Polish composers

[weissenberg2]

This is mainly to see if anyone is very familiar with the neglected Polish composers
(I.E. anyone but Chopin, Lutoslawski and Panderecki even though Lutoslawski and Panderecki may deserve more recognition).

anyway, Weinberg and F.X. Scharwenka, I have not heard much of there stuff but I like what I have heard. I have heard a few of Tausig's transcriptions, they are great and I have heard one of his original compositions (ballade op.1) and it was okay.

anyone else like to word there opinion?

[thalbergmad]

I have never understood the neglect of the four Scharwenka Concertos. I love concertos in the "broad sweeping" style and these four works fit the bill nicely.

In the same vein are the 2 dramatic concertos by Henryk Melcer, that i guess are even more neglected.

I have always admired Tausig and often wondered just what he would have written had he lived another 30 years. I find his Hungarian Rhapsody more pleasing than any of the Liszt.

Thal

[thalbergmad]

Completely forgot to mention Aleksander Zarzycki. Another Pole with a big "Tchaikovsky" style concerto to his name.

I find the Polish romantics never seem to be short of a good theme and a bit of tasteful flair.

Thal

[retrouvailles]

You should have made it so the poll could have multiple options instead of one! I love Polish composers, generally speaking. As far as the Romantic era goes, I like Xaver Scharwenka and Chopin the most. However, in the last 100 years, I believe Polish music really took off, starting with Karol Szymanowski. Then composers like Krzysztof Penderecki (spelled correctly here), Andrzej Panufnik, and Witold Lutosławski really brought Polish music to a larger audience, with Penderecki still alive and composing (now in a neo-Romantic vein, as opposed to his early avant-garde works). I would say that Lutosławski's 3rd Symphony is one of the most significant pieces of the whole 20th century, and it was actually very popular when it premiered in 1984, and it is still popular and studied to this day. Of course, there are many minor Polish composers that have made their mark over the years. I would argue that Scharwenka shouldn't be minor (in agreement with thal), which is why I initially included him alongside Chopin. Others like Melcer, Moszkowski, Sigismond Stojowski, and Grażyna Bacewicz (from the early 20th century) weren't really movers and shakers, but still had nice music. All in all, I wish Polish music as a whole had wider exposure, especially the composers I mentioned.

Btw, you might want to fix the typos in your poll.

[indutrial]

By and large, the entire Polish oeuvre commands a lot of my respect and attention as a listener. I voted for Szymanowski, a composer who, as Retrouvailles mentioned, was among the first great modern composers to come from Poland. Works such as his two string quartets, the Mythes for violin/piano, his numerous mazurkas, the Metopes, and the Masques are, across the board, stunning pieces that reflect a worldliness drawing off of all sorts of varied influences and inspirations. His later explorations of Polish folk styles is every bit as valuable as Bartok's similar embrace of Hungarian/Roma/Balkan musics.

I would have included Tansman and Bacewicz in this poll, and both would be considerable runner-up candidates by my vote. I've spent a great deal of time slowly unfolding both composers' vast outputs and have always been impressed by the high standard of excellence their music carries (definitely not worthy of being branded 'note spinning'). Both were incredible chamber composers and Tansman's guitar writing often goes under the radar.

[jimpenn]

Penderecki's more recent work's a bit conservative compared to his earlier work, but that early work remains pretty damn powerful. I heard Penderecki conducting his own "St Luke Passion" in Canterbury Cathedral last weekend - a marvellous performance, and the work still packs an enormous punch.

But on the whole, I'd pick Lutoslawski on this list (well, after Chopin, that is - but he won't need the votes, so I'm standing up for Witold!).

And a name missing from the list that definitely should be more widely known, Felix Nowowiejski (1877-1946) - I don't know any of his piano music, but his organ music is magnificent, and it would be good to hear some of his orchestral/choral work. The oratorio "Quo Vadis" was very widely performed in the first half of the twentieth century (over 200 performances in Europe and the Americas between 1909 and 1939), but has fallen off the radar since then.

[richard black]

Well, Weinberg's music sounds a lot more Russian (his adopted homeland) than Polish, but it's very fine indeed.

Kazimierz Serocki is another good Polish composer, it seems. I only know one work by him so far, his trombone sonatina, but if the rest of his stuff is up to that level then I want to play it!

And a little while ago I was sent a CD of a quite amazing orchestral piece by a composer whose name might have been Grazyna Pstronska-Nawratil, but I can't find the CD (as usual    ) and Googling her name got me nowhere.

I heard Penderecki conducting his own "St Luke Passion" in Canterbury Cathedral last weekend

Damn, why don't I keep a closer eye on concert listings? I'd have gone to that! Marvellous piece.

[weissenberg2]

By and large, the entire Polish oeuvre commands a lot of my respect and attention as a listener. I voted for Szymanowski, a composer who, as Retrouvailles mentioned, was among the first great modern composers to come from Poland. Works such as his two string quartets, the Mythes for violin/piano, his numerous mazurkas, the Metopes, and the Masques are, across the board, stunning pieces that reflect a worldliness drawing off of all sorts of varied influences and inspirations. His later explorations of Polish folk styles is every bit as valuable as Bartok's similar embrace of Hungarian/Roma/Balkan musics.

I would have included Tansman and Bacewicz in this poll, and both would be considerable runner-up candidates by my vote. I've spent a great deal of time slowly unfolding both composers' vast outputs and have always been impressed by the high standard of excellence their music carries (definitely not worthy of being branded 'note spinning'). Both were incredible chamber composers and Tansman's guitar writing often goes under the radar.

Szymanowski was modern? I thought he was late romantic.

[retrouvailles]

Szymanowski was modern? I thought he was late romantic.

Some of his works sound late romantic, particularly his very early works like the preludes and first four etudes , but listen to his later works and you'll hear a more progressive and modern style.

[indutrial]

Szymanowski was modern? I thought he was late romantic.

He's got a foot in each stylistic period, which could be said of any Polish composer who was influenced by the works of Chopin. In terms of Polish classical music, Szymanowski was noteworthy for being the first to import the  influences of Debussy, Ravel, and Scriabin into an atmosphere that was largely steeped in 19th century romanticism. He wasn't the only one who did this, but certainly one of the most influential. An assessment of his work is usually the precursor to studying other distinctly modern composers from Poland.

[pies]

Antheil said he was Polish so I guess he counts

[retrouvailles]

Antheil said he was Polish so I guess he counts

Antheil was actually German. He actually wasn't Polish, even though he claimed to be.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Antheil

[communist]

gotta go with Weinberg.

[retrouvailles]

gotta go with Weinberg.

Go with him as what? Your post was terribly uninformative and almost like spam.

[communist]

Go with him as what? Your post was terribly uninformative and almost like spam.

meaning I voted for him.