George Enescu
Late Romantic · 1881–1955
George Enescu was Romania's most complete musician: composer, violinist, conductor, pianist, and teacher, all at the highest level. Born in a Moldavian village in 1881, he entered the Vienna Conservatory at seven and finished his training in Paris, dividing his adult life between France and Romania.
As a violinist he was admired across Europe and America, and as a teacher he shaped a generation of players, most famously Yehudi Menuhin, who revered him. His own composing drew on the folk music he heard growing up, not as decoration but absorbed deep into the style, including the bending, speech-like manner of village fiddlers.
Start with the two Romanian Rhapsodies, written around age twenty and still his best-known music, all swirling dance tunes. Then try the Violin Sonata no. 3 "in Romanian folk character," where the folk influence goes much deeper.
64 works in the catalog, across 5 genres. Log what you listen to with Opus, the classical music journal for iPhone.
Chamber
- Decet for 2 flutes, oboe, English horn, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons and 2 horns in D major, op. 14
- Violin Sonata no. 3 in A minor, op. 25, "Dans le caractere populaire roumain"
- Airs dans le genre roumin, for violin
- Allegro in F minor, for cello and piano
- Andante malinconico, for violin and piano
- Andante religioso, for 2 cellos and organ
- Aria and Scherzino, for violin, viola, cello, double bass and piano
- Aubade in C major, for violin, viola and cello
- Cantabile and Presto, for flute and piano
- Cello Sonata no. 1 in F minor, op. 26, no. 1
- Cello Sonata no. 2 in C major, op. 26, no. 2
- Concert Piece, for viola and piano
- Hora Unirei, for violin and piano
- Impressions d'enfance, for violin and piano in D major, op. 28
- Impromptu concertant, for violin and piano in G flat major
- Légende, for trumpet and piano
- Légende, for violin and piano
- Nocturne, for violin, viola, cello and piano, "Villa d'avrayen"
- Nocturne et Saltarello, for cello and piano
- Pastorale, Menuet Triste et Nocturne, for violin and piano 4 hands
- Piano Quartet no. 1 in D major, op. 16
- Piano Quartet no. 2 in D minor, op. 30
- Piano Quintet in A minor, op. 29
- Piano Trio in A minor
- Prelude and Gavotte, for violin, cello and 2 pianos
- Sarabande, for violin
- Sonata Torso, for violin and piano
- String Octet in C major, op. 7
- String Quartet no. 1 in E flat major, op. 22, no. 1
- String Quartet no. 2 in G major, op. 22, no. 2
- Sérénade en sourdine in E minor, for violin, cello and piano
- Sérénade lointaine, for violin, cello and piano
- Tarantella, for violin and piano
- Trio for violin, cello and piano in A minor
- Trio for violin, cello and piano in G minor
- Violin Sonata in A minor
- Violin Sonata no. 1 in D major, op. 2
- Violin Sonata no. 2 in F minor, op. 6
Keyboard
- Nocturne in D flat major
- Piano Sonata no. 1 in F sharp minor, op. 24
- Piano Sonata no. 3 in D major, op. 24
- Piece for Piano, "Hommage à Gabriel Fauré"
- Prelude and Fugue
- Scherzo
- Suite no. 1 in G minor, op. 3, "Dans le style ancien"
- Suite no. 2 in D major, op. 10
- Suite no. 3, op. 18, "Pièces impromptues"
Orchestral
- 2 Rhapsodies roumaines, op. 11
- Ballade, for violin and orchestra, op. 4a
- Chamber Symphony, for 12 instruments in E major, op. 33
- Concert Overture 'sur des thèmes dans le caractèe populaire roumain,' in A major, op. 32
- Suite Châtelaine
- Suite no. 1 in C major, op. 9
- Suite no. 2 in C major, op. 20
- Suite no. 3 in D, op. 27, "Villageoise"
- Symphonie Concertante, for cello and orchestra in B minor, op. 8
- Symphony no. 1 in E flat major, op. 13
- Symphony no. 2 in A major, op. 17
- Symphony no. 3 for piano, chorus and orchestra in C major, op. 21
- Voix de la Nature
Stage
- Oedipe, op. 23 Opera
Vocal
- Poème Roumain, for orchestra and wordless chorus, op. 1
- 7 Chansons de Clément Marot, for voice and piano, op. 15
- Vox Maris, symphonic poem for soprano, tenor, chorus and orchestra, op. 31
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