Ludomir Rózycki

Violin Concerto op. 70

Ludomir Różycki's Violin Concerto, op. 70 was written during difficult times, and its history is shrouded in mystery. As a performer of this work responsible for preparing the violin part, I had access to the extant sources. They consist of three manuscripts held in Warsaw University Library: a complete score of the piano reduction in two versions - the first produced in Osieczany in 1944, the other written in 1945 in Katowice - and an incomplete orchestral score which contains the first 87 bars of the first movement Andante and four additional pages of musical notes.
In the present edition of the piano reduction of the Concerto, which, unlike the orchestral score, was finished and lasted intact to our times, I have tried to prepare the violin part as cogently and meticulously as possible. My final decisions concerning some changes to the text were taken after a good deal of analysis, trial and error, and concert performances - both symphonic and with piano - in order to remain respectful of the work and the composer. I also had the opportunity to consult those decisions with outstanding musicians during a studio recording of Różycki's Concerto in London with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and Grzegorz Nowak. My aim was to penetrate the composer's text, understand his ideas -even what seemed to be the most curious harmonic and textural solutions - and adopt the role of his 'consultant', since I gained the impression that at a certain point, due to the lack of such a violinist friend, the composer ran out of impetus and motivation (and possibly also life, as he died quite suddenly) to complete the work and bring about its performance.In the solo violin part, I tried to make only essential modifications. I have included all the proposed changes in the violin part and the score. Różycki's original text is written in the relevant places as an alternative. - Janusz Wawrowski (translated by John Comber)

Softcover.