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Karol Szymanowski
Born: October 6, 1882; Ukraine
Died: March 28, 1937; Switzerland
Period: 20th Century
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Composer Karol Szymanowski spent his early years in Ukraine (where many affluent Polish families still owned land at the time). An injury to the leg forced young Karol into a life of relative inactivity, and, from age seven on, attendance at school was replaced by rigorous musical studies (first under his father's tutelage, and then, from 1892 on, at Gustav Neuhaus' music school in Elisavetgrad). Although early training focused on the piano,
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Works
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Buntelieder, Op. 22 (2)
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Children's rhymes, Op. 49 (2)
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Concert Overture in E major, Op. 12 (6)
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Concerto for Violin no 1, Op. 35 (23)
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Concerto for Violin no 1, Op. 35: Excerpt(s) (2)
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Concerto for Violin no 2, Op. 61 (13)
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Dans les prés fleuris (1)
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Danse sauvage (1)
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Das Grab des Hafis (1)
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Demeter, Op. 37b (4)
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Etudes (12) for Piano, Op. 33 (5)
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Etudes (4) for Piano, Op. 4 (8)
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Etudes (4) for Piano, Op. 4: Allegro moderato (1)
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Etudes (4) for Piano, Op. 4: Andante in modo d'una canzona (1)
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Etudes (4) for Piano, Op. 4: Excerpt(s) (1)
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Etudes (4) for Piano, Op. 4: no 3 in B flat minor (13)
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Fantasy for Piano, Op. 14 (5)
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Fragments (3) from Poems by Jan Kasprowicz, Op. 5 (2)
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Fragments (3) from Poems by Jan Kasprowicz, Op. 5: no 1, Holy God (1)
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Harnasie (The Highland Robbers), ballet pantomime for tenor, chorus & orchestra, Op. 55, M68: Taniec (1)
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Harnasie, Op. 55 (7)
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Harnasie, Op. 55: Dance of the Montagnards (1)
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Harnasie, Op. 55: Excerpt(s) (2)
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Harnasie, Op. 55: no 6a, Wedding (1)
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Harnasie, Op. 55: no 6c, Drinking Song of the young Highlanders (1)
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Harnasie, Op. 55: no 8, Raid of the Harnasie "Dance of the Montagnards" (2)
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Idom se siuhaje dolu, Spiewaj´cy (1)
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King Roger, Op. 46 (6)
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King Roger, Op. 46: Hymn to Apollo (1)
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King Roger, Op. 46: Roxana's Song (17)
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Kurpie Songs for Chorus (1)
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Kurpie Songs, Op. 58 (3)
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Kurpie Songs, Op. 58: Excerpt(s) (2)
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L'aube (1)
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La berceuse d'Aïtacho Enia, Op. 52 (8)
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Litany to the Virgin Mary, Op. 59 (7)
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Lovesongs (6) of Hafiz, Op. 24 (2)
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Lovesongs (8) of Hafiz, Op. 26 (3)
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Lullabies (3), Op. 48 (2)
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Mandragora, Op. 43 (3)
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Masques (3) for Piano, Op. 34 (14)
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Masques (3) for Piano, Op. 34: no 1, Shéhérazade (3)
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Masques (3) for Piano, Op. 34: no 2, Tantris the Clown (1)
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Masques (3) for Piano, Op. 34: no 3, Don Juan's Serenade (1)
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Mazurka, Op. 50: No. 2 (1)
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Mazurkas (2) for Piano, Op. 62 (11)
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Mazurkas (2) for Piano, Op. 62: no 2, Moderato (2)
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Mazurkas (20) for Piano, Op. 50 (5)
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Mazurkas (20) for Piano, Op. 50: no 1 in G flat Major, Sostenuto molto rubato (9)
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Mazurkas (20) for Piano, Op. 50: no 10, Allegramente-Vivace-Con brio (2)
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Mazurkas (20) for Piano, Op. 50: no 11, Allegretto (3)
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Mazurkas (20) for Piano, Op. 50: no 12, Allegro moderato (2)
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Mazurkas (20) for Piano, Op. 50: no 13, Moderato (1)
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Mazurkas (20) for Piano, Op. 50: no 14, Animato (1)
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Mazurkas (20) for Piano, Op. 50: no 15, Allegretto dolce (2)
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Mazurkas (20) for Piano, Op. 50: no 16, Allegramente - vigoroso (1)
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Mazurkas (20) for Piano, Op. 50: no 17, Moderato (1)
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Mazurkas (20) for Piano, Op. 50: no 18, Vivace-agitato (Tempo oberrka) (2)
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Mazurkas (20) for Piano, Op. 50: no 19, Poco vivace (1)
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Mazurkas (20) for Piano, Op. 50: no 2 in E minor, Moderato (9)
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Mazurkas (20) for Piano, Op. 50: no 20, Allegramente (1)
