Grand Duo Polonais
pour violon et piano concertant
''Allegro de Sonate'' was followed by ''Grand Duo Polonais'', another joint work by Henryk and Józef Wieniawski. Dedicated to Stanisław Moniuszko, the piece was composed c. 1851, during the grand Russian tour of the two young artists.
The fantasy is based on two songs by the creator of the Polish national opera - the dumky ''Cossack'' and one of Moniuszko's most moving songs - ''Maciek''. Motives from Aleksy Wierstowski's ''Polonaise in G major'' from the then popular Russian opera ''Askold's Grave'' were used in the Finale.
The construction of the whole is rather loose and the individual sections are linked with virtuosic cadenzas for volin and piano. The parts for both instruments are treated in a similar way, making high technical demands on both the violinist and the pianist.
''Grand Duo Polonais'' was a composition with which the Wieniawski brothers thrilled audiences of many countries. They had to repeat it many times, yielding to the demands of enthusiastic listeners. Today the work is almost completely forgotten, perhaps because there is no one to play it in the same way as the two brothers of genious. [A. Cofalik]
- Editor: Antoni Cofalik
- Series: Strumento
- ISMN 979-0-2740-0244-2
- Language of edition: eng, pol
- Number of pages: 36+8
- Cover: softcover
- No. of edition: 2
- Published: 2023
- Type: solo part (instrumental) + accompaniment
- Size: N4 vertical (235x305 mm)