Grazyna Bacewicz
Encyclopedia
Grażyna Bacewicz was a Polish
composer
and violin
ist. She is only the second Polish female composer to have achieved national and international recognition, the first being Maria Szymanowska in the early 19th century.
, also a composer, identified as Lithuanian and used the last name Bacevičius; her other brother Kiejstut identified as Polish. Her father, Wincenty Bacewicz, gave Grażyna her first piano and violin lessons. In 1928 she began studying at the Warsaw Conservatory, where she studied violin with Józef Jarzębski and piano with Józef Turczyński
, and composition with Kazimierz Sikorski
, graduating in 1932 as a violinist and composer (Thomas 2001). She continued her education in Paris
, having been granted a stipend by Ignacy Jan Paderewski
to attend the École Normale de Musique, and studied there in 1932-33 with Nadia Boulanger
(composition) and André Touret (violin). She returned briefly to Poland to teach in Łódź, but returned to Paris in 1934 in order to study with the Hungarian violinist Carl Flesch
(Thomas 2001).
After completing her studies, Bacewicz took part in numerous events as a soloist, composer, and jury member. From 1936 to 1938 she was the principal violinist of the Polish Radio Orchestra, which was directed then by Grzegorz Fitelberg
(Thomas 2001). This position gave her the chance of hearing a lot of her own music. During World War II
, Grażyna Bacewicz lived in Warsaw, continued to compose, and gave underground secret concerts (premiering her Suite for Two Violins).
Bacewicz also dedicated time to family life. She was married in 1936, and gave birth to a daughter, Alina Biernacka, a recognized painter. After the war, she took up the position of professor at the State Conservatory of Music in Łódź. At this time she was shifting her musical activity towards composition, tempted by her many awards and commissions, and it finally became her only occupation in 1954 after serious injuries in a car accident. She died in Warsaw
, Poland
.
s, five sonatas for violin with piano, three for violin solo (including an early, unnumbered one from 1929), a Quartet for four violins, seven string quartet
s, and two piano quintet
s. Her orchestral works include four numbered symphonies
(1945, 1951, 1952, and 1953), a Symphony for Strings (1946), and two early symphonies, now lost.
In addition, Bacewicz received awards for lifetime achievement. These included the Order of the Banner of Work
Class II (1949) and class I (1959), Order of Polonia Restituta Cavalier (1953) and Commander's Cross (1955), and the 10th Anniversary Medal of the Polish People's Republic (1955).
On the centenary of her birth, Polish Post issued a stamp, with a portrait of the artist.
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
and violin
Violin
The violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
ist. She is only the second Polish female composer to have achieved national and international recognition, the first being Maria Szymanowska in the early 19th century.
Life
Bacewicz was born in Łódź. Her father and her brother VytautasVytautas Bacevičius
Vytautas Bacevičius was a Lithuanian composer of decidedly radical and modernistic leanings. Most of his works are in an atonal idiom of his own devising...
, also a composer, identified as Lithuanian and used the last name Bacevičius; her other brother Kiejstut identified as Polish. Her father, Wincenty Bacewicz, gave Grażyna her first piano and violin lessons. In 1928 she began studying at the Warsaw Conservatory, where she studied violin with Józef Jarzębski and piano with Józef Turczyński
Józef Turczynski
Jozéf Turczyński was a Polish pianist, pedagogue and musicologist who exercised a powerful influence over the development of piano teaching and performance, especially in the works of Frédéric Chopin, during the first half of the 20th century...
, and composition with Kazimierz Sikorski
Kazimierz Sikorski
Kazimierz Sikorski was a Polish composer.-Biography:Sikorski studied in Warsaw, first music at the Warsaw Conservatory and then philosophy at the University of Warsaw. He then studied in Lwów, which was Polish at the time, and Paris. In 1926, he became a teacher of composition at the Conservatory...
, graduating in 1932 as a violinist and composer (Thomas 2001). She continued her education in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, having been granted a stipend by Ignacy Jan Paderewski
Ignacy Jan Paderewski
Ignacy Jan Paderewski GBE was a Polish pianist, composer, diplomat, politician, and the second Prime Minister of the Republic of Poland.-Biography:...
to attend the École Normale de Musique, and studied there in 1932-33 with Nadia Boulanger
Nadia Boulanger
Nadia Boulanger was a French composer, conductor and teacher who taught many composers and performers of the 20th century.From a musical family, she achieved early honours as a student at the Paris Conservatoire, but believing that her talent as a composer was inferior to that of her younger...
