Scordatura is a tuning of a string instrument, which is different than the standard one. It has been used for both plucked and string instruments since the 16th century and it was quite popular in the Baroque era, especially in the case of violins. Because of their specific tuning—based on the same intervals—it is possible to distinguish two types of violin scordatura. The first one relates to the situation when all strings are tuned up or down in the same interval relations. Such tuning is still based on fifths, but the pitches are different than using standard tuning, so it is called transpose scordatura. In the second one, each string is tuned up or down in different interval relation, in another direction or even only some of them are tuned in the unusual way. In this case, violin tuning is based on different intervals than fifths, usually on thirds and/or fourths, although sometimes there are three dissimilar intervals (thirds, fourths and fifths). The second type of scordatura was a very popular technique in the Baroque era and its functions were variable. The main of them were allowing to perform figures, which are impossible in standard tuning, especially double-notes and chords (technical aspect), and changing sound qualities of the instrument (sound aspect). It does not mean that scordatura was used only to achieve these goals. For example, it was sometimes used to imitate other instrument. There are certain examples of such a usage of this playing technique in the oldest (1679–1686) part of the collection of manuscripts connected with activity of Canonesses Regular of St Augustine in Wrocław (provenance St Anna in Arena). The scordatura can be found there in seven manuscripts, and in four of them it is possible that composers (or composer?) tried to assimilate the violin sound and/or technique with other instruments, such as viola, lute or trumpet.

The present article constitutes an introduction to the artistic profile of Austrian composer and piano virtuoso Joseph Woelfl. This forgotten creative personality left an artistic legacy of instrumental music, stage works, numerous orchestral compositions, piano concertos, a concerto for piano and violin, and a chamber concerto. Beyond this, he wrote numerous other chamber works scored for various ensembles; but above all, he created an array of works for solo piano or two pianos, as well as piano pieces of pedagogical character.

The artist was born on 24 December 1773 in Salzburg, where he began his musical education. In 1790, he left his hometown of Salzburg and, probably following in Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s footsteps, set out for Vienna. He did not remain there long, however, because in 1791, he was accepted for service to Prince Michał Kleofas Ogiński in Warsaw. The pianist-composer returned to Vienna probably ca 1795. He set out on his next conquest of European cities in 1799. This period of tours lasted until 1801. At this time he visited, among other cities, Prague, Leipzig, Berlin, Hamburg and Dresden. In 1801, he arrived in Paris, where he spent the next four years of his life. In 1805, he left the French capital and set out for London, where he remained until his death. He passed away on 21 May 1812.

In his intensive artistic career, Joseph Woelfl devoted himself mainly to piano performance and composition; beyond this, he also engaged in pedagogical activity. His abundant artistic output is nearly forgotten today, so it is worthwhile to remind a broader audience of this distinguished figure.

Although nowadays the output of Johann Baptist Schiedermayr is almost completely forgotten, in the 19th century the composer was widely recognized as an author of both sacred and secular music. His compositions were performed mostly in Central Europe, but it should be underlined that the preserved manuscripts display an impressive area in which he must have been known. There are thousands preserved sources that confirm his popularity in the past; therefore, it is disturbing as well as intriguing that Schiedermayr is usually overlooked by scholars investigating music of the early 19th century. In my paper, I present life of the composer, including existing literature that concerns this topic, and I make an attempt to reconstruct his output as hitherto no one have done it. It appears that  Johann Baptist Schiedermayr was well-educated and played a crucial role in the musical life of Linz at his time. Besides his achievements as a musician, conductor and teacher, he composed a vast variety of musical pieces, although he focused mostly on church music. Based on the studies done so far, we can assume that he created hundreds of compositions presenting his excellent compositional technique as well as musicality; many of them were also printed. Nevertheless. further research is absolutely necessary in order to broaden knowledge of this brilliant persona and his oeuvre.

This essay aims at discussing the problem of Felix Mendelssohn’s attitude towards different religions shown in his choral piece Responsorium et Hymnus Op. 121 for male choir with cello and double bass. Considering the arguments concerning composer’s self-identity provided by Jeffrey Sposato, we could interpret the Lutheran chorale appearing at the end of this Catholic liturgical work as means by which Mendelssohn tried to manifest his Lutheran faith and therefore to criticize Catholicism.

However, if we examine more carefully the very end of this composition, we would find that the musical material, characteristic for each faith, form a dialectical and dynamic relation. It seems that—instead of criticizing Catholicism—Felix showed the possibility and the necessity of different faiths to coexist, which, according to the idea of religious pluralism and tolerance proposed by composer’s grandfather, Moses Mendelssohn, is the only way to discover religious truth. At the end of this paper, I would like to propose that the reception history of Felix Mendelssohn’s work and life from the post-Wagnerian and anti-semitic criticism to so-called Mendelssohn Renaissance in the second half of 20th century also went through a dialectic course. We cannot fully understand and interpret them without taking a multi-aspect view.

The article focuses on the issues of difference and repetition, as defined by Gilles Deleuze, and their possible application to Arnold Schoenberg’s dodecaphonic work, Variations for Orchestra Op. 31. Although Schoenberg’s reflection on these problems comes from the earlier years than Deleuze’s, the correspondence of understanding the difference and repetition between them is striking. Two other terms by Deleuze and Guattari applied to the work are becoming and refrain. Repetition and refrain are associated with the representational moment in the work (motif B-A-C-H as a quote and as a type of refrain) while difference and becoming are associated with the anti-representational moment (dodecaphonic technique, developing variation technique, etc.).

Havergal Brian’s Symphony No. 1 in D minor (1919–1927), known as Gothic Symphony, is possibly one of the most demanding and difficult pieces in symphonic repertoire, the largest-scale symphony ever written, outdoing the most extreme demands of Mahler, Strauss and Schönberg. After the purely instrumental part 1, part 2 is a gigantic setting of Te Deum, inspired by the mighty Gothic cathedrals. This outstanding work has been performed only six times since its premiere in 1961, and has been recorded in studio only once. There are three existing phonographic realisations of this work. Two of them are live recordings made in England. The first of them comes from 1966, when the Symphony was recorded under the direction of Adrian Boult (it was released by the Testament label under catalogue number SBT2 1454) and the second one was made in 2011 under the baton of Martyn Brabbins (it was released in the same year under catalogue number CDA67971/2). The third recording, but the first one that has been available internationally, was made in Bratislava in 1989 under Ondrej Lenárd (it was first released by Marco Polo label in 1990, and later published by Naxos in 2004 under catalogue number 8.557418-19). Made with different orchestras and choirs, under very different sonic circumstances, they also differ considerably within interpretative ideas represented by conductors. They show Brian’s work in different ways, illuminating this composition. Sadly, despite their efforts, the composer’s output is still perceived as peripheral curiosity for connoisseurs.

In the second half of the twentieth century, music for children was enriched by the works of Jadwiga Szajna-Lewandowska (1912–1994). The Wrocław’s pianist, composer and pedagogue wrote most of her pieces for the youngest and thus the most sensitive recipient. The vast majority of her works is stage music for children, mainly ballet. In this category, Szajna-Lewandowska has no equal. She is the one of the rare composers who devoted most of their works to children. Her music for the youngest comprises not only stage works, but also compositions written for children as performers or listeners. Among them, there are instrumental, vocal-instrumental and choral pieces. Therefore, it can be claimed that Jadwiga Szajna-Lewandowska is a composer who made a significant contribution to Polish children’s and young adult literature.