Twardowski, Romuald
Twardowski, Romuald
Twardowski, Romuald, Polish composer and teacher; b. Vilnius, June 17, 1930. He was a student of Julius Juzeliunas (piano and composition) at the Vilnius State Cons. (1952-57), of Boleslaw Woytowicz (composition) at the State Higher School of Music in Warsaw (1957-60), and of Nadia Boulanger (Gregorian chant and medieval polyphony) in Paris (1963, 1966). In 1971 he became a prof, at the State Higher School of Music in Warsaw. He won 1stprize in the International Competition for Composers in Prague in 1965,1stprizes in the Prince Rainier III International Competition for Composers in Monaco in 1965 and 1973, and the awards of the West European Assn. of Choral Societies and of the Polish Composer’s Union in 1994.
Works
dramatic: Nagi ksiqźe (The Naked Prince), ballet-pantomime (1960; Warsaw, Sept. 19, 1964); Cyrano de Bergerac,opera (1962; Bytom, July 6,1963); Posqgi czarnoksieźnika (Rzezby mistrza Piotra) (The Sorcerer’s Statues [Sculptures of Master Peter]), ballet- pantomime (1963); Parabola (Parable), pantomime (1964); Tragedyja albo Rzecz o Janie i Herodzie (Tragedy or Story of John and Herod), opera- morality (1965; Lódź, April 26, 1969); Upadek ojea Suryna (The Fall of Father Suryn), radio musical drama (1969); Lord Jim,musical drama (1970-73); Maria Stuart,musical drama (1978); Historya o sw. Katarzynie (History of St. Catherine), musical morality (1981; Warsaw, Dec. 14, 1985). ORCH.: Suita w dawnym stylu (Suite in the Old Style; 1957); Mala symfonia (Little Sym.) for Piano, Strings, and Percussion (1959; Wroclaw, Nov. 25, 1964); Antifonefor 3 Orch. Groups (1961; Warsaw, Sept. 16, 1962); Nomopedia (1962); Oda (Ode) 64 (1964); Preludium, toccata i choral (1973; Bialystok, Nov. 28, 1974); Tryptyk Miriacki (Triptych of the Virgin Mary) for Strings (Toruń, Sept. 10,1973); Studium in a (1974; Warsaw, Sept. 21,1976); Dwa pejzaźe (Two Landscapes; 1975; Szczecin, Jan. 16, 1976); Capriccio in bluefor Violin and Orch. or Piano (1979); Piano Concerto (1984; Gdańsk, Sept. 13,1985); Fantazja hiszpańska (Spanish Fantasia) for Violin and Orch. (1985; Zielona GÓra, April 11, 1986; also for Violin and Piano); Trzy freski (Three Frescoes; 1986; Bydgoszcz, Sept. 1988); Wariacje symfoniczne na temat George’s Gershzvina (Symphonic Variations on a Theme by George Gershwin) for Percussion Solo and Orch. (1986; Krakow, Jan. 13,1987); Koncert staropolski (Old Polish Concerto) for Strings (1987); Album wtoski (Italian Album; 1989); Niggunimfor Violin and Orch. (KrakÓw, June 5, 1991; also for Violin and Piano); Cello Concerto (1995); Concerto brevefor Strings (1998; Warsaw, May 8, 1999). CHAMBER: Oberekfor Violin and Piano (1955); Mata suita (Little Suite) for Violin and Piano (1962); Na czterech strunach (On Four Strings) for Violin and Piano (1980); Maty tryptyk (Little Triptych) for Wind Quintet (1986; Warsaw, Sept. 27,1987); Trio for Violin, Cello, and Piano (1987); Wariacje litewskie (Lithuanian Variations) for Flute, Oboe, Clarinet, Horn, and Bassoon (1988; Poznań, April 2, 1989); Espressionifor Violin and Piano (1990; Warsaw, Dec. 9, 1991); Plejady (Pleiades) for Violin and Piano (Warsaw, Oct. 25, 1993); Trio mlodziezoe (Youngster Trio) for Violin, Cello, and Piano (1993); Inwokacja i capriccio (Invocation and Capriccio) for 2 Cellos (1996). Piano: Trzy miniatury (Three Miniatures; 1957); Mala sonata (Little Sonata; 1958); Capricci (1968); Improvvisazione e toccatafor 2 Pianos (1974; Poznan, April 25, 1977); Musica concertante (1980); Symfonie dzwonów (Bell Symphonies) I-III (1988-91; Warsaw, Oct. 26, 1992). VOCAL: PieŚń o bialym domu (Song About a White House), cantata for Chorus, 2 Pianos, and Percussion (1959); Cantus antiquifor Soprano, Harpsichord, Piano, and Percussion (1962); Psalmus 149for Chorus (1962; Warsaw, Feb. 23,1974); Mala liturgia prawosawna (Little Orthodox Liturgy) for Vocal Ensemble and 3 Instrumental Ensembles (1968); Oda do mlodości (Ode to Youth) for Reciter, Chorus, and Orch. (1969); Trzy sonety poźegnalne (Three Farewell Sonnets) for Bass-baritone and Chamber Orch. (Bydgoszcz, Sept. 14, 1971; also for Bass-baritone and Piano); Laudate Dominumfor 2 Choruses (1976); Sequentia de ss. Patronis Polonisfor Baritone, Chorus, and Instrumental Ensemble (1977); Joannes Rex,cantata for Baritone, Chorus, and Orch. (1983); Sonety Michala Aniola (Michelangelo’s Sonnets) for Baritone and Piano (1988; Warsaw, April 17,1989); Trzy sonety do Don Kichota (Three Sonnets to Don Quixote) for Bass-baritone and Piano (1990; Warsaw, Oct. 26,1991); Tu es Petrusfor Baritone, Chorus, and Orch. (Kraków, May 1991); Pieśni Maryjne (Songs for the Virgin Mary) for Soprano and Orch. (1993; Czestochowa, May 5, 1994); Canticum Canticorumfor Soprano, Flute, Clarinet, and Strings (1994; Czestochowa, May 1995); numerous choruses and many songs.
—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire