View source for Violin Concerto No. 1 (Szymanowski)

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[[Karol Szymanowski]]’s '''Violin Concerto No. 1''', Op. 35, is considered one of the first modern violin concertos. It rejects traditional [[tonality]] and romantic aesthetics.

It was written in 1916 while the composer was in [[Zarudzie, Ukraine|Zarudzie]], [[Poland]]. [[Paul Kochanski]] advised Szymanowski on the fine point of violin technique during the composition of the concerto, and he later wrote the [[cadenza]]. The work is dedicated to Kochański. The likely inspiration for the concerto was ''Noc Majowa,'' a poem by the Polish poet [[Tadeusz Miciński]]. The concerto doesn't follow or duplicate the poem, yet Szymanowski's ecstatic, sumptuous music is an ideal companion to Miciński's language:

<poem>All the birds pay tribute to me 
for today I wed a goddess.
And now we stand by the lake in crimson blossom
in flowing tears of joy, with rapture and fear,
burning in amorous conflagration.</poem>

The concerto was premiered 1 November 1922 in [[Warsaw]] with [[Józef Ozimiński]] as the soloist. It would soon come to inspire, among others, [[Béla Bartók]] when writing his [[Violin Concerto No. 2 (Bartók)|Second Violin Concerto]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Béla Bartók's Working Method in Dealing with Proofs for His Violin Concerto (1937-1938) {{!}} A Guide to the Moldenhauer Archives {{!}} Articles and Essays {{!}} The Moldenhauer Archives - The Rosaleen Moldenhauer Memorial {{!}} Digital Collections {{!}} Library of Congress |url=https://www.loc.gov/collections/moldenhauer-archives/articles-and-essays/guide-to-archives/bela-bartok/ |access-date=2022-07-20 |publisher=Library of Congress}}</ref>

It is scored for solo [[violin]], 3 [[western concert flute|flute]]s (3rd doubling [[piccolo]]), 3 [[oboe]]s (3rd doubling [[English horn]]), 3 [[clarinet]]s (3rd doubling E♭ clarinet), [[bass clarinet]], 3 [[bassoon]]s (3rd doubling [[contrabassoon]]), 4 [[French horn|horn]]s, 3 [[trumpet]]s, 3 [[trombone]]s, [[tuba]], [[percussion]], 2 [[harp]]s and [[string section|strings]].

== Structure ==
The violin concerto is in one continuous movement. A performance takes approximately 18 to 20 minutes.

[[File:Orchesterwerke Romantik Themen.pdf|450px|page=905]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*{{IMSLP|work=Violin Concerto No.1, Op.35 (Szymanowski, Karol)|cname=Violin Concerto No. 1, Op. 35}}
*{{youTube|PsGO96OHPo4|Janine Jansen - Violin Concerto No.1, Op.35 (Szymanowski)}}[No longer available]
*[https://culture.pl/en/work/violin-concerto-no-1-op-35-karol-szymanowski Violin Concerto No. 1 Op. 35 - Karol Szymanowski] at culture.pl
*[http://www.cso.org/main.taf?p=5,5,7,54 Chicago Symphony Program Notes "Violin Concerto No. 1, Op. 35"] (Retrieved  4 December 2009)[Dead link]

{{Karol Szymanowski}}
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[[Category:Violin concertos|Szymanowski 01]]
[[Category:Compositions by Karol Szymanowski]]
[[Category:1916 compositions]]


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