Witold Friemann (-1929)

Witold Friemann (20 August 1889 in Konin – 22 March 1977 in Laski) was a Polish composer, pianist, conductor and pedagogue. He was very prolific and composed more than 350 Opuses, most of which remain inedited.

Compositions

Stage

* ''Giewont'', musical drama (''dramat muzyczny''; libretto by Kazimierz Brończyk; 1927–1929, 1934)
* ''Kain'', opera (1952)
* ''Kasia'', baśń operowa (1955)
* ''Bazyliszek (legenda warszawska)'', vaudeville (1958)

Vocal

* Psalm VIII for soloists, chorus and orchestra, text by Jan Kochanowski (1910)
* Psalm XXX for soloists, chorus and orchestra, text by Jan Kochanowski (1921)
* Psalm XC for chorus, text by Jan Kochanowski (1922)
* ''Suita podhalańska'' for baryton solo and string orchestra (1946/1950)
* ''Polskie misterium ludowe'' for soloists, mixed chorus and piano, text by Maria Konopnicka (1946)
* ''4 suity mazowieckie'' for soloists, mixed chorus and orchestra (1948–51)
* ''Spod Warszawy'' for soloist, mixed chorus and orchestra (1949)
* ''Cień Chopina'' for baryton, piano and orchestra, text by Kazimierz Przerwa-Tetmajer (1949)
* ''Rapsod mazowiecki'' for soloist, mixed chorus and orchestra (1950)
* ''Pacem in terris'' (pro memoria Joannes XXIII, Op.253, for mixed chorus and orchestra (1963)
* ''Cudne oczy'' (second version) for soprano (or tenor) and orchestra (1967)
* ''Litania o zjednoczenie chrześcijan'', Op.316, for mixed chorus and orchestra (1969)
* ''Litania o zjednoczenie ludzkości'', Op.318, for soprano, tenor, baryton, bass, female, male and mixed choruses and orchestra (1969)
* ''Cudne oczy'' (third version) for soprano (or tenor) and orchestra (1970)
* ''Równy krok'' for mixed chorus and orchestra (1971)
* ''Piosenka o Koninie'' for mixed chorus a cappella (1971)
* ''Didache'' for chorus and piano (1974)
* ''Hymn dla Polski'' for chorus and piano (1976)

Orchestral

* ''Konrad Wallenrod'', symphonic poem (1908)
* ''Inwokacja'' for 12 winds and timpani (1926)
* Funeral march (1928)
* Symphony No. 1 ''Słowiańska'' (1948)
* Symphony No. 2 ''Sinfonietta Mazowiecka'' (1950)
* ''2 suity chłopskie'' (1952)
* Symphony No. 3 (1953)
* ''Suita mazowiecka'' (1956)

Concertant

* Piano Concerto No. 1 ''Koncert-fantazja'', Op.16 (1910-1913)
* ''Cień Chopina'', fantasy for piano and orchestra, Op.77 (1937)
* Cello Concerto (1950)
* Piano Concerto No. 2 (1951)
* Piano Concerto No. 3 (1952)
* Viola Concerto No. 1, Op.175 (1952)
* Violin Concerto (1954)
* Piano Concerto No. 4 (1956)
* Clarinet Concerto No. 1 (1960)
* Oboe Concerto ''Concerto lirico'' (1961)
* Clarinet Concerto No. 2 (1961)
* Concerto for soprano and orchestra (1961)
* Concerto for 2 pianos solo (1962)
* Piano Concert No. 5 ''Concerto impetuoso'' (1963)
* Flute Concerto (1963)
* Bassoon Concerto (1963)
* Concertino for 2 pianos solo (1963)
* Concerto for tenor trombone and orchestra No. 1 ''Concerto eroico'' (1966)
* Horn Concerto, for French horn in F and orchestra (1966–68)
* Trumpet Concerto (1967)
* Viola Concerto No. 2, for viola solo, string orchestra, timpani and cymbals (1968)
* Concerto for 2 bassoons and orchestra (1968)
* Concerto for tenor trombone and orchestra No. 2 (1969)
* Concerto for bass trombone and orchestra (1969–70)
* Double bass Concerto, Op.329 (1970)
* ''Cztery pieśni rycerskie'', Concertino for viola and harp with flute, oboe, clarinet, 2 bassoons, contrabassoon and percussion (1970)
* ''Tańce polskie'' for clarinet and orchestra (1975)

