A SHARED HERITAGE: CROSS-CULTURAL INFLUENCES BETWEEN POLISH AND RUSSIAN VIOLIN REPERTOIRE OF THE NINETEENTH AND TWENTIETH CENTURIES

Abstract

ABSTRACT Title of Dissertation: A SHARED HERITAGE: CROSS-CULTURAL INFLUENCES BETWEEN POLISH AND RUSSIAN VIOLIN REPERTOIRE OF THE NINETEENTH AND TWENTIETH CENTURIES Jesse Muñoz, Jr., Doctor of Musical Arts, 2021

Dissertation directed by: Professor David Salness, School of Music This dissertation research discusses the shared cultural heritage of Polish and Russian music through the lens of the classical violin repertoire. The goal of this paper is to establish a clearly defined lineage connecting Polish and Russian music by studying works specifically written for the violin. The history of violin music has been marked by incredible contributions from Polish and Russian composers in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. A deeper understanding of the shared and reciprocal influences between these two cultures can help those studying these works appreciate their odd mix of pan-Slavic qualities. In particular this research focuses on three distinct periods in Polish and Russian history, 1860–1900, 1917–1919, and 1945–1950. The research culminates in the creation of a family tree, linking the history of Polish and Russian music from Chopin to Shostakovich and his contemporaries.