(composition) and André Touret (violin). She returned briefly to Poland to teach in Łódź, but returned to Paris in 1934 in order to study with the Hungarian violinist Carl Flesch
Carl Flesch
Carl Flesch was a violinist and teacher.Carl Flesch was born in Moson in Hungary in 1873. He began playing the violin at seven years of age. At 10, he was taken to Vienna, and began to study with Jakob Grün. At 17, he left for Paris, and joined the Paris Conservatoire...
(Thomas 2001).
After completing her studies, Bacewicz took part in numerous events as a soloist, composer, and jury member. From 1936 to 1938 she was the principal violinist of the Polish Radio Orchestra, which was directed then by Grzegorz Fitelberg
Grzegorz Fitelberg
Grzegorz Fitelberg was a Polish conductor, violinist and composer. He was a member of the Młoda Polska group, together with artists such as Karol Szymanowski, Ludomir Różycki and Mieczysław Karłowicz....
(Thomas 2001). This position gave her the chance of hearing a lot of her own music. During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, Grażyna Bacewicz lived in Warsaw, continued to compose, and gave underground secret concerts (premiering her Suite for Two Violins).
Bacewicz also dedicated time to family life. She was married in 1936, and gave birth to a daughter, Alina Biernacka, a recognized painter. After the war, she took up the position of professor at the State Conservatory of Music in Łódź. At this time she was shifting her musical activity towards composition, tempted by her many awards and commissions, and it finally became her only occupation in 1954 after serious injuries in a car accident. She died in Warsaw
Warsaw
Warsaw is the capital and largest city of Poland. It is located on the Vistula River, roughly from the Baltic Sea and from the Carpathian Mountains. Its population in 2010 was estimated at 1,716,855 residents with a greater metropolitan area of 2,631,902 residents, making Warsaw the 10th most...
, Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
.
Compositions
Many of her compositions feature the violin. Among them are seven violin concertoViolin concerto
A violin concerto is a concerto for solo violin and instrumental ensemble, customarily orchestra. Such works have been written since the Baroque period, when the solo concerto form was first developed, up through the present day...
s, five sonatas for violin with piano, three for violin solo (including an early, unnumbered one from 1929), a Quartet for four violins, seven string quartet
String quartet
A string quartet is a musical ensemble of four string players – usually two violin players, a violist and a cellist – or a piece written to be performed by such a group...
s, and two piano quintet
Piano quintet
In European classical music, a piano quintet is a work of chamber music written for piano and four other instruments, most commonly piano, two violins, viola, and cello . Among the most frequently performed piano quintets are those by Robert Schumann, Johannes Brahms, César Franck, Antonín Dvořák...
s. Her orchestral works include four numbered symphonies
Symphony
A symphony is an extended musical composition in Western classical music, scored almost always for orchestra. A symphony usually contains at least one movement or episode composed according to the sonata principle...
(1945, 1951, 1952, and 1953), a Symphony for Strings (1946), and two early symphonies, now lost.
Works for solo instruments
- Four preludes for piano (1924)
- Children's Suite for piano (1933)
- Sonata for Violin (1941) - premiered at an underground concert in Warsaw
- Esquisse for organ (1966)
- Second Piano Sonata (premiered 1953)
Chamber music
- Quintet for Flute, Oboe, Clarinet, Bassoon and Horn (1932) - 1st Prize in the Concours de la Société "Aide aux femmes de professions libres", Paris, 1933
- Trio for oboe, violin and cello (1935)
- Sonata for oboe and piano (1937)
- Trio for oboe, clarinet and bassoon (1948)
- Suite for Two Violins (1943) - premier at an underground concert in Warsaw
- String Quartet No. 3String Quartet No. 3 (Bacewicz)String Quartet No. 3 is a 1947 composition by Polish composer Grażyna Bacewicz.The composition won the Polish Ministry of Culture Award in 1955....
