The Underestimated Cello Concertos: Historical, Stylistic and Compositional Comparison of the Two Cello Concertos of Feliks Nowowiejski and Grazyna Bacewicz

Abstract

Feliks Nowowiejski (1877-1946), a Polish composer whose name is synonymous with Polish patriotic music, including the country’s second unofficial anthem, contributed to the twentieth-century cello repertoire with his Concerto for Cello and Orchestra in E Minor, op.55. Except for Jan Maklakiewicz’s Cello Concerto on Gregorian Themes, Nowowiejski’s composition was the first known significant Polish cello concerto written in the twentieth century. Composed right before World War II, the concerto represents the neoclassical style of Nowowiejski’s last years. Grażyna Bacewicz (1909-1969), known for her violin compositions and string quartets, was a major representative of the Polish neoclassical style. Her Cello Concerto no.1, composed several years after World War II, represents the neoclassical style following the oppressive restrictions of the communist government. This document will explore and analyze these two concertos through the prism of the composers' experiences and influences. It also means to compare the concertos through a historical, stylistic, and compositional perspective. The Nowowiejski concerto has as of yet not received much attention. There is no publication of the composition, nor are there any recordings. The author of this document’s utmost hope is that this will change as more study is devoted to the life and compositions of this Warmian composer.