Henryk Wieniawski

(1835, Lublin [Poland] – 1880, Moscow [Russia])

Henryk Wieniawski was a Polish violinist, composer, and educator. He is considered one of the greatest violin virtuosos Poland has ever produced. His first teacher was his mother, Regina Wolff. He received his initial musical instruction from his mother at a very young age, followed by private violin lessons from Jan Hornziel, a violinist at the Teatr Wielki (Grand Theatre) in Warsaw, and Stanisław Serwaczyński, concertmaster of the Budapest Opera. In 1843, at the age of eight, Henryk moved to Paris and studied under Lambert Massart at the Paris Conservatoire. He formally completed the Conservatoire's curriculum in less than three years, obtaining a diploma with special honors at the tender age of eleven. By then, he was already actively performing in Paris with his younger brother, Józef, a pianist. After studying with Massart for two more years, he embarked on a concert tour of Eastern European countries. Returning to Paris in 1849, Wieniawski began studying composition under Hippolyte Colet, completing his studies in just one year.

From 1850 to 1855, Henryk regularly held concerts with his brother Józef. The brothers had opportunities to perform together across Eastern Europe and in many cities of the Russian Empire. Following successive successes in Europe, in 1860, Henryk was appointed First Violinist to the Imperial Court of Russia and soloist of the Russian Musical Society (later the Conservatoire).

After spending twelve years in Russia, Wieniawski departed for a concert tour of America with pianist Anton Rubinstein. They performed in over 200 concerts in less than a year. In 1874, upon returning to Europe, Wieniawski took over the duties of the severely ill violinist Henri Vieuxtemps in Brussels. In 1879, he moved to Russia again but passed away in 1880, less than a year later. Tens of thousands of people attended his public funeral held in Warsaw.

For Henryk Wieniawski, performance and composition were always two integral aspects of his musical activity. His exceptional virtuosity was frequently compared to Paganini's, and many of his compositions demand prodigious violin technique. Wieniawski's works are primarily written in the "brilliant style," ranging from etudes and showpieces focused on technical display to larger forms like concertos, exemplified by his famous Violin Concerto in D minor. He also composed many works incorporating the rhythms of Polish folk dances, such as mazurs, kujawiaks, and polonaises.

Major Works

• Grand Caprice Fantastique sur un Thème Original, Op. 1 (1847)
• Variations on an Original Mazurka Theme (c. 1847)
• Aria with Variations in E major (before 1848)
• Fantaisie et Variations in E major (1848)
• Nocturne for Solo Violin
• Romance (c. 1848)
• Rondo à la Polacca in E minor (1848)
• Allegro de Sonate, Presto for Violin and Piano, Op. 2 (1848?)
• Duo Concertant on Themes from Donizetti's Opera 'Lucia di Lammermoor' (c. 1850)
• Duo Concertant on Themes from the Russian National Anthem (c. 1850)
• Duo Concertant on Themes from Russian Folk Songs (c. 1850)
• Fantaisie on Themes from Meyerbeer's Opera 'Le Prophète' (c. 1850)
• Mazurka rustique (c. 1850)
• Fantaisie on Themes from Grétry's Opera 'Richard Cœur de Lion' (c. 1851)
• Duo on Themes from Finnish Songs (c. 1851)
• Two Mazurkas (1851)
• Marche (1851)
• Variations on the Russian National Anthem (c. 1851)
• Variations on the Theme 'Cossacks Go Beyond the Danube' (c. 1851)
• Polonaise de Concert No. 1 in D major, Op. 4 (c. 1852)
• Adagio élégiaque in A major, Op. 5 (c. 1852)
• Souvenir de Moscou, Op. 6 (c. 1852)
• Capriccio-Valse in E major, Op. 7 (1852)
• Grand Duo Polonaise, Op. 8 (c. 1852)
• Romance sans paroles et Rondo élégant, Op. 9 (c. 1852)
• Violin Concerto No. 1 in F-sharp minor, Op. 14 (1852)
• Le Carnaval Russe, Op. 11 (c. 1853)
• Two Mazurkas de Salon, Op. 12 (1850? / 1853)
• Fantaisie pastorale, Op. 13 (c. 1853)
• Kujawiak in A minor (1853)
• Variations on the Austrian National Anthem (1853)
• Souvenir de Posen, Mazurka in D minor, Op. 3 (1854)
• L'École Moderne: Études-Caprices for Solo Violin, Op. 10 (1854)
• Variations on an Original Theme, Op. 15 (1854)
• Song with Piano Accompaniment: Je sais (1854)
• Concert Polka: Souvenir de Lublin (c. 1855)
• Fantaisie on Themes from Bellini's Opera 'La sonnambula' (c. 1855)
• Scherzo-Tarantelle in G minor, Op. 16 (1855)
• Légende, Op. 17 (c. 1860)
• Two Mazurkas caractéristiques, Op. 19 (1860?)
• Études-Caprices for Two Violins, Op. 18 (1862)
• Fantaisie orientale in A minor, Op. 24 (1862?)
• Fantaisie brillante sur des motifs de l'opéra 'Faust' de Gounod, Op. 20 (c. 1865)
• Polonaise brillante in A major, Op. 21 (c. 1870)
• Souvenir de San Francisco (c. 1874)
• Violin Concerto No. 2 in D minor, Op. 22
• Gigue in E minor, Op. 23
• Kujawiak in C major
• Polonaise triomphale
• Rêve in F-sharp minor for Viola and Piano