KAROL SZYMANOWSKI
(born 1882 in Tymoszówska, Ukraine; died 1937 in Lausanne)

Notturno e Tarantella for Violin and Piano, Op. 28 (1914-1915)

The composer and pianist Karol Szymanowski grew up in an inspired artistic environment. From early childhood, he and his four siblings were exposed to music, literature, and the visual arts. Szymanowski's early music training came from his uncle Gustav Neuhaus, father of the legendary pianist, Heinrich Neuhaus. However, his strongest and most productive influence was that of a fellow Pole, Pavel (Paul) Kochanski (1887-1934), the well-known violinist and composer.

Szymanowski was a key figure in Polish music in the first half of the 20th century; his sound palette is unique with an eclectic and delectable combination of exoticism, delicacy, mystery, and passion. His musical style is also infused with impressionism, expressionism, and romanticism. With Kochanski, he attempted to construct a new sound language, stretching the capacities of their two instruments' sonorities. Szymanowski's violin-piano works are indebted to this inspired partnership, which succeeded in achieving some extraordinary fantasy-filled musical effects. Often, the musical lines give the impression of soaring and spinning, of sensuality and opulence.

In light of Szymanowski's nationalism and his attraction to the ancient texts of Greece and the Orient, the clearly Spanish idiom of Notturno e Tarantella initially feels out of place in his oeuvre. However, he was probably influenced by the music of Manuel de Falla, to whom Kochanski had strong ties. De Falla wrote his Siete canciones españolas in 1914, and dedicated them to Kochanski's wife.

The years surrounding the composition of Notturno e Tarantella were among Szymanowski's most productive as a composer. Cut off from the rest of the world by World War I, he was confined to his family's estate in Ukraine, where he immersed himself in literature and composition. This period also saw the birth of his First Violin Concerto and of Myths, a triptych for violin and piano based on Greek myths.

Notturno e Tarantella begins quietly, the violin muted, with a mysterious and entranced, almost suspenseful atmosphere, evoking smokiness. Soon a Spanish rhythm overtakes the dream-like calm, giving a sparkling shine to the night. In the Tarantella that follows, the dominant characteristic is a crisp, percussive articulation and rhythm. The momentum is unstoppable and there is a fabulous evocation of the festive dances; nevertheless, a sense of elegance is never far away from the gay and brilliant mood.