Nicolae Kirculescu: largely (and sadly) unknown...

(Photo source) "Have you ever heard of Nicolae Kirculescu?" a friend asked me this weekend. "Um... no. Who is he?" Who is he indeed. Shame on me. My friend promptly sent me a youtube link for a beautiful piece unknown to me but familiar, certainly, to all Romanians for it is the theme tune for "TeleEnciclopedia", an educational TV programme that has been running every Saturday evening on TVR1 at 18h45 since 1965.

'Moment muzical' is a lovely, rich piece for piano and orchestra, part of 'Four studies for piano and orchestra' and probably Kirculescu's best-known work. It was composed in 1946, published in 1950 and 'premiered' in 1965. Nicolae Kirculescu (1903-1985) was primarily a composer of film music and his 'Moment muzical' is characteristic of the dramatically romantic Hollywood film-genre of the 1940s and '50s, similar to The Warsaw Concerto (Addinsell, 1941) in terms of texture. HERE you can enjoy it played superbly by pianist Dan Grigore (a student at the time) with the Romanian Radio Orchestra conducted by Iosif Conta.

From 1990, the theme was re-orchestrated for electronic instruments, I guess to sound more scientific (a pity, IMHO). And get this: Costel Ciofu, a manele singer, released his own version of the familiar fragment with lyrics this time, still under the name TeleEnciclopedia according to Wikipedia, though I'm relieved to say that I can't find a video/link to share that with you.

But back to Nicolae Kirculescu himself. I went off to google, and do you know what? In the English Wikipedia, he only has three measley lines attributed. And do you know what again? In the Romanian Wiki, he gets... TWO LINES and a sub-title or two listing his works which is by NO means complete. How fair is that?

All that I can find regarding background is that he studied law and got his PhD in Paris. Where he was born, I have no idea. Where's the info?!

As well as writing music for films, the theatre and television, Kirculescu was also a song-writer and composed pieces performed by popular singers such as Margareta Pâslaru see HERE and Denise Constantinescu see HERE.

There are tons of other orchestral oeuvres available to hear and/or download online. Just enter 'Nicolae Kirculescu' on youtube as an example: see HERE, HERE and HERE... Oh, and please don't miss his Ave Maria sung HERE by Marieta Bratu.

THIS is my all-time favourite sung by Lucky Marinescu, "Asa incepe dragostea". I had no idea it was composed by Kirculescu.

Kirculescu was indeed a prolific composer (even if a minor one) so why doesn't he have a statue/bust somewhere in Bucharest? A nice memorial, no matter how small, in the gardens in front of TVR would be nice since they have been playing his music once a week for 47 years. Or how about naming a street after him? Or a square? Surely he deserves something in memorial, particularly now that there are all these soit-disant 'patriotic' calls for the repatriation of Ionescu, Eliade, Brancusi and Enescu (all at rest in Paris) as if that would make people prouder and help 'rebuild' Romania - but that's another story for another day.

There are others just like Kirculescu that people have never heard of but should have - other good examples: Henry Malineanu, Elly Roman... Why not honour them a little? Regarding Kirculescu, how is it possible, when his music is in sitting-rooms all over the country every single Saturday afternoon - and has been since 1965? Kirculescu merits national recognition and a place up there on the list of admirable figures one should hold dear. Okay, he may not be on a par with Vladimir Cosma (also in Paris), but he was indisputably a talented Romanian composer - and in addition, as far as I'm aware, he died in his homeland. Not that he gets much thanks for it. Where did he live? Where is he buried? There is no biography anywhere to be found (online at least) even though he weighs in at Number 7 HERE on the 'Top 10 Romanians Who Have Made Romania Famous Through Their Music' list.

Perhaps Nicolae Kirculescu may have had a more illustrious career and become a household name had he emigrated along with so many others who were able to make their mark abroad through not only talent but also with sufficient promotion. How sad it is that this tune-smith remains so under-rated and largely uncelebrated - not just in the country of his birth, but internationally, too. We really ought to do something about it, don't you think?

Comments

[rodica]

I am the niece of composer N. Kirculescu. Thanks for Sarah's article, she has right. He was a very apreciated composer. His latest wife, the singer Marieta Palaghia succeded with with big efforts to place a statue in the hall of the theatre Tanase in Bucharest, a memorial plate on the front of the building they lived in, CD-'s. The composer Doru Popovici, wrote a biografical book "Ultimul Matein" (The last Matein).

For more questions e-mail to rboconcios@gmail.com.

[Sarah in Romania]

Hi Adrian,



No I never did, but it's definitely a thought - and you must know by now that I like a challenge! Will look into it during the week. Watch this space.



In the meantime, thank you for the carrot!

Best,

Sarah

[pozedecat]

Did you ever try to find some things about one of the most important French architects in Bucharest, Paul Gottereau? He was even architect of Royal House of Carol I but i did not manage to find a thing about when or where he died or about his burial place. I believe that there is no picture of him either! There was even a confusion between him and hs father therefore nobody van say for sure when he was born and where. Still, CEC palace is one of the most notorious simbols of Bucharest along with BCU - Fundatiile Regale!

[aurab]

Dear Sarah

thank you for this article; for opening another door to "Awareness" as "Constienta"( in Romanian language there is a difference between "constiinta" and "constienta"

see here

http://constiinta-credinta-evolutie.blogspot.ro/2012/10/partea-8-constiinta-si-constienta.html

Making some research; hope I will find something and come back to you