Spisak, Michał (1914-1965)
Duetto Concertante (14:00) Paris, 1949 Publisher: Ricordi Paris (c1956)
I. Lento
II. Allegro
III. Andante
IV. Allegro
Instrumentation: viola, bassoon
Spisak was a busy composer during the war and even busier after the war. Many times he would compose several pieces at the same time. He began the work on this duet while still composing his quintet.
In this Duet Concertante there is quite evident prominence of the bassoon. In each movement the bassoon has a greater soloistic presence than the viola. However, that doesn’t mean that the viola doesn’t shine. All four movements are built structurally in a closed form, with the thematic material present at the beginning of each movement coming back at the end. The mood of this piece is highly spirited except for the very contrasting third movement, which sheds the angular quality for a soulful tune played by the bassoon in the opening.
Advanced technique, range, and dynamic flexibility are required from both instrumentalists. Good attention to balance is important because there are times that the melodic line meanders between the voices.
Grade: V-VI
Recordings: Beck and Call, Crystal Records CD 846
Sheet music source: sheetmusicplus.com
Michał Spisak
Born in Dąbrowa Górnicza on December 14, 1914 and died in Paris on January 29, 1965.
He was a composer. From 1930 he studied at the Silesian Conservatory of Music majoring in violin and composition. From 1935-37, while studding at the Conservatory, he commuted to Warsaw to study with K. Sikorski. In 1937 he received the scholarship from Silesian Musicians Forum to study with Nadia Boulanger in Paris. In October of that year he joined Polish Composer Forum in Paris and soon after he became a vice president of that association. During the war he lived and composed in Voiron, France. In 1945 and 46 he received the Lili Boulanger Award.
In 1954 he won Premier Grand Prix composition competition in Brussels with his Serenade for orchestra. In 1955 he won a Grand Prix in the International Olympic Hymn Competition with his Olympic Hymn for Chorus and Orchestra. Premiere was performed in Monte Carlo and conducted by Nadia Boulanger. The piece was performed at 1955 Olympics and was a hymn until 1960. In 1957 he won Premier Grand Prix composition competition in Brussels with his Concerto Giocoso Per Orchestra Da Camera. In 1962 he won a 1st prize at the H. Wieniawski International Composer’s Competition in Poznań. Spisak’s compositional output is neoclassical. Spisak was very inspired by music of Stravinsky, Bartok, Hindemith, Bach, Mozart, Mahler. He wrote mostly instrumental music inspired by traditional forms and written in his concrete techniques and distinct character.