Nikolaj Roslawez

Poème lyrique - Invention - Nocturne

The compositions published here for the first time are highly interesting, especially because they represent two creative periods: Poème lyrique was written in the 1910s and is a proof of the composer's intensive search for his own style. Invention and Nocturne were composed in Moscow in 1935, they are testimonies to the political pressure exerted on the composer to write in a more comprehensible, less avant-garde way. All three pieces are ideal for music lessons, yet also effective on the stage.Roslawez studied composition and violin in Moscow. He was one of the leading figures of the musical scene in the 1920s. Treated with increasing hostility for political reasons, up to being barred from pursuing his career, he spent the last years of his life in poverty.