Grzegorz Fitelberg - Violin Sonata no. 2 in F-Major Op. 12 (Gębski, Lim)

Grzegorz Fitelberg - II Sonata F-dur na skrzypce i fortepian
Andrzej Gębski - Violin/Skrzypce
Soyeon Lim - Piano/Fortepian
Published in 1905

0:00 - Allegro
8:17 - Intermezzo. Andantino tranquillamente
11:52 - Finale. Allegro agitato

Grzegorz Fitelberg (1879-1953) was born into a Polish-Jewish family in Latvia but would soon move to Warsaw. From 1891--1896, he would study violin with Stanisław Barcewicz and composition with Zygmunt Noskowski.

Fitelberg jump-started his musical career very early on. In 1896, at around age 17, he became a violinist at the Warsaw Philharmonic, and he spent his youthful years composing. Most of his youthful works were violin-oriented, and they were very successful. For example, Fitelberg's first violin sonata won an award at the Paderewski competition in Leipzig in 1898 when the composer was only 19 years old. However, when Fitelberg's conducting career took off, his career as a composer took a back seat.

Fitelberg would enjoy an active conducting career that would take him across Europe, South America, and North America. He conducted Strauss, Borodin and other works popular in the repertoire at the time, but he made friends with Szymanowski and helped found the "Publishing Company of Young Polish Composers" (Spółka Nakładowa Młodych Kompozytorów Polskich). His membership in the initiative would encourage him to perform his own works along with the works of Szeluto, Szymanowski, Karłowicz, and Różycki.

At the outbreak of WW2, Fitelberg fled Warsaw, reaching Paris and eventually finding his way to North America, where he gave fewer concerts than usual, occupying himself with other musical enterprises. He returned to Poland where he taught at the Warsaw Conservatory and later at what is now the Karol Szymanowski Academy of Music in Katowice. He died only a few years later.

Violin Sonata No. 2
This violin sonata was the last of Fitelberg's youthful, violin-centered works [1]. He began the work in 1901 while he was 2nd Violinist at the Warsaw Philharmonic, and it was premiered in 1905 [1]. It is a work of "genuine Slavic lyricism and adorned with rich harmonic vestments... [that has] the influence of Wagner and Tchaikovsky" [2]. Critics, however, panned the work for the lack of proportion in each of the movements [2]. Maryla Renat, on the other hand, identifies two reasons for the significance of this work: 1) that shows the highest artistic value out of all of Fitelberg's violin works and 2) that its publication coincides directly with the foundation of the "Young Poland" group [1].

This is a fairly standard late-romantic sonata, but it shows that Fitelberg was well aware of the direction the music at the time was heading. He did not get stuck early on in the neo-romantism of Żeleński or Noskowski. This being said, there is a lot of attention paid to thematic development, recapitulation, and cyclic invocations [1]. Even as a youthful work, this violin sonata stands out.

Allegro - The first theme is rather playful, and it is introduced immediately in F-Major. The second theme is introduced at 1:05 in D-Minor. Both of these themes will weave around each other, creating a narrative-like structure. This is especially true as the sonata continues and the first theme is quoted outside of this movement (see 15:12). The piano and the violin overlap these themes sometimes, creating a tense, conflict-ridden atmosphere, but the piano is mostly here for texture.

Intermezzo. Andantino tranquillamente - Renat identifies this movement as being stylistically unique and innovative because of its impressionist color, lyrical contemplativeness, and its rhythmic dynamism [1]. What she is saying is that in this brief movement, we see radical chromaticism, fast modulation, and often dissonant harmonies that all texturize a steadfastly slow, restrained melody. All of this on top of polyrhythms and changing time signatures creates a well organized, but rhythmically ambiguous sounding section.

Finale. Allegro agitato - The finale is stylistically similar to the first mvt. It begins with a lighter melody and introduces more and more tension via the 2nd theme until the 1st theme from the 1st movement somberly returns. The 1st mvt's theme is restated several times until the main theme from this movement reappears. This cycle happens once more as the 2nd theme builds up to another dramatic recapitulation. This time, the 1st theme returns with its original, playful energy.

Bibliography in the comments

[polishscores]

Biographical info:

[1] M. Renat. "Twórczość skrzypcowa Grzegorza Fitelberga". Edukacja Muzyczna, no. 12, p. 53-82. 2017.
[2] F. Wojtan. "Grzegorz Fitelberg". maszynopis pracy magisterskiej, s. 26. Państwowa Wyższa Szkoła Muzyczna w Katowicach. Katowice.1966.

[benlindsay]

I think this is a well-built sonata, full of charm, highly emotional, but wistful at times.

[muhammetyusufkelleci]

Take a drink after every time signature change in the second movement.