Grażyna Bacewicz and Her Contributions to the Cello Repertoire

GRAŻYNA BACEWICZ AND HER CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE CELLO REPERTOIRE Klaudia Jarosz, DMA University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2020 Advisor: Dr. Karen Becker Grażyna Bacewicz was one of the most prolific female performers and composers from Poland. Her violin playing and colorful compositional language brought her widespread recognition throughout Europe. This document explores the history of Poland before and during her lifetime and the ways this informed her work. Pertinent biographical information along with highlights of her compositional output and achievements are included. The bulk of this project focuses on her works written for the cello. Three of these compositions (Kaprys Polski, Taniec Mazowiecki, and Sonata da camera) were originally written for the violin and are transcribed by various Polish cellists and pedagogues. The last two pieces analyzed in this document are original cello concertos. In my analysis, I focus on the formal, textural, harmonic, motivic, and sequential aspects of Bacewicz’s compositions. A close study of these five works sheds light on her overall compositional language and its evolution. In addition, I highlight some of the technical and pedagogical challenges represented in her music to serve as a performance and teaching guideline for cellists