(1947) - Polish Ministry of Culture Award, 1955 - String Quartet No. 4 (1951) - 1st Prize, Concours International pour Quatuor a Cordes, Liege, 1951
- String Quartet No. 5 (1955)
- Sonatina for oboe and piano (1955)
- String Quartet No. 6 (1960)
- Quartet for 4 violoncelli (1964)
- Trio for oboe, harp and percussion (1965)
- String Quartet No. 7 (1967)
Orchestral works
- Overture (1943)
- Symphony No. 1 (1945)
- Concerto for String Orchestra (1948) - Polish State Prize, 1950
- Symphony No. 2 (1951)
- Symphony No. 3 (1952)
- Symphony No. 4 (1953) - Polish Ministry of Culture Prize, 1955
- Muzyka na smyczki, trąbki i perkusję (Music for Strings, Trumpets, and Percussion) (1958) - 3rd Prize, Tribune Internationale (UNESCO), Paris 1960
- Concerto for Symphony Orchestra (1962)
- Contradizione for chamber orchestra (1966) - commissioned by Hopkins Center for the ArtsHopkins Center for the ArtsHopkins Center for the Creative and Performing Arts at Dartmouth College is located at 2 East Wheelock Street in Hanover, New Hampshire. The center, which was designed by Wallace K. Harrison and foreshadows his later design of Manhattan’s Lincoln Center, is the college’s cultural hub. It is home...
, Hanover, New HampshireHanover, New HampshireHanover is a town along the Connecticut River in Grafton County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 11,260 at the 2010 census. CNN and Money magazine rated Hanover the sixth best place to live in America in 2011, and the second best in 2007....
Concertos
- Concerto No. 1 for Violin and Orchestra (1937)
- Concerto No. 2 for Violin and Orchestra (1945)
- Concerto No. 3 for Violin and Orchestra (1948) - Polish Ministry of Culture Award, 1955
- Concerto for Piano and Orchestra (1949) - 2nd prize, Chopin Composition Competition, Warsaw, 1949
- Concerto No. 4 for Violin and Orchestra (1951)
- Concerto No. 5 for Violin and Orchestra (1954)
- Concerto No. 6 for Violin and Orchestra (1957)
- Concerto No. 7 for Violin and Orchestra (1965) - Belgian Government Prize, Gold Medal - Concours Musical International Reine Elisabeth de Belgique, Brussels, 1965
- Concerto for Two Pianos and Orchestra (1966)
- Concerto for Viola and Orchestra (1968)
Music for voice with orchestra
- Olympic Cantata (1948) for choir and orchestra - Mention, International Olympic Arts Competition, London, 1948; Polish State Prize, 1948. After the 17th-century comedy by Piotr BarykaPiotr BarykaPiotr Baryka , was a seventeenth-century Polish soldier and writer, most probably of burgher origin, of whom very little is known. He is listed as one of the authors present at the coronation of Władysław IV. Between 1629-1633, Baryka wrote a Carnival comedy about a peasant who was turned into king...
. - Acropolis, a cantata for choir and orchestra (1964) - commissioned for the 600th anniversary of Jagiellonian UniversityJagiellonian UniversityThe Jagiellonian University was established in 1364 by Casimir III the Great in Kazimierz . It is the oldest university in Poland, the second oldest university in Central Europe and one of the oldest universities in the world....
.
Stage works
- Z chłopa król (Peasant King), a ballet (1953) to the libretto of Artur Maria Swinarski
- Przygoda Króla Artura (The Adventure of King Arthur), a radio opera (1959) - Polish Radio and Television Committee Award, Warsaw, 1960
- Esik in Ostend, a ballet (1964)
Honours and awards
- 1933: First prize at the Society of Composers, "Aide aux femmes libres de Professions" in Paris for the Quintet for Wind Instruments
- 1936: Second Prize at the composition competition of the Society for Polish Music Publishing Trio For Oboe, Violin and Cello, an honorable mention for his Sinfonietta for String Orchestra
- 1949: Second prize (no first awarded) in the Composition Competition. Frederick Chopin, organized by the Polish Composers' Union in Warsaw for the Piano Concerto
- 1951: First Prize at the International Composition Competition in Liege for String Quartet No. 4
- 1956 Second Prize at the International Composition Competition in Liege for String Quartet No. 5
- 1960: III deposit at the UNESCO International Rostrum of Composers in Paris for Music for strings, trumpet and percussion
- 1965: Prize of the Belgian Government and the gold medal at the International Competition for Composers in Brussels for Violin Concerto No. 7
In addition, Bacewicz received awards for lifetime achievement. These included the Order of the Banner of Work
Order of the Banner of Work
The Order of the Banner of Work was a governmental award in Poland during the twentieth-century era of the communist People's Republic of Poland....
Class II (1949) and class I (1959), Order of Polonia Restituta Cavalier (1953) and Commander's Cross (1955), and the 10th Anniversary Medal of the Polish People's Republic (1955).
On the centenary of her birth, Polish Post issued a stamp, with a portrait of the artist.
External links
- Bacewicz Page at the Polish Music Center - extended biography and list of works.
- Bacewicz at PWM Edition - biography, discography, bibliography, list of works, concerts