Although a few Polish violinists achieved European renown at the turn of the 18th and 19th centuries, the position of the greatest Polish virtuosos, active in the 19th century – Karol Lipiński and Henryk Wieniawski – can only be compared to that achieved earlier by Feliks Janiewicz. The young years of the Vilnius-born musician still hide many secrets. We know that he travelled to various cultural centres of Europe – Warsaw, Vienna, Paris and Italian cities. Finally, in 1792, Janiewicz came to the British Isles, where he achieved great success as a virtuoso and stayed until his death.
His two violin concertos date back to the British period and will be performed by Bartłomiej Nizioł at the National Forum of Music, accompanied by the Wrocław Baroque Orchestra conducted by Andrzej Kosendiak. When it comes to his compositions, Janiewicz should actually be considered self-taught. Yet he proved a masterful composer in his late Classical style. Andrzej Sitarz – a leading researcher of his work – particularly appreciates his ability to shape the form of compositions: the clarity of the musical texture and a clear tonal and thematic plan of the works. You can also look at Janiewicz as a talented melodist – some of the themes he wrote are as expressive as those created many years later by Felix Mendelssohn.
The natural context for Janiewicz’s work is the oeuvre of Joseph Haydn. They were both active in a similar environment, and Haydn may have even given him composition lessons. Janiewicz was brought to England by the same impresario who persuaded his alleged teacher to come to London – Johann Peter Salomon. In Paris, the Pole performed, among others, at the concerts of the Concert de la Loge Olympique society – the one that commissioned the so-called Paris symphonies from Haydn. The famous collection from 1785 includes the Symphony in G minor, Hob. I:83 “La poule”, which will precede the performance of the two concertos by the great Polish violin virtuoso.