Lithuanian Rhapsody

Lithuanian Rhapsody (Polish Rapsodia litewska) in A minor, Op. 11 is the third of Mieczysław Karłowicz's six symphonic poems. A typical performance lasts 18—20 minutes. History Origins of the composition The Lithuanian Rhapsody differs from the other of Karłowicz's symphonic poems in the way that it was not inspired by any narrative or philosophical concern. It is a highly personal work and originates in the composer's own roots: he spent his early years in Lithuania (his family were Polish landowners). Moreover, unlike other compositions by Karłowicz, the Rhapsody is based on actual folk material (Lithuanian and Belarusian melodies), much of which was collected by the composer in 1900 while on vacation at his family estate. This is how he wrote about the piece in a letter to his friend Adolf Chybiński (24 Nov 1906): According to Leszek Polony, the leading Polish authority on Karłowicz, the Rhapsody had to do with "recollections of childhood, with the portrayal of the family home and children’s games".