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Mazurkas (20) for Piano, Op. 50: no 3, Moderato (10)
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Mazurkas (20) for Piano, Op. 50: no 4, Allegramente (6)
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Mazurkas (20) for Piano, Op. 50: no 5, Moderato (1)
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Mazurkas (20) for Piano, Op. 50: no 6, Vivace (Junacko) (3)
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Mazurkas (20) for Piano, Op. 50: no 7, Poco vivace (Tempo oberka) (2)
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Mazurkas (20) for Piano, Op. 50: no 8, Moderato (non troppo) (2)
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Mazurkas (20) for Piano, Op. 50: no 9, Tempo moderato (2)
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Métopes (3), Op. 29 (11)
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Metopes, poems (3) for piano, Op. 29, M31 (1)
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Myths (3), Op. 30 (19)
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Myths (3), Op. 30: no 1, La fontaine d'Aréthuse (12)
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Myths (3), Op. 30: no 2, Narcisse (2)
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Myths (3), Op. 30: no 3, Dryades et Pan (1)
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Myths, poems (3) for violin & piano, Op. 30, M29: No. 1. La Fontaine d' Aréthuse (1)
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Nocturne and Tarantella, Op. 28 (18)
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Nocturne and Tarantella, Op. 28: Nocturne (1)
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Nocturne and Tarantella, Op. 28: Tarantella (3)
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Paganini Caprices (3), Op. 40 (12)
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Paganini Caprices (3), Op. 40: in A minor (1)
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Penthesilea, Op. 18 (2)
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Piano Sonata No. 3, Op. 36, M38 (1)
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Polish Dances (4) for Piano (4)
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Polish Dances (4) for Piano : Krakowiak (1)
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Polish Dances (4) for Piano: Mazurka (1)
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Prelude and Fugue for Piano in C sharp minor (4)
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Prelude for Piano in C sharp minor (1)
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Preludes (9) for Piano, Op. 1 (4)
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Preludes (9) for piano, Op. 1, M1 (1)
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Preludes (9) for Piano, Op. 1: Moderato (1)
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Preludes (9) for Piano, Op. 1: no 1, Andante ma non troppo (3)
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Preludes (9) for Piano, Op. 1: no 2, Andante con moto (1)
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Preludes (9) for Piano, Op. 1: no 5, Allegro molto-impetuoso (1)
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Preludes (9) for Piano, Op. 1: no 7 (1)
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Prince Potemkin, Op. 51 (3)
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Quartet for Strings no 1 in C major, Op. 37 (4)
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Quartet for Strings no 2, Op. 56 (5)
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Romance for Violin and Piano in D major, Op. 23 (8)
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Romantic Waltz (3)
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Romantic Waltz, for piano, M59a (1)
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Roxana's Song, for soprano & orchestra (from opera "King Roger") (1)
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Roxana's Song, for violin & piano (from opera "King Roger") (1)
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Slopiewnie, Op. 46b (4)
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Soldiers' Songs (1)
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Sonata for Piano no 1 in C minor, Op. 8 (4)
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Sonata for Piano no 2 in A major, Op. 21 (5)
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Sonata for Piano no 3, Op. 36 (6)
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Sonata for Violin and Piano in D minor, Op. 9 (11)
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Sonata for Violin and Piano in D minor, Op. 9 2nd movement, Andantino tranquillo e dolce (2)
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Sonata for Violin and Piano in D minor, Op. 9: 1st movement, Allegro moderato (2)
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Sonata for Violin and Piano in D minor, Op. 9: 2nd movement, Andantino tranquillo e dolce (2)
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Sonata for Violin and Piano in D minor, Op. 9: 3rd movement, Allegro molto quasi presto (2)
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Songs (12), Op. 17 (1)
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Songs (12), Op. 17: Abduction (1)
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Songs (12), Op. 17: After a fall of rain (1)
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Songs (12), Op. 17: Announcement (1)
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Songs (12), Op. 17: Courtship (1)
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Songs (12), Op. 17: High up at daybreak (1)
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Songs (12), Op. 17: Many a night (1)
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Songs (12), Op. 17: Secret (1)
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Songs (12), Op. 17: Upward gaze (1)
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Songs (3), Op. 32 (1)
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Songs (4), Op. 11 (1)
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Songs (4), Op. 41 (2)
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Songs (5), Op. 13 (1)
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Songs (5), Op. 13: no 1, Stimme im Dunkeln (1)
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Songs (6) for voice & piano, Op. 20, M20 (1)
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Songs (6) of a fairy-tale princess, Op. 31 (8)
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Songs (6), Op. 2 (1)
