Presents

Roman Statkowski

Soundbite

Alla Cracovienne for Violin & Piano, Op7

Roman Statkowski (1859-1925) was born in the Polish city of Kalisz then part of the Russian Empire. After studying law, he switched to music studying with Wladislav Zelenski at the Warsaw Conservatory and then at the St Petersburg Conservatory with Rimsky-Korsakov and Nikolai Sokolov. He subsequently devoted himself to teaching and composition, eventually becoming a professor at the Warsaw Conservatory. Not a prolific composer, much of his output is chamber music, including six string quartets and several works for violin and piano. Stylistically, he is considered the link between the older classical Polish composers such as Moniusko and the post Romantics such as Symanowski. Alla Cracovienne, which dates from 1892,  is a typical Krakoviak, a fast sycopated Polish folk dance which originated in southern Poland near the city of Cracow (Krakow). It became a popular ballroom dance Vienna and was known as a Krakower, and in Paris where is became known as a Cracovienne. Statkowski's version combines the traditional in a full-blooded romantic style. Exciting and featuring a number of bravura episodes, it makes a superb shorter recital piece or encore.

Parts: $14.95