Chamber

* Violin Sonata No. 1 ''Sonata polska'' (1912)
* Elegy for cello and piano (1913)
* Nokturne for violin and piano (1921)
* Romance for violin and piano (1922)
* ''Opowieść wschodnia'' for oboe, violin, cello and piano (1931)
* String Quartet No. 1 ''Rapsod śląski'' (1932)
* Prelude for cello and piano (1933)
* ''4 pieśni rycerskie'', suite for viola and harp or piano (1935)
* ''Suita antica'' for violin and piano (1935)
* Viola Sonata (1935)
* Mazurek for violin and piano (1939)
* Oberek for violin and piano (1939)
* 3 pieces for viola and piano (1940–47)
* String Quartet No. 2 (1942)
* Piano Quintet No. 1, with clarinet (1943)
* Violin Sonata No. 2 (1947)
* 2 Romances for violin and piano (1947)
* Clarinet Sonata No. 1 ''Quasi una sonata'' (1949)
* ''Polska suita'' for violin and piano, in A major (1950)
* String Quartet No. 3 (1953)
* Wind Trio (1953)
* Suite for clarinet and piano (1953)
* Piano Quintet No. 2 (1954)
* Piano Quartet (1954)
* Prelude for violin and piano, in G minor (1954)
* Clarinet Sonata No. 2 (1959)
* Clarinet Sonata No. 3 ''Romantica'' (1959)
* ''Polska suita'' for flute and piano (1964)
* 3 Mazurkas for violin and piano (1954)
* Improvisation for tenor trombone (1966)
* ''Taniec śląski'' for violin and piano (1967)
* ''I Suita kontemplacyjna'' (Contemplative suite No. 1) for trombone and piano (1968)
* ''Polonez majestatyczny'' for tuba and piano (1969)
* ''Danse a l’antique'' for flute and piano (1970)
* ''Myśli'' for viola and piano (1971)
* Choral for 4 trombones (1972)
* Suite for 4 trombones and bass drum (1972)
* Improvisation and Polonaise for clarinet and piano (1973)
* Nocturne for cello and piano, in G major (1974)
* ''Andante molto'' for clarinet and piano, in F major (1974)
* Mazurek for viola and piano, in G minor (1975)
* Suite for 4 trombones (1976)
* 2 pieces for 3 trombones (1976)
* ''Kiedy ranne wstają zorze'' for 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, contrabassoon, timpani and cymbals (1976)
* ''Duet-romanza'' for 2 trombones (1976).

Piano solo

* ''Smutna opowieść'' (1910)
* ''Suita staroświecka'' (1927)
* Etude in seconds, Op.53 (1928)
* ''Opowieść morska'' (1943)
* Introduction and ballade (1948)
* 18 Miniatures, Op.154 (1950)
* ''50 miniatur dwugłosowych'' (1966)
* ''50 utworów romantycznych: preludia, mazurki'' (1966)
* ''Quasi Notturno'' (1969)
* ''Preludium tragiczne'' (1969)
* Romance and ''Vita dolorosa'' (1975)
* ''Pensées tres tristet'' (1976)
* Mazurkas, more than 160
* Preludes, more than 180

Organ

* ''Muzyka w czasie Mszy św.'' (1944)

Songs with piano

* ''Anioł'', song for voice and piano, text by Michail Lermontov (1909)
* ''Modlitwa'', song for voice and piano, text by Leopold Staff (1913)
* ''Pieśń czerkieska'', song for voice and piano, text by Michail Lermontov (1922)
* ''Zwycięstwo'', song for voice and piano, text by Rabindranath Tagore (1925)
* ''Cudne oczy'', song for voice and piano, text by Kazimierz Przerwa-Tetmajer (1928)
* ''Pamiętam ciche, jasne, złote dnie'', song for voice and piano, text by Kazimierz Przerwa-Tetmajer (1928)
* ''Noc majowa'', song for voice and piano, text by Kazimierz Przerwa-Tetmajer (1928)
* ''Chanson d’automne'', song for voice and piano, text by Paul Verlaine (1933)
* ''Cudne oczy'' (first version) for soprano (or tenor) and piano (1967)
* ''Gwiazdy w twych włosach'' for tenor (or soprano) and piano (1969)
* ''Przez dżungle i puszcze'' for tenor (or mezzo-soprano) and piano (1969)
* ''Dwa'' for tenor (or mezzo-soprano) and piano (1969)

Further reading

* L. Markiewicz. ''O Witoldzie Friemannie''. RM, vii/12 (1963), 6–7
* W. Bogdany. ''Rękopisy muzyczne Witolda Friemanna''. Biuletyn informacyjny Biblioteki Narodowa (1967), no.4, pp. 29–32
* A. Nowak. ''Witold Friemann romantyk XX wieku''. RM, xxii/11 (1978), 3–5
* A. Mitscha. ''Witold Friemann: życie i twórczość''. Zeszyty naukowe cademia muzyczna, Katowice xvii (1980)
* A. Nowak. ''Witold Friemann: twórca liryki wokalnej''. RM, xxiv/6 (1980), 3–4

External links

An article by Elżbieta Szczepańska-Malinowska in Encyklopedia muzyczna PWM

An article by Marta Kotas

An article by Małgorzata Kosińska

A performance of ''Trombone Concerto No. 2''

{{DEFAULTSORT:Friemann
Polish composers
20th-century Polish pianists
People from Konin
1889 births
1977 deaths
Recipients of the Medal of the 10th Anniversary of the People's Republic of Poland