Paul Constantinescu


Paul Constantinescu was a Romanian composer. Two of his main influences are Romanian folk music and Byzantine chant, both of which he used in his teaching. One of his students was composer Margareta Xenopol.
From 1928 to 1933 he studied at the Bucharest Conservatory with Castaldi, Jora, Cuclin and Brăiloiu, and then in Vienna from 1934 to 1935 with Schmidt and Marx. Returning to Bucharest, he taught from 1937 to 1941 at the Academy for Religious Music, and then from 1941 until his death was a professor of composition at the Conservatory. He received the Enescu prize in 1932, and the Romanian Academy prize in 1956.
Constantinescu used folk and liturgical elements in his works, with a strong command of form and modal harmony. He did much to pave the way for the post-Enescu generation of Romanian nationalist composers.

Works

;Dramatic:
  • O noapte furtunoasă, comic opera
  • Nunta în Carpați, choreographic poem
  • Pană Lesnea Rusalim, opera.
;Orchestral:
  • Suită românească
  • Jocuri românești
  • Burlesca for Piano and Orch.
  • Simfonietă
  • Symphony No. 1
  • Variațiuni libere asupra unei melodii bizantine din sec. XIII for Cello and Orch.
  • Concerto for Strings
  • Rapsodia II
  • Baladă haiducească for Cello and Orch.
  • Suită bucovineană
  • Piano Concerto
  • Juventus, overture
  • Rapsodie oltenească
  • Violin Concerto
  • Înfrățire, choreographic rhapsody
  • Harp Concerto
  • Symphony No. 2, Simfonie ploieșteană
  • Triple Concerto for Violin, Cello, Piano, and Orch..
CHAMBER:
  • Studii ȋn stil bizantin for Violin, Viola, and Cello
  • Quintet
  • Violin Sonatina
  • Sonatină bizantină for Solo Cello or Viola
  • Cîntec vechi pe 2 melodii din Anton Pann for Cello and Piano
  • piano pieces.
VOCAL:
  • Isarlik for Soprano and Orch.
  • Ryga Crypto și Lapona Enigel for Soli, Reciter, and Orch.
  • Byzantinisches Passions und Osteroratorium for Soli, Chorus, and Orch.
  • Byzantinisches Weihnachtoratorium for Soli, Chorus, and Orch.
  • Ulița noastră, 7 songs for Baritone and orch.
  • other songs.

Recordings

  • Violin concerto, with works by Nichifor and Toduță
  • Ballad of the Outlaw for cello and orchestra, Concerto for Strings, Byzantine variations for cello and orchestra, Concerto for Harp
Played by the Romanian State Philharmonic Orchestra/conductor: Ion Baciu