Henryk Wieniawski

Lore & Background

Henryk Wieniawski was a Polish virtuoso violinist, composer, and pedagogue, regarded among the most distinguished violinists in history. He was born in Lublin to Wolf Helman, the son of a Jewish barber from the Wieniawa neighborhood; Helman later changed his surname to Wieniawski and converted to Catholicism, marrying Regina Wolff, the daughter of a noted Jewish physician. Wieniawski’s exceptional talent for the violin was recognized early, and at age eight he was admitted to the Paris Conservatoire under Lambert Massart, a special exception as he was neither French nor of the usual age. After graduating, he toured widely, often accompanied on piano by his brother Józef. His engagement to Isabella Hampton faced parental opposition, but his composition *Légende*, Op. 17 helped change their minds, and they married in 1860. In London, he played in the Beethoven Quartet Society and also performed on viola. At Anton Rubinstein’s invitation, he moved to St. Petersburg from 1860 to 1872, teaching violin and leading the Russian Musical Society’s orchestra and string quartet. He later toured the United States with Rubinstein and replaced Henri Vieuxtemps as violin professor at the Conservatoire Royal de Bruxelles in 1875. His health declined in Brussels, often forcing him to stop mid-concert. In 1879, he began a Russian tour but could not finish it; after a concert in Odessa, he was hospitalized. Nadezhda von Meck, Tchaikovsky’s patroness, took him into her home for medical care, and friends arranged a benefit concert for his family. He died in Moscow from a heart attack and was buried in Warsaw’s Powązki Cemetery. Wieniawski wrote important violin works, including two technically demanding concertos, the second in D minor being more frequently performed. His *L’École moderne: 10 Études-caprices*, Op. 10 is ranked just below the Paganini Caprices in difficulty. His bow hold, noted for a high right elbow and stiffened arm to produce a virtuosic staccato, became known as the “Wieniawski bow hold” and influenced the later “Russian bow hold” popularized by Leopold Auer. The first violin competition named after him took place in Warsaw in 1935, and the International Henryk Wieniawski Violin Competition has been held every five years since 1952.

Reader's Guide

Henryk Wieniawski's significance lies in his dual legacy as a virtuoso performer and composer of essential violin repertoire. His two violin concertos, particularly the second in D minor, remain staples of the concert stage. His Op. 10 L'École moderne: 10 Études-caprices are ranked just below the difficulty of Paganini's Caprices. His bow hold, noted for a high right elbow and index finger pressure above the second joint, became a trademark of the Russian bow hold later popularized by Leopold Auer. His daughter Régine, who composed under the pseudonym Poldowski, and his brother Józef and nephew Adam Tadeusz were also accomplished musicians.

Did You Know?

• Wieniawski's bow hold, with a high right elbow and index finger pressure above the second joint, became a trademark of the Russian bow hold.
• His daughter Régine composed under the pseudonym Poldowski.