Paul Kletzki

Paul Kletzki (born Paweł Klecki; 21 March 1900 – 5 March 1973) was a Polish conductor and composer.

Biography

Born in Łódź, Kletzki joined the Łódź Philharmonic at the age of fifteen as a violinist.

Kletzki's most notable work is his Third Symphony, completed in October 1939, with the subtitle 'In memoriam'. It is an elegiac work interpreted as a moving monument to the victims of Nazism. Other works include three string quartets, a Sinfonietta for strings, a Fantasy for piano, and a sonata for violin and piano. From 1942 onwards Kletzki wrote no more compositions; he argued that Nazism had destroyed his spirit and his will to compose.

Recordings Piano Chamber Music, Magdalena Kling-Fender (violin); Łukasz Błaszczyk (violin); Robert Fender (cello); Adam Manijak (piano). DUX 0974 (2014) Piano Concerto in D minor, op.22 (1930), Joseph Banowetz (piano), Russian Philharmonic Orchestra/Thomas Sanderling. NAXOS 8.572190 (2010) String Quartets nos. 1 (1923), 2 (1925) and 3 (1931), Bacewicz String Quartet. Prelude Classics PCL2501000 (2026) Symphony No. 2 in G minor, op. 18 (1926) and Sinfonia, op. 28 (1928), Mariusz Godlewski (baritone), Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra/Thomas Rösner. MUSIQUES SUISSES MGBCD6289 (2017) Violin Concerto (1928), Robert Davidovici (violin), Royal Philharmonic Orchestra/Grzegorz Nowak. RPO SP045 (2017)

Compositions Genre Opus Date Title Scoring Notes Orchestral 1921 Overture to A Florentine Tragedy by Oscar Wilde Orchestra Won first prize in a composition competition sponsored by the Warsaw Philharmonic, lost. Chamber 1 1923 String Quartet in A minor String quartet Vocal 2 Four Songs Voice and piano Vocal 3 Three Night Songs Voice and piano Piano 4 1923 Three Preludes Piano Orchestral 7 1923 Sinfonietta String orchestra Piano 9 1924 Fantasie in C minor Piano Chamber 12 1925 Violin Sonata in D major Violin and piano Chamber 13 1925 String Quartet No. 2 in C minor String quartet Orchestral 14 1926 Vorspiel zu einer Tragödie Orchestra Chamber 16 1924 Trio in D major Piano, Violin and cello Orchestral 17 1927 Symphony No. 1 Orchestra Orchestral 18 1928 Symphony No. 2 Baritone and orchestra 4th movement setting of a poem by Sung in German; English translation "Sleep, Sleep, O World" Concertante 19 1928 Violin Concerto in G Violin and orchestra Orchestral 20 1929 Orchestervariationen Orchestra Chamber 21 1930 Introduction and Rondo Violin and piano Concertante 22 1930 Piano Concerto in D minor Piano and orchestra Published in 2 piano 4-hand version, orchestrated by John Norine Jr. Chamber 23 1931 String Quartet No. 3 in D minor String quartet Orchestral 24 1931 Capriccio Large orchestra Orchestral 25 1932 Konzertmusik Solo winds, strings and timpani Violin 26 1933 Sonata for Violin Solo Solo violin Chamber 28 1932 Octet Orchestral 30 1938 Lyric Suite Orchestra Orchestral 31 1939 Symphony No. 3 ("In memoriam") Orchestra Chamber 32 Trio Flute, violin and viola Orchestral 33 1940 Variations sur un thème de Émile Jaques-Dalcroze String orchestra Concertante 34 1940 Flute Concertino Flute and orchestra Piano 1940/41 Three Unpublished Piano Pieces Piano Chamber 1943 String Quartet No. 4 String quartet Rediscovered, premiered by Merel String Quartet