Gigue

Polish violinist Henryk (Henri) Wieniawski toured the USA with Anton Rubinstein at the beginning of the 1870s and gave 215 concerts in just the first eight months there – an enormous and exhausting undertaking. Having returned to Europe, he took over violin teaching from Henri Vieuxtemps at the Brussels Conservatoire before returning to touring as a virtuoso performer. The strains of many years on tour took their toll, however: from 1874-1877 the musician became increasingly unwell and died in Moscow in 1880. Wieniawski carried on the virtuoso tradition of Niccolò Paganini. After starting lessons at home in Poland, he performed outstandingly well in the entrance examination for the Conservatoire in Paris in 1843; he gave his début concert performance there in 1848, followed by five highly acclaimed concerts in St Petersburg. Vieuxtemps was impressed by the thirteen-year old child prodigy. Besides two violin concertos Wieniawski chiefly wrote pieces for piano and violin - for his own use. This Gigue is actually a Bourrée, for it is not in the characteristic 6/8 time but Alla breve, beginning in the minor key without accompaniment, harking back to the Baroque Bourrée movements in Bach’s solo Partitas. A playful major section with drone-like accompaniment follows before a recapitulation of the opening. This is an unusual piece for this composer. Plate nos. 02783 (piano part) and 02782 (violin part), published in 1911.