Zygmunt Noskowski - Dumka Op. 22, No. 1

Zygmunt Noskowski (May 2, 1846 - Jul. 23, 1909) was a Polish composer, conductor, and teacher. Born in Warsaw, Noskowski studied violin and composition under Stanisław Moniuszko at the Warsaw Conservatory. Noskowski taught several important Polish composers including Karol Szymanowski and Grzegorz Fitelberg.

This is the first of 3 pieces from his Op. 22 set. The simple, yet effective melody captured my attention initially. And the grazioso section toward the end is a nice, albeit slightly jarring, change of pace. The definition of dumka is a piece of Slavic music, originating as a folk ballad or lament, typically melancholy with contrasting lively sections. So I guess the grazioso section at the end is in line with the title of the piece. That grazioso section in particular was quite challenging to convey effectively. If I were to revisit this piece, I'd start with refining that section again.