Józef Krogulski

Quartet for violin, viola, violoncello and piano

The exact date of composition of the Quartet op. 2 is not known, but Józef Krogulski most likely wrote this piece around 1831, when he was studying at the Warsaw Conservatory under Józef Elsner and Karol Kurpiński. The first printed edition of the Quartet op. 2, originally composed for violin, viola, cello and piano, was published by Friedrich Hofmeister Musikverlag around 1838. One of his fellow students was Frédéric Chopin, five years his senior, who often mentioned him in his letters from the time. When composing the Quartet op. 2, Krogulski was certainly inspired by the work of his older colleague, and he probably also had the opportunity to hear his music, as he gave many concerts in Warsaw before he left Poland for good.

The Quartet op. 2 is a four-movement work, the 1st movement being a typical sonata allegro with two contrasting themes; the 2nd movement "La Romanza" refers in some melodic fragments as well as in its atmosphere and structure to "Romanza" from the 2nd movement of Chopin's Piano Concerto in E minor (op. 11). The 3rd movement, the "Scherzo", has the character of the Oberek, a lively Polish folk dance. The thematic material of the 4th movement, the "Finale", is also stylized as folk music and takes up motifs from two Polish folk dances: Krakowiak and Mazur.