Monologue for a Violin Solo

Boris Papandopulo (1906 – 1991) is one of the most distinctive Croatian musicians of the 20th century. Papandopulo also worked as music writer, journalist, reviewer, pianist and piano accompanist; however, he achieved the peaks of his career in music as a composer. His composing oeuvre is imposing – Papandopulo composed almost 500 opuses: with great success he created instrumental (orchestral, concertante, chamber and solo), vocal and instrumental (for solo voice and choir), music-stage and film music. In all these kinds and genres he left a string of anthology-piece compositions of great artistic value. Monologue for violin was composed in 1976, and was dedicated to the distinguished Croatian violinist Josip Klima. This work, which makes great demands on the player’s technique and interpretation, consists of four expressions, similar in their expression and tonal material, linked by an introductory and highly expressive descending chromatic motif that is threaded through the fabric of all the movements. Meditative and introspective, the work is very uncommon in its sound; it is written atonally, but is powerful in expression and full of interesting and unexpected turns. This monologue for solo violin is one of Papandopulo’s most radical compositions, characterised by the facture being saturated with dissonances and harsh tonal combinations, present in both the melodic line and in the vertical complexes, in the double and triple stops.