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Songs (6), Op. 20 (1)
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Songs (7) to words by James Joyce, Op. 54 (3)
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Songs of an Infatuated Muezzin, songs (6) for voice & piano (or orchestra), Op. 42, M44 (1)
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Songs of an Infatuated Muezzin, songs (6) for voice & piano (or orchestra), Op. 42, M44: Andante (no (1)
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Songs of an Infatuated Muezzin, songs (6) for voice & piano (or orchestra), Op. 42, M44: Lento assai (1)
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Songs of an Infatuated Muezzin, songs (6) for voice & piano (or orchestra), Op. 42, M44: Moderato as (1)
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Songs of an Infatuated Muezzin, songs (6) for voice & piano (or orchestra), Op. 42, M44: Tempo moder (1)
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Songs of the infatuated muezzin, Op. 42 (4)
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Stabat mater, Op. 53 (10)
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Stabat mater, Op. 53: Christe, cum hinc exire (1)
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Stabat mater, Op. 53: Christe, cum sit hinc exire (1)
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Stabat mater, Op. 53: Fac me tecum (3)
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Stabat mater, Op. 53: Qui est homo qui non fleret (1)
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String Quartet No. 1 in C major, Op. 37, M41 (3)
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String Quartet No. 2, Op. 56, M64 (2)
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Symphony no 1 in F minor, Op. 15 (4)
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Symphony no 2 in B major, Op. 19 (6)
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Symphony no 3, Op. 27 "Song of the Night" (13)
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Symphony no 4, Op. 60 "Symphonie concertante" (14)
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Symphony no 4, Op. 60 "Symphonie concertante": Allegro non troppo (1)
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Symphony No. 2 in B flat major, Op. 19, M24 (1)
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Symphony No. 4, for piano & orchestra ("Symphonie Concertante"), Op. 60, M70 (1)
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Symphony No. 4, Op. 60: [Excerpt] (1)
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The Dawn (1)
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The Swan, Op. 7 (2)
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Valse Romantique (1)
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Variations for Piano in B flat minor, Op. 3 (8)
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Variations on a Polish Folk Theme, Op. 10 (6)
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Veni Creator, Op. 57 (2)
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Violin Concerto No. 1, Op. 35, M37 (2)
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Violin Sonata, for piano & violin in D minor, Op. 9, M9 (2)
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Vocalise Etude (2)
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Wild Dance (1)
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Zródlo Aretuzy (La Fontaine D'Arethuse), for violin & piano (1)
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| More Featured Karol Szymanowski CDs & DVDs: |
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Biography |
by Blair Johnston
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Composer Karol Szymanowski spent his early years in Ukraine (where many affluent Polish families still owned land at the time). An injury to the leg forced young Karol into a life of relative inactivity, and, from age seven on, attendance at school was replaced by rigorous musical studies (first under his father's tutelage, and then, from 1892 on, at Gustav Neuhaus' music school in Elisavetgrad). Although early training focused on the piano, Neuhaus was quick to observe his young student's potential as a composer. While in Elisavetgrad, Szymanowski was introduced to the German classics as well as to Chopin and Scriabin. After studies with Noskowski in Warsaw from 1903 to 1905, Szymanowski lived for a time in Berlin, helping to found that city's "Young Poland in Music" Society. During the Warsaw and Berlin years Szymanowski began absorbing the musical language of the later German masters (Richard Strauss in particular), under whose strong influence Szymanowski produced his first two symphonies (1907 and 1909, respectively).
The pre-World War I years found Szymanowski traveling extensively throughout Europe, spreading his name as a composer (among those who signed on to champion his music were fellow Poles Arthur Rubinstein and violinist Paul Kochansky) and absorbing the newest trends in European art. A brief 1914 stay in Paris helped to cement a growing admiration for Debussy and the French Impressionist school. The War years themselves were spent at the family estate in Tymoszowka, where Szymanowski composed prolifically (the Third Symphony, First Violin Concerto, First String Quartet, as well as a number of smaller works, all date from this period). Tymoszowka suffered heavily during the Bolshevik Revolution of 1917, and the Szymanowski family was forced to relocate to nearby Elisavetgrad. Elisavetgrad, however, was soon subject to Austrian occupation, and, in late 1919, after selling all the family land (at a heavy loss), Szymanowski made a new home in Warsaw. Achieving some popular success in the new Polish capital, Szymanowski eventually became director of the Warsaw Conservatory (1926). However, tuberculosis forced him to resign this position in 1930, and the next several years were spent abroad (largely in Switzerland). Continuing health troubles forced him to enter a sanatorium, and he died in Lugano in 1937.
Szymanowski's unique brand of expressive, lyric modernism has found many admirers in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. Though his earliest music is perhaps too closely allied to that of his childhood idol Chopin to fully stand on its own, his later work synthesizes the stylistic characteristics of a wide range of composers (Scriabin, Strauss, Reger, Debussy, Ravel) into a highly individual new language, which seems likely to bear the test of time better than many such experiments in eclecticism. |
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