Walentynowicz, Władysław (1902-1999)
Trio for Reeds/Trio Stroikowe (7:42) Sopot, 1952 Publisher: PWM (c1981)
All in Harmony/Wspólnie zgodnie
In Waltz Time/W rytmie walca
Conversation/Rozmowa
Merry March/Zabawny Marsz
Instrumentation: oboe, clarinet, bassoon
In his writing about music Walentynowicz often credits pleasure as a primary feeling for creating, performing and listening. He states that when there is pleasure in listening, then there is more likelihood of listening to something new twice. The “Trio stroikowe”, received a distinction at the chamber music composition competition in 1971 in Gdańsk. Like many of Walentynowicz’s works it was most likely written for educational purposes.
Walentinowicz’s trio is true to the composer’s values – it is pleasurable to perform and to listen to. He writes the trio in classical forms with a traditional major-minor tonal approach. It is characterized by clear texture and balance between the voices. The title of each movement suggests the character or style.
The first movement, “All in Harmony”, is written in ABA form with the melody in the clarinet and oboe, and constant accompaniment in the bassoon. It quotes a Polish song sung by Polish scouts which is titled “Płonie ognisko i szumią knieje”, (“The fireplace is burning and there is a wind in the trees”). The second movement showcases all the instruments exchanging the waltz melody with a short graceful cadenza in the clarinet. The third movement, called the “Conversation”, is a true through-composed conversation between the three instruments showcasing the soloistic attributes of each. The last movement is scored equally for all the instruments, with all having melodies, and it also takes advantage of the bassoon’s light and comic side by the use of staccato ostinatos.
Grade: III-IV
Recordings: From Shadow to Light, Sonora Winds Label: MSR
Sheet music source: pwm.com.pl, sheetmusicplus.com, trevcomusic.com
Władysław Walentynowicz
Born in Yaransk, Russia on August 24, 1902 and died in Sopot on March 25, 1999.
He was a composer, pianist, educator and promoter of musical life in Gdańsk. Born in Russia into a Noble Polish family he started music lessons with his mother. From 1923-30 he studied at the Warsaw Conservatory majoring in piano, theory and composition. His composition teacher was Kazimierz Sikorski. From 1925 he worked as a piano accompanist for the radio station in Warsaw and for the Warsaw Philharmonic. From 1931 he taught at the Collegioum Musicum, which he founded. He performed in concerts and created music programs for the organization. After the war, from 1945 he lived in Sopot.
In the summer of 1945, he established the Gdańsk Institute of Music, which enabled him to open up elementary-level music schools to prepare students for the Gdańsk Music Conservatory. From 1949 he lectured at the PWSM in Sopot and in 1951-52 he was the rector. From 1952 until 1972 he was the Dean of the Instrumental Department. Walentynowicz was also involved in arranging numerous concerts in which he often played as a pianist. He also organized the Polish Composer Union and a copyright organization in Gdańsk. In all, he composed approximately 130 works.
In Walentynowicz’s music, we hear classical, traditional forms, and elements of mood, romanticism and folklore. A sizeable amount of his compositions were written for educational purposes.