Born in 1881 in Liveni, near Botoşani, he showed an extraordinary propensity for music from childhood, starting to play the violin at age 4, holding his first concert at 5 and studying composition under the direction of Eduard Caudella.
He studied violin and composition at the Vienna Conservatory and was only 12 years old when he began performing concerts in Vienna, interpreting Brahms, de Sarasate, Mendelssohn‑Bartholdy, among others. After graduating, he continued his studies in Paris as a student of, among others, Massenet and Fauré. At only 18 years old, he debuted as a composer with the symphonic Suite 'Poema Română'.
Admired by Queen Elisabeth of Romania, he was often invited to perform violin pieces in the beautiful Peleș Castle, just a stone's throw from where I am now, in Sinaia.
Enescu set some of the queen's poems to music, composing several lieder in German and becoming a regular guest at the palace during musical evenings organized by the queen.
His most popular compositions date back to the early twentieth century, such as the two Romanian Rhapsodies, the Suite No. 1 for orchestra, the First Symphony and the Seven songs on the verses of Clément Marot. His musical activity alternated between Bucharest and Paris, with tours in various European countries and with prestigious partners such as Casella and Fournier.
He later worked onOedipus, a monumental dramatic and musical creation; the opera was dedicated to Maria Rosetti (widow of Prince Cantacuzino, one of the great landowners of these areas), whom he later married, after she had disfigured her face with acid due to a heartbreak.
During the First World War, he remained in Bucharest, conducting and continuing to compose. During this period, the 'George Enescu' composition competition was established, for which he provided a generous prize and the opportunity to perform the compositions in concerts conducted by him.
After the war, he continued his work between Romania and France and was also a teacher of great importance, counting among his students violinists of the caliber of Grumiaux and Yehudi Menuhin, who considers Enescu his spiritual father and says of him: 'Enescu is one of the wonders of the world... The strong roots and noble soul of his spirit are characteristic of his country, a country of unparalleled beauty'.
He passed away in Paris in 1955, after an intense life dedicated to music.
Regarding Enescu, I propose two classics that you will certainly enjoy.
You have certainly tried to whistle the first one at least once in your life: Ciocarlia (The Skylark), a violin adaptation of an original composition by Angheluş Dinicu; the latter was the grandfather of the famous virtuoso violinist Grigoraş Dinicu, who is the famous author of 'Hora staccato' (the Hora is one of the traditional Romanian dances performed by dancers holding hands in a Hora, 'Hora Unirei' and was also the first anthem of the Great Romanian Union).
The second is also a composition for violin and is called Periniţa (Handkerchief) and it is once again a folk dance, typical of wedding dances, which has origins in Moldova. The dancers are arranged in a circle and a person with a handkerchief or a cushion inside the circle chooses a person of the opposite sex by placing the handkerchief around their neck and kneeling; the two then kiss (on the cheek) and switch roles. This dance can also be performed in a frantic figurative variant, and this is our case.