Grażyna Bacewicz’s Concerto for String Orchestra
We performed Grażyna Bacewicz‘s Concerto for String Orchestra with conductor Zachary Schwartzman in a physically-distanced, livestreamed concert from the Fisher Center at Bard on October 17, 2020. In his notes on the piece, TŌN violist Sean Flynn says the Concerto “is considered to be the composer’s finest work” and that it is “accessible to even a first-time listener while still holding many surprises and ear-catching moments.” Noting that the composer’s background as an accomplished violinist allowed her to write very technical string parts, he says “Bacewicz asks a lot of the players of this piece . . . mak[ing] for an intense but endlessly exciting playing experience, but I am sure that this intensity and excitement will be felt by listeners as well.” You can read his full concert notes on the work by clicking here.