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Marek Strachowski's Recitativo e preghiera, written in 1999 and dedicated to the memory of his wife, exists in two versions: the original for solo cello and piano and another for solo cello and string orchestra. Both works are available from PWM Edition in published form (for cello and piano) and ou hire (full score and parts).
The composer's words, quoeted below and taken from the programme of the 12th Days of Cracow Composers' Music, when the work was performed in its second version, also apply to the original version on account of its common sound material, means of expression and the character of the work. In both versions the cello part is the same.
"Recitativo e preghiera for cello and string orchestra, composed at the end of last year is a very personal work. The inner need for meditation and relection on the last things dictated the simplicity of the compositional plan, which manifested itself in the extreme limitation of the use compositional techniques, especially in the main, prayerful part of the work following the introduction which is recitative - like in nature".

Lista utworów:
Recitativo e preghiera (Stachowski Marek)

Allegro de Sonate was followed by Grand Duo Polonais, another joint work by Henryk (Op. 8) and Józef (Op. 5) Wieniawski. Dedicated to Stanisław Moniuszko, the piece was composed c. 1851, during the grand Russian tour of the two young artists. The fantasy is based on two songs by the creator of the Polish national opera - the dumky Cossack and one of Moniuszko's most moving songs - Maciek. Motives from Alesky Wierstowski's Polonaise in G major from the then popular Russian opera Askold's Grave were used in the Finale. The construction of the whole is rather loose and the individual sections are linked with virtuosic cadenzas for violin or piano. The parts for both instruments are treated in a similar way, making high technical demands on both the violinist and the pianist. Grand Duo Polonais was a composition with which the Wieniawski brothers thrilled audiences of many countries. They had to repeat it many times, yielding to the demands of enthusiastic listeners, as was the case during concerts at the Wielki Theatre in Warsaw as well as Poznań and Cracow, among other places. Today the work is almost completely forgotten, perhaps because there is no one to play it in the same way as the two brothers of genius. [A. Cofalik]

Lista utworów:
Grand Duo Polonais (Wieniawscy Henryk i Józef)