Zygmunt Noskowski - Symphony no. 2 in C minor "Elegiac" (Borowicz)

Druga Symfonia Zygmunta Noskowskiego - C-Moll "Elegijna" Conductor: Łukasz Borowicz Orchestra: Polish Radio Symphony Orchestra 0:03 - I. Elegijna: Moderato mysterioso - Allegro molto 9:26 - II. Vivace - Poco tranquillo 16:30 - III. Elegja: Andante molto sostenuto 26:19 - IV. Finale: "Per aspera ad astra!", Poco adagio - Moderato mysterioso Zygmunt Noskowski was born on the 2nd of May, 1846. At the time of his birth, Poland was divided between Austria, Prussia, and the Russian Empire. Conditions were difficult for Polish artists due to censorship and general repression of Polish culture. Noskowski himself was a witness of a pogrom against the "manifestations of patriotism" (pogrom manifestacji patriotycznej) conducted by Russian soldiers on the 27th of February 1861 in Warsaw. After witnessing the events, he traveled to Kraków and visited the Tatra mountains. According to Wikipedia, the combination of these events influenced the rest of his creative output. The sights of the mountains and the beauty of Kraków juxtaposed with the foreign oppression that he saw could not be discounted easily, given that he later joined the January Uprising after his father's death in 1863. After the Uprising was defeated, Noskowski studied at the Musical Institute of Warsaw under Apolinary Kątski and Stanisław Moniuszko. Later, he moved to the German city of Konstanz to instruct the Bodan Choral Society. The stability of his work enabled him to focus on composing. It was here that he produced the breathtaking Piano Quartet (op.8 - 1879) and this Symphony. Noskowski's 2nd Symphony was not published under an opus number, but the director of the Warsaw music society, Władysław Żeleński, invited Noskowski to Warsaw to perform the 2nd Symphony along with his characteristic overture Morskie Oko. The concert was not well attended, but it achieved critical success. Noskowski garnered a good reputation in the Warsaw music community following the concert. His reputation enabled him to become the next director of the Warsaw Music Society. From then on, he taught most of the significant composers in the next generation in Polish music: Różycki, Szymanowski, Karłowicz, etc. Information regarding the work itself is rare. I did not find many academic studies on its structure or its character. I could not even find a concrete dedication. That begs the question: "Whom is the symphony elegizing?" In the absence of a concrete figure, the historical context of the Symphony's composition seems the best starting point for speculation. it seems that Noskowski could be elegizing a particular friend who died in the pogrom or the January Uprising. Noskowski's father died several years before the composition, so he makes an excellent candidate. Although, it could just as easily be elegizing a figure not encountered in Noskowski's short, glossed-over biographies. It is possible that Noskowski meant to be enigmatic given the amount of times that we see the marking "mysterioso." The lack of concrete primary source evidence may suggest a more abstract subject. Some evidence points to the symphony elegizing Poland itself. One program from 1883 calls the whole symphony "Ojczyzna" (Fatherland) and gives programmatic titles to the movements: 1. Naród w niewoli [The nation in bondage]; 2. Nadzieje i wezwanie do walki [Hope and call to the arms]; 3. Elegia poległym bohaterom [Elegy on the fallen heros]. 4. ‘Per aspera ad astra!’ [Unchanged from the score] Stefan Keym asks the question whether this later interpolation was a "publicity strategy" or if it legitimately hints at a "patriotic message embedded in the score." [1] Keym's structural analysis identifies the patriotic elements embedded in the Symphony itself, but they cannot provide a definitive answer within themselves because most of the individuals that Noskowski would elegize were tied up in some form of patriotism be it artistic or on the field of battle. One thing is clear: this symphony has been neglected for far too long and deserves more academic attention and investigation. There are many mysteries and curiosities embedded in this wonderful and, at times, heart-wrenching work. [1] Keym, Stefan. "The Tradition of ‘per aspera ad astra’ in Polish Symphonic Music from Zygmunt Noskowski to Karol Szymanowski." Muzyka 54, Nr. 3-4, p. 21-44. 2009. Available: https://www.academia.edu/48909977/The...