Miechyslaw Karlowicz

Karlowicz for Viola

Romanza is a transcription of the second movement of Mieczyslaw Karlowicz's Concerto in A major Op. 8 for violin and orchestra. This piece was composed between November and December 1902, and dedicated to Professor Stanislaw Barcewicz as a mark of admiration and gratitude. Notes, copies of the score and a piano reduction written by the composer were lost during World War II. First editions from 1906 (Leipzig) and 1912 (Warsaw), however, were preserved, and form the basis of this arrangement. Two pieces that follow (Serenade and Impromptu) date from Karlowicz's youth; the time of his studies under Heinrich Urban in Berlin. Serenade in G major for cello and piano was composed in March 1896. The composer gifted the work to an acquaintance from his Heidelberg years, cellist Zygmunt Butkiewicz. In the mid-20th century, the piece was transcribed for cello and orchestra, symphony orchestra, and even for big brass band. At the end of 1895, Karlowicz completed work on his Impromptu in D major for violin and piano, of which we find mention in correspondence with Kazimierz Prószynski. This composition, which reveals a clear fascination with the romantic style of Tchaikovsky, remains little known (it went unpublished for more than a hundred years). It is deserving of attention, and provides the performer with ample opportunity to display his or her talent. Each transcription was written in the same key as the original.