PF2023 Brochure - Flipbook - Page 10
HENRYK WIENIAWSKI (1835-1881)
Etude-Caprice in E flat, Op 18 No 2
ROXANNA PANUFNIK (b 1968)
Hora Bessarabia
Henryk Wieniawski was a child prodigy who entered
the Paris Conservatory at the age of eight and
graduated from there with the first prize in violin
at the age of eleven. He began touring Europe as a
violinist two years later and his wide-ranging concert
tours brought him international fame and fortune.
In 1860 he was appointed violin soloist to the Tsar of
Russia, and occupied teaching positions at both the
St Petersburg and Brussels conservatoires.
This was commissioned for senior competitors at
the 2016 Menuhin Competition which coincided
with Yehudi’s centenary year. It is because of this
that I wanted to write something that was a bit
more personal to Menuhin – he loved gypsy music
and, as it happens, so do I.
Hora Bessarabia uses the famous Romanian and
Hungarian Doina and Hora form; the Doina (often
sounding Middle Eastern) is usually slow and highly
ornamented, whilst the Hora is wildly fast and
virtuosic – a great opportunity to show dexterity off!
As a violinist Wieniawski was admired for his rich,
warm tone, glowing temperament and perfect
technique. His compositions were designed to
display his virtuosity and number two violin
concertos, Le Carnaval russe, Legende and a Scherzotarantelle. The Etudes-Caprices, composed in 1863,
are considered an indispensable resource for the
aspiring violin student.
Doina I (‘with great love and soul’) is to be played
with great beauty and soul – the echoes I’ve added
are to create a feeling of space and open country.
I’ve written the ornamentation out in full because
it’s quite different every time, including some very
Middle Eastern quarter-tone dotted trills. The little
arpeggios are in anticipation of cimbalom-type
passages later on. Hora I mischievously, starts at quite
a steady pace but, in true gypsy style, accelerates
towards the end. Doina II angelically sees harmonics
give the cimbalom arpeggios an ethereal touch.
However, soon this gentle atmosphere is shattered
by Hora II (‘dangerously’), as a fiendish Bulgarian
pulse takes over the Hora – 11/16 (2+2+3+2+2)
with one bar even venturing into 15/16! The piece
ends explosively, as if the player has spontaneously
combusted from sheer speed and effort!
I’m hugely grateful to the Menuhin Competition for
commissioning this piece and to Tasmin Little, who
supervised its creation.
Roxanna Panufnik
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