George Enescu

Born: August 19, 1881 in Liveni-Virnav, Romania
Died: May 4, 1955 in Paris

Scherzo à la russe

• Composed: 1901
  
• Premiere: March 8, 1903 in Bucharest, conducted by the composer
• CSO Notable Performances: 
  • First: December 1912, Ernst Kunwald conducting.
  • Most Recent: February 1957, Thor Johnson conducting, as well as on several Parks, Riverbend and Pops concerts since then.
  • Notable: April 1948, George Enescu conducting; in 1988, the Cincinnati Pops recorded the work for its 1988 release, Symphonic Spectacular, Erich Kunzel conducting.
• Instrumentation: 3 flutes (incl. piccolo, 2 oboes, English horn, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 4 horns, 2 trumpets, 2 cornets, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani, crash cymbals, snare drum, suspended cymbals, triangle, 2 harps, strings
• Duration: approx. 11 minutes

George Enescu, Romania’s greatest composer, was one of the most prodigiously gifted musicians of the 20th century. He began playing violin at age four, wrote his first compositions a year later and was admitted to the Vienna Conservatory when he was seven. He was already an accomplished violinist and composer by the time he moved to Paris, at age 14, to continue his studies with Massenet and Fauré. The first concert of his works was given in Paris in 1897; the next year he introduced the Poème roumain, which he counted as his Op. 1. 

During the years before World War I, Enescu’s career as violin soloist and chamber ensemble player flourished, he was much in demand as a conductor, and his compositions, especially the two Romanian Rhapsodies of 1901, carried his name into the world’s concert halls. Although he regarded himself as a cosmopolitan musician rather than as a strictly national one (he spent more time in Paris than in his homeland), Enescu had a decisive influence on the music of Romania. In his native country, he encouraged performances, wrote articles, lectured, conducted, taught and undertook research, and he also fostered interest in a national tradition of concert music by instituting the Romanian Composers’ Society and founding the Enescu Prize for original compositions. His work not only enhanced the world’s awareness of Romanian music, but he also gave that country’s composers and performers an unprecedented model and inspiration.

Enescu’s music shows a broad range of influences — alongside native folksong stand echoes of Wagner, Brahms, Strauss, Fauré, Debussy, Bach, Bartók and Stravinsky. It is the folk influence, however, that dominates the two Romanian Rhapsodies, the works for which Enescu is best known. Romania stands at the crossroads between the familiar cultures of Europe and the intoxicating milieus of the Middle East — its capital, Bucharest, is closer to Istanbul than to Vienna, closer to Cairo than to Paris. The country’s folk music is based largely on the traditions of the Romani, those peoples whose ancient ancestors were brought from the distant lands of Egypt and India centuries ago as servants to the Roman conquerors. This cultural heritage infused native Romanian music with a curious and fascinating East Asian aura that lends it a different character from the unaffected simplicity of the folk tunes of Britain, France and Germany — the strange movement of melodic tones, the fiery virtuosity and deep melancholy of the Romani fiddler, and a vibrant rhythmic vitality all recall its exotic origins. 

Enescu’s Romanian Rhapsodies are modeled in form and style on Franz Liszt’s Hungarian Rhapsodies. Based on indigenous tunes, the Romanian Rhapsody No. 1 is a work of high spirits and good cheer. The themes are presented episodically with little development. The first melody, a traditional drinking song with the straightforward title "I have a coin and I want a drink," is a perky ditty given by the clarinet and woodwinds. It is taken up by the strings and leads to the second theme, a slow dance in 6/8 meter with a sweeping figure in its first measure. This motive is succeeded by a languid phrase initiated by the violins. The slow dance, led this time by the solo viola, and the languid phrase return before a ponderous theme with an East Asian tinge is introduced. The last half of the work is a brilliant display of flashing orchestral sonority and leaping rhythmic vivacity. 

Enescu’s Romanian Rhapsody No. 1 is among the richest of musical treasures that sprang from the countries of Eastern Europe during the opening decades of 20th century.

—©Dr. Richard E. Rodda

*Note: New edition, corrected on the original manuscripts, edited by Stefan Diaconu, provided by Musica Coloris Edition."