Zygmunt Stojowski - Violin Sonata no 2 in E-Major op 37

Zygmunt Stojowski - Druga sonata skrzypcowa
Composed in 1911

Violin: Piotr Plawner
Piano: Piotr Sałajczyk

0:00 - I. Allegro affettuoso
8:44 - II. Intermezzo: Poco vivace scherzando
12:04 - III. Arietta: Molto sostenuto
18:54 - IV. Allo giocoso

Bio
Zygmunt Stojowski (1870 - 1946) was a Polish composer born in Strzelce (which is near Kielce), who would be best known for his friendship with Ignacy Jan Paderewski and his promotion of the Polish cause abroad.

Stojowski would run through a gauntlet of incredible teachers beginning with Henryk Bobiński and Stanisław Dybowski among others in his youth. The Stojowski family moved to Kraków where took private lessons with Władysław Żeleński. His mother ran a music salon there, which is where he first met Ignacy Paderewski and Anton Rubinstein. After graduating in 1887, he moved to Paris to continue his musical education. There, he studied piano with Louis Diémer, composition with Léo Delibes, and harmony with Théodore Dubois. He consulted with Saint-Saëns and Jules Massenet, and he befriended Tchaikovsky and Brahms while in Paris. In 1891, he became a student of Ignacy Jan Paderewski.

After graduating from the Paris Conservatory, he toured and gave concerts in England, France, Belgium, Germany, and Poland. He won a prize for his Symphony in D-Minor in Leipzig, and continued with much success. Despite this, he decided to move to New York and stayed there until his death. He taught at the Institute of Musical Art (a precursor to the Juilliard School of Music) and then the Von Ende School of Music all while giving private lessons. He won a reputation as an effective musical teacher. While he was abroad, he never ceased supporting the Polish cause. He founded the Polish Institute of Arts and Letters and worked for the Kosciuszko Foundation while also writing articles.

In addition to music, he also studied philosophy and languages. He was fluent in English, German, Russian, French, Latin, and Ancient Greek in addition to his native Polish.

All of this is to say that Stojowski had a cosmopolitan education with influences pouring in from across Europe. In the face of such a deluge of influence, he never forgot his homeland. His friendship with Ignacy Jan Paderewski and his dedication to promoting Polish culture ensured that he would remain close to his roots stylistically while integrating fresh ideas from other schools of music.