Composer

:

Karol Szymanowski

Genre

:

Chamber

Style

:

Chamber Music

Compose Date

:

1915

Average_duration

:

20:43

Movement_count

:

3

Movement ....

Karol Szymanowski's 'Myths (3), Op. 30' is a set of three pieces for violin and piano, composed in 1915. The work was premiered in Warsaw in the same year, with the composer himself on the piano and Paweł Kochański on the violin. The three movements of 'Myths' are titled 'La Fontaine d'Arethuse' (The Fountain of Arethusa), 'Narcisse' (Narcissus), and 'Dryades et Pan' (Dryads and Pan). Each movement is inspired by a different Greek mythological figure or theme. The first movement, 'La Fontaine d'Arethuse', is named after the nymph who was transformed into a fountain by the goddess Artemis to escape the advances of the river god Alpheus. The music is characterized by its fluidity and lyricism, with the violin and piano weaving in and out of each other's lines to create a sense of flowing water. The second movement, 'Narcisse', is named after the beautiful youth who fell in love with his own reflection and was transformed into a flower. The music is introspective and melancholic, with the violin playing long, expressive lines over a sparse piano accompaniment. The final movement, 'Dryades et Pan', is named after the woodland nymphs and the god of the wild, Pan. The music is lively and energetic, with the violin and piano trading off virtuosic passages and playful rhythms. Overall, 'Myths (3), Op. 30' is a highly expressive and evocative work that showcases Szymanowski's unique blend of impressionism, expressionism, and folk influences. It has become a staple of the violin repertoire and is widely regarded as one of the composer's most important works.

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