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Irena Regina Wieniawska
Date of Birth: 16.05.1880
Country:  Great Britain |
Content:
- Irena Wieniawska: Polish-English Composer
- Marriage and Musical Journey
- Musical Debut and Concerts
- Personal Challenges and Later Years
- Compositional Output
Irena Wieniawska: Polish-English Composer
Early Life and EducationHelena Irena Wieniawska was born on June 10, 1876, in Brussels, Belgium, to the renowned Polish violinist Henryk Wieniawski. At the age of 12, she enrolled in the Brussels Conservatory, studying piano and later composition under François Gevaert.
Marriage and Musical Journey
In 1901, Wieniawska married British baronet Sir Aubrey Dean Paul in London. She gave birth to a son the following year. However, in 1903, she resumed her musical pursuits, enrolling in the Schola Cantorum in Paris, where she studied under Vincent d'Indy.
Musical Debut and Concerts
Wieniawska's music was first performed in 1912 by a London orchestra conducted by Henry Wood. In the years preceding World War I, she organized concerts in Brussels, performing as a singer and pianist, showcasing her own compositions. Similar concerts were held in New York in the 1920s, often featuring her husband, who sang as a baritone under the pseudonym Edward Ramsay.
Personal Challenges and Later Years
The marriage between Wieniawska and Ramsay eventually deteriorated, and they effectively separated. Wieniawska died in poverty and seclusion on December 15, 1932, in London.
Compositional Output
Wieniawska's compositions include the five-act symphonic drama "Silence" and other orchestral works, many of which were lost during World War II. However, her most notable legacy lies in her vocal compositions, primarily set to texts by Paul Verlaine.
