Album guide
Jazzing The Classics - Live
- Composers
- Paganini; Mozart; Dvořák; Saint-Saëns; Joplin; Wieniawski; Dinicu; Kreisler
- Released
- 1999
- Label
- Chamber Sound
- Forces
- Violin, Piano
- Personnel
- Wiesława Szymczyńska violin, Hubert Szymczyński piano
Wieśka and Hubert Szymczyński brought markedly different musical histories to their partnership. She trained as a classical violinist in Poznań and Moscow and spent fifteen years as concertmaster of the Swedish chamber orchestra Musica Vitae. Hubert’s career had already moved through jazz, popular music, cabaret, arranging and several instruments before the couple established their Chamber Sound label in Sweden.
The live violin-and-piano setting leaves every change of direction exposed. Their joint arrangements preserve the brilliance and bite of the original violin writing, while Hubert’s piano can supply harmony, bass movement and rhythmic momentum without a separate rhythm section.
Hear both
The classical side contains only the source pieces used on the album, in album order. The jazz side presents the complete album whenever a dependable copy can be embedded.
The listening queues above follow the same order. The classical player omits tracks that are not based on a classical original.
Spotify’s player is here for convenience; the full track listing below remains available to everyone.
Source works
The album’s complete track listing, with each classical source identified and original compositions marked plainly.
- Violin Concerto No. 2 in B Minor, Op. 7, MS 48: III. Rondo a la clochette, “La campanella”Paganini: Violin Concerto No. 2 in B minor, Op. 7: III. Rondo ‘La campanella’
- Serenade No. 7 in D Major, K. 250, “Haffner”: IV. RondoMozart: Serenade No. 7 in D major, K. 250 ‘Haffner’: IV. Rondo, in Kreisler’s arrangement for violin and piano
- Slavonic Dances, Series 1, Op. 46, B. 83: No. 2 in E MinorDvořák: Slavonic Dance in E minor, Op. 72 No. 2, in Kreisler’s arrangement
- Introduction et rondo capriccioso, Op. 28Saint-Saëns: Introduction et rondo capriccioso, Op. 28
- SolaceJoplin: Solace – A Mexican Serenade
- 2 Mazurkas, Op. 19: No. 1, ObertassWieniawski: Mazurka, Op. 19 No. 1 ‘Obertass’
- Hora StaccatoDinicu: Hora staccato, in Heifetz’s arrangement for violin and piano
- The Easy WinnersJoplin: The Easy Winners
- LiebesfreudKreisler: Liebesfreud, from Alt-Wiener Tanzweisen
- The Happy Ending: What Are You Doing the Rest of Your LifeNon-classical source
- KujawiakWieniawski: Kujawiak in A minor
- You Are My VitaminNon-classical source
- Dark EyesNon-classical source