Joe Xie

Mr. Woomert
Orchestra G/ T
31 October 2014
Orchestra Research Essay
The current repertoire selected consists of Partita No. 2 by Bach, as well as Wieniawskis
2
nd
Violin Concerto in d minor. These two pieces are of greatly contrasting styles, as Bach
composed music of the Baroque era while the violin concerto came from the Romantic period.
Regardless of the time period, both are able to express abstract emotions, whether then piece has
simple notes and rhythms or complicated ones. Despite the centurys difference in time, both
pieces are constructed in the key of d minor, and employ some similar styles characteristic of
those of the Romantic era.
It can be said that Henryk Wieniawski was virtuoso who composed a number of pieces,
with his 2
nd
Violin Concerto in d minor being one of the most famous. He was a man who
excelled greatly at the violin, especially at an early age, as he was considered a prodigy by most.
At age 8, his mother had already taken him to study at the prestigious Conservatoire. In his
childhood, he was involved in quite a few stage performances, which gave him a great deal of
experience on the stage. In 1860, he was made the solo violinist to the Russian Emperor, which
was a highly prestigious position that even Tchaikovsky praised him for able to obtain. In the
1870s, he accepted a post at the Brussels Conservatory. After serving a short term as a professor
at the Brussels Conservatory, Wieniawski once again became a traveling artist, which at the time
was quite a trial to pass (Los Angeles Philharmonic Assocation). He apparently abandoned the
post because he preferred the life of a touring artist, rather than settling down in one area and
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living there. From this incident, many musicians note that Wieniawski was a true performer at
heart, a man who couldnt abandon the thrill of the art of performance despite his age or any
other complications (Becks Guitar Studio). From a young age, he traveled throughout Europe
and performed at many famous institutes, along with his brother Joseph, an accomplished pianist.
At a young age, Wieniawski also traveled with his teacher to America, even as far as California,
engaging in various performances throughout the United States. The regularity of his travels
might have one of the reasons why he died at such a young age, as he was only 44 when he died
of sickness. It was noted that not long before his death, muscle spasms, especially one on the
performance stage, caused him great pain and he was unable to play the violin for that time.
After his untimely death in 1880, Polish-born Wieniawski did leave many works that are still
performed today, one of which includes his piece in the current repertoire, one of his finest
works by far. In the beginning of the first movement, a large part is spent on the orchestral
melody, which is soon cut through by the solo line. The single violin part fully exploits the
violins sweetness of tone, as it is quiet, but clear, and possibly even sad at times (Los Angeles
Philharmonic Association). A variety of chords and the numerous shifts in style craft a number
of feelings for the listener, who can experience both the slow sections as well as the fast sixteen
notes that run on the page. The ending of the concerto is also provided with a fiery cadenza,
bringing back the prevailing melody in a contrasting style (Los Angeles Philharmonic
Association). Throughout the years, 2
nd
Violin Concerto is still seen as one of the staples of the
Romantic period, with its melodies and harmonies heavily expressed in its short but powerful
violin cadenzas, especially near the end of the concerto. This can be seen before the end, where a
fiery cadenza, as expressed above, gives the entrance to a gypsy style finale. This gypsy style
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finale is able to give more life and vitality to the concerto, in its final moments before the end of
the last note.
The second choice for the current repertoire is the seemingly simplistic Bach Partita No.
2, Allemande. This movement is a part of the standard grouping of Allemande, Corrente,
Sarabanda, and Giga in those four movements, and were actually all based on the Italian style of
music (Sheilas Corner). The Italian style is utilized by Bach, who is actually of German descent.
These movements are once again in d minor, which can be often interpreted as a way to associate
minor keys with a feeling sadness. This is true, and in reality it is more of a Romantic era style
than one of Baroque era. The Allemande does have a seemingly simplistic style, as expressed
above. However, this can be greatly misleading, despite the fact that there is only the single
violin tone throughout the entire section. The simple structure of the music repeats itself several
times, and the listener clearly picks up on this after hearing the entire section. These movements
are followed by the famous Ciaccona, which was used primarily for the finales of the
professionally choreographed ballet evenings (Sheilas Corner). This Ciaccona does often refer
back to the other ways in somewhat way. It is noted that many solo violinists are often confused
by this occurrence and believe these melodies are actually those of the Ciaccona and not of the
other movements. Despite much of the confusion, the reference to the Allemande seems to be
clear for the most part. Generally speaking, Bachs compositions for solo violin, especially this
one, are able to take the listener through the full range of human emotions in life, from happiness
and success to sadness and despair. In Bachs masterful techniques in the usage of the d minor,
these emotions and attitudes are extremely clear to anyone who wishes to pay attention to the
musical style.
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The current repertoire is composed of masterfully crafted selections by the one and only
Henryk Wieniawski, as well as the well known Baroque era composer, Johann Sebastian Bach.
Both composers achieved a high level of musicality, where it was in musical performance in the
composition of the music that they spent their lives crafting.



















Works Cited
"COMPOSER PROFILE: HENRI WIENIAWSKI." Beck's Guitar Studio. Beck's Design Studio,
n.d. Web. 30 Oct. 2014. <http://www.becksguitarstudio.com/blog/composer-profile-
henri-wieniawski>.
Fulkerson, Gregory. "Unaccompanied Sonatas and Partitas of Johann Sebastian Bach." Sheila's
Corner. Sheila K. Helser, n.d. Web. 30 Oct. 2014.
<http://www.sheilascorner.com/bach.html>.
Howard, Orrin. "Violin Concerto No. 2 in D minor, Op. 22." La Phil. Los Angelees
Philharmonic Association, n.d. Web. 30 Oct. 2014.
<http://www.laphil.com/philpedia/music/violin-concerto-no-2-d-minor-op-22-henryk-
wieniawski>.
Mctague, Carl. "THE ALLEMANDA OF BACHS SECOND SOLO VIOLIN PARTITA (BWV
1004)." Mctague.org. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Oct. 2014.
<http://www.mctague.org/carl/writing/partita/paper.pdf>.