Neo-classical detachment and Romantic intensity might seem irreconcilable, yet both inform the music of Grazyna Bacewicz, though in varying degrees in different works. The Sonata No. 4 for violin and piano (1949) is ardent and richly lyrical; yet despite its intense colors and chromatic harmonies -- similar in many passages to Scriabin -- its reliance on classical form and rhythmic folk elements are plainly inspired by Stravinsky. Opposing influences also clash in the Sonata No. 5 (1951), for the violin is quite passionate ...
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Neo-classical detachment and Romantic intensity might seem irreconcilable, yet both inform the music of Grazyna Bacewicz, though in varying degrees in different works. The Sonata No. 4 for violin and piano (1949) is ardent and richly lyrical; yet despite its intense colors and chromatic harmonies -- similar in many passages to Scriabin -- its reliance on classical form and rhythmic folk elements are plainly inspired by Stravinsky. Opposing influences also clash in the Sonata No. 5 (1951), for the violin is quite passionate over the surging piano accompaniment; but the harmonies are fairly diatonic and the rhythmic cells are frequently dance-like, perhaps due to Boulanger's influence. The Partita for violin and piano (1955) and the Sonata No. 2 for solo violin (1958) are the most adventurous works on this disc, for their tight dissonances, dense textures, and special string effects reflect Bacewicz's growing participation in the Polish avant-garde. The Capriccio (1946), Oberek No. 1, and the Polish...
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