Four Love Sonnets to words by William Shakespeare translated by Maciej Słomczyński for baritone and symphony orchestra (1956)

The piece was commissioned by the Ministry of Culture and Art. It is written for solo baritone and orchestra. The origins of the Sonnets are theatrical, because the piece was based on incidental music to a production of William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet directed by Lidia Zamkow at Teatr Dramatyczny in Warsaw (1956). From among Shakespeare’s 154 sonnets translated by Maciej Słomczyński the composer chose four: 

• Sonnet 23: O! learn to read what silent love hath writ… 
• Sonnet 91: Having thee, of all men's pride I boast… 
• Sonnet 56: Sweet love… 
• Sonnet 97: How like a winter hath my absence been… 

They constitute successive part of the work: I. Andante, II. Allegretto con anima, III. Andantino, con amore, IV. Lento, con gran’ espressione.

This is how Jerzy Artysz talks about the origins of the work:

He may not have been stressing it, but he was pleased. For it is clear [...]: he wrote an intentionally simple piece, though very beautiful in its simplicity, a piece for an actor in the theatre [...]. But there was something clearly evident in it from the very beginning, since artists like Woytowicz and Hiolski persuaded Tadeusz to give [the work] a richer sonic setting [...], which he did. It’s an incredible piece, because – as they say – it is striking in its simplicity.

Tadeusz Baird created a poetic tale of great love going through its various stages: from a confession of love (Sonnet 23), through a joyful state of being in love (Sonnet 91), a brief parting of the lovers (Sonnet 56) until an overwhelming, lasting separation (Sonnet 97). To this tale the composer subordinated the nature of his music. He evoked in it the atmosphere of an English Renaissance court. The Sonnets stand out by virtue of their compelling lyricism, which stems from the dominant melody of the voice supported by an archaising accompaniment of the orchestra. Baird was able to achieve the pastel colouring of the entire piece thanks to the use of a single-instrument line-up in the woodwind, a muted trumpet and dominant string quintet.

Although the work goes beyond the temporal framework of the neo-classical period in Baird’s output, it clearly represents an archaising strand, because it contains means of artistic expression characteristic of older periods.

The composition has three versions created by the author: for baritone and symphony orchestra (1956), for baritone, strings and harpsichord (1969) and for baritone and piano. It also has a film version – Polish Television produced a programme entitled Love Sonnets, which was directed by Jan Kulczyński and choreographed by Witold Gruca (1964). In addition, it was twice presented in a ballet version – as part of a poetry and ballet production entitled Love Sonnets and staged at Teatr Klasyczny in Warsaw (1963), and at Teatr Wielki in Warsaw (1972). 

The very interesting story of the work’s reception and huge popularity (nearly every young singer wanted to sing one of the Sonnets) is explained by Jerzy Artysz:

First there was a version for a small symphony orchestra [...], then a version for a chamber ensemble, and before that a version for 12 instruments [...] at the disposal of the Warsaw Chamber Opera. It was presented as a staged production combined with Colas Breugnon [...], plus Songs of the Trouvères and the Sonnets. And this was a very beautiful half of the production [...]. This version wasn’t popular, because the material was not made freely available [...]. The fact was, however, that all young men (in schools of music, academies of music) wanted to sing one of the sonnets during exams or concerts. And then there began to circulate in Poland some self-made transcriptions, sometimes poorly made [...]. I told Tadeusz [...] that he should think about a very small-scale version [...]. [He] wasn’t very keen on the piano on its own, because of the colour. However, I, too, sometimes performed [the Sonnets] with piano [...]. But I did have Tadeusz’s arrangement, that version for 12 instruments.