Wieniawski, Concerto for Violin No. 2

It is well known that the Polish nation has always had to deal with its voracious neighbors. During the 18th and 19th centuries, for example, it had to cede from time to time a portion of territory to Austria or, failing that, to Prussia, or to suffer, now or later, the intervention of the tsarist army. So, it is not surprising that when the violinist and composer Henryk Wieniawski came into this world in Lublin in 1835, Poland was under Russian domination. Interestingly, Wieniawski saw his career take off and flourish in St. Petersburg, where he eventually became one of the leading musical figures of Tsarist Russia.

A new Paganini?
Coming from a family with a long musical tradition, Wieniawski entered the Paris Conservatory at the age of nine and at eleven received his first prize in violin. A child prodigy, two years later he began a career as a concert pianist. Along with achieving status as one of the greatest violinists of the time - he was often compared to Paganini - the virtuoso also matured as a composer.

Henryk Wieniawski
(1835 - 1880)

The first attempt
A first violin concerto, written at the age of 18, had won over the public but not the critics: a lot of virtuoso playing empty of substance, was the general comment. The critics were right since the work has not reached us.
Different is the case of his second concerto, premiered in St. Petersburg in 1862, conducted by Anton Rubinstein. The highly demanding work remains to this day as one of the great violin concertos of the Romantic era.

Concerto for Violin and Orchestra No. 2 in D minor
It was begun around 1856 and premiered on November 27, 1862, with the composer as soloist. It was published many years later, in 1879, with a dedication to his friend and virtuoso colleague, Pablo de Sarasate.

It is in the three traditional sections, with the second movement joined to the first, without a pause.

00        Allegro moderato
10:37  Andante non tropo (romanza)
15:03  Allegro con fuoco - Allegro moderato (a la zíngara)

The performance is by Korean violinist Bomsori Kim, with the T. Szeligowski Poznań Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Marek Pijarowski.