Eternal songs

In Fantasia Op. 20 Wieniawski chose to use a variety of thematic material from Gounod's opera Faust, but avoided the most popular passages. As a result, three thematic spheres can be detailed: romantic, demonic and dance. They make up a four-part whole, in which the narrative is built on the contrasts of expression and pace. The composer masterfully used his virtuosity to emphasize the variability of moods, while contributing to the development of violin technique. Fantasia, although initially not met with enthusiastic reception, remains to this day one of Wieniawski's most played works.

His 2nd Violin Concerto in D minor, Op.22, which is characterized by a strong internal differentiation, is also very popular. It manifests itself both in the variability of mood and character. It contains virtuosic passages, but also calmer, allowing the soloist to show the richness of interpretation. The depth of expression is intertwined with showiness and showiness, creating an extremely colorful whole. Thanks to this combination, the piece is one of Wieniawski's most popular works and has a permanent place in the repertoire of the most respected artists.

Brahms rejected Paganini's signature solo concerto model and followed the Bonn master not only by adopting Beethoven's key in D major and keeping the first part of the Violin Concerto in a reliable sonata form, but above all by a thematic austerity worthy of Beethoven. Dedicated to the composer's longtime friend Joseph Joachim, the work slowly introduces thematic material, expanding it from the naked unison in the first bars to the brilliant displays of the soloist, which then give way to the extremely lyrical theme of the second. After the term, the soloist rises higher and higher above the orchestra, reaching the highest ceiling just before the return of the main tempo. Nevertheless, the Concerto was received with considerable controversy, and many prominent violinists refused to perform the piece due to the specific nature of the solo part — although even they could not deny that it was a work of value.

The program of Karłowicz's Eternal Songs tells more about feelings and events inevitable in the life of every person than about the experiences of a specific lyrical subject. The unusual three-part structure consists of three songs: about eternal longing, about love and death, and about omnipresence. The entire program of the symphonic poem is actually derived only from these titles; the rest was left to the conjecture of the composer himself and the recipient, whom he leads in metaphysical yet melancholic reflection by the richness of motifs and Karłowicz's magnificent melodic invention.

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