like final move-ment in G major. In order to play this violinists must be able to master 1st to 3rd positions.The series forms an ideal continuation of the Sassmannshaus 'Early Start' string methods but can also be used to supplement any other string tutor.

Brahms composed his ?Violin Sonata In A Major? during the summer of 1886. The work quickly became part of the standard repertoire and has remained so until today. It is presented here in a fine Bärenreiter Urtext edition and comes with an unmarked Urtext part as well as a second part marked with fingering and bowing by Clive Brown which are based on the practices of Brahms? contemporaries.An important part of this edition is the extensive preface. Firstly it informs about the works? origins its compositional process pre-publication performances its publication history as well as early reception. Truly remarkable is theunique Performance Practice Commentary. Here the editors take the premise that already a few decades after Brahms? death a widening gulf developed between the composer?s expectations and the performance practices of the early 20th century. In a very concrete and practical way the editors summarize some of the key issues in understanding Brahms? notation with regard to rhythm and timing dynamics and accentuation dots and strokes slurring and non legato Piano pedalling and overholding Piano arpeggiation and dislocation string instrument fingering string instrument harmonics and vibrato. In this way the edition offers an exciting and often surprising insight in Romantic musical interpretation.A pioneering Urtext edition.With an unmarked Urtext part.With a second part including fingering and bowing based on the practices of Joseph Joachim and other contemporaries of Brahms.With an extensive Performance Practice Commentary.For further information on Romantic performance practice we recommend: ?Performance Practices in Johannes Brahms? Chamber Music? text booklet BA 9600.

Debussy wrote his solitary Violin Sonata in the closing days of his life plagued by the distress of the ongoing Great War financial difficulties and health issues of a terminal cancer. Shortly afterits completion in April the first performance took place on May 5th 1917 with Debussy himself at the Piano. This was the composer?s last public appearance before his death in 1918.The Sonata For Violinand Piano was the third and final composition in a cycle intended to consist of six sonatas for various instruments. It has an overall atmosphere of melancholy while also capturing contradictory characteristics such asjoy and silliness presented in a form closer to a fantasia than a sonata. The three expressive movements (Allegro vivo Intermede and Finale) are written in a French nationalistic spirit withdistinctive influences from Spanish and gypsy music throughout. This ambiguousness and ambivalence in form sound and character all attribute to Debussy?s innovative language of ?musical impressionism? which has become afavourite of musicians and audiences alike.The comments at the end of this Urtext edition provide detailed information on the sources and alternative readings while the preface by François Lesure in German English andFrench gives historical and biographical context. Two copies of the Violin solo are included as separate inserts.