Programme

Programme

Astor Piazzolla Libertango (arr. Jarema Jarosiński) [5′]
Béla Bartók Six Romanian Folk Dances, BB.68 (arr. for violin, accordion and double bass Zoltán Székely) [7′]
I. Stick Dance (Jocul cu bâtă): Allegro moderato
II. Sash Dance (Brâul): Allegro
III. In One Spot (Pe loc): Andante
IV. Dance from Bucium (Buciumeana): Molto moderato
V. Romanian Polka (Poarga românească): Allegro
VI. Fast Dance (Mărunțel): Allegro
Stanisław Moniuszko Mountaineers’ Dances from the act III of opera Halka (arr. Piotr Kamiński) [5′]
Grażyna Bacewicz Oberek No. 1 (arr. for violin and accordion) [2′]
Leonard Bernstein Music from the musical West Side Story (selection, arr. for violin, accordion, double bass, wind quintet and percussion Jarema Jarosiński) [10′]
Astor Piazzolla Café 1930 and Nightclub 1960 from Histoire du Tango (arr. Jarema Jarosiński) [12′]
Arturo Márquez Danzón No. 2 (arr. Jarema Jarosiński) [5’]

Concert description

Dance is the most beautiful language of emotions that exists. Universal, understandable to all, although it can take a variety of forms. Each country – and even each region – has developed separate genres, melodies and rhythms that say a lot about its identity. Argentine tango is a dance of love – its master Astor Piazzolla was able to enchant in music simultaneously feelings of desire and unspeakable longing. The danzón, on the other hand, represents a slow, passionate dance from sunny Cuba and Mexico; Arturo Márquez brings out hints of nostalgia and drama.

The study of folk songs and dances is handled by a scientific field called ethnomusicology. One of its pioneers was Béla Bartók, who spent a lot of time traveling from village to village and listening to Hungarian and Romanian folklore. This resulted in the special color of his work, in which he artistically processed folk rhythms and melodies. Polish artists also reached for inspiration from native folklore. In her works Grażyna Bacewicz brought out the lightness and feistiness of the oberek, once famous in Mazovia and Radomszczyzna regions, and Stanisław Moniuszko perfectly captured the spirit of highland games.

– Karolina Dąbek (pisanezesluchu.pl)

Programme

Ogólnokształcąca Szkoła Muzyczna I i II st. im. Henryka Wieniawskiego w Łodzi:

Andrzej Panufnik Old Polish Suite (Suita staropolska) [11’]
I. Dance I. Cenar: Allegro giusto
II. Interlude: Lento espressivo
III. Dance II. Wyrwany: Allegretto leggero
IV. Chorale: Andante tranquillo
V. Dance III. Hayduk: Allegro deciso
Antonio Vivaldi Violin Concerto in G minor Summer (L’Estate), R.315 from Four Seasons [15’]
I. Allegro non molto
II. Adagio e piano – Presto e forte
III. Presto

Zespół Szkół Muzycznych im. Oskara Kolberga w Radomiu

Witold Lutosławski Little Suite (Mała suita) [12’]
I. Fife
II. Hurra Polka
III. Song
VI. Dance
Antonín Dvořák Adagio – Allegro molto (mov. I) from Symphony No. 9 in E minor, Op. 95, From The New World [10’]
Stanisław Wisłocki Dance of Brigands (Taniec zbójnicki) [2’]

Programme

Mykola Lysenko Taras Bulba Overture [7’]
Tadeusz Baird Four Love Sonnets for baritone and string orchestra [13’]
I. Andante: Spójrz, co tu ciche serce wypisało… (Sonet 23: O! learn to read what silent love hath writ…)
II. Allegretto con anima: Drwię, mając ciebie, z całej ludzkiej pychy… (Sonet 91: Having thee, of all men’s pride I boast…)
III. Andantino, con amore: Słodka miłości… (Sonet 56: Sweet love…)
IV. Lento, con gran’ espressione: Jakże podobna zimie jest rozłąka… (Sonet 97: How like a winter hath my absence been…)
Henryk Wieniawski Allegro moderato (mov. I) from Violin Concerto No. 2 in D minor, Op. 22 [10’]
Aleksander Lasoń Hymn and Aria for string orchestra [10’]
Maciej Cisowski Qualia – Concerto For Choir And Orchestra (arr. for orchestra) [10’]
1. Shame/Humiliation/Disdainful/Pathetic/Elimination (Wstyd/upokorzenie/gardzący/żałosne/eliminacja)
16. Peace/Bliss – Ecstasy/Perfect/Illumination (Pokój/błogość – ekstaza/doskonałe/iluminacja)
17. Enlightenment/Indescribable/Self/Presence/Pure Consciousness (Oświecenie/niedający się opisać/jaźń/obecność/czysta świadomość)
Stanisław Moniuszko Mazur from the act I of opera Halka (arr. Grzegorz Fitelberg) [6’]

Programme

Anders Hillborg Clarinet Concerto Peacock Tales, Millenium version for soprano saxophone and orchestra [16’]
Georges Bizet Symphony No. 1 in C major [30’]
I. Allegro vivo
II. Adagio
III. Allegro vivace – Trio
IV. Allegro vivace

Concert description

Classicism, as its name implies, developed the greatest number of traditional forms and genres of classical music. Its noble models of the four-movement symphony and the three-part instrumental concerto were reached for by composers of all later eras – some only to be contradicted; for art abhors schematism, and true artistry lies in skillfully combining the familiar with the new and inventive.

Thus encapsulated in a single link, Andreas Hillborg’s Peacock Tales is not only a virtuoso clarinet concerto, but also a musical picture and story. The essence of the classical genre is competition. Here, the soloist leads the narrative while entering into dialogues with the orchestra, which adds to the mood and spices up the story. And this is a story full of bird noises, lyricism, marching rhythm and grotesque. Georges Bizet’s Symphony No. 1, on the other hand, would certainly have been the work of Mozart himself, if only he had created in Romanticism. Bizet imbued the traditional arrangement with youthful energy, as he wrote the work when he was only 17! Even then the melodic inventiveness of the master of operatic arias was already evident – especially in the themes of the second and third movements of the work.

– Karolina Dąbek (pisanezesluchu.pl)

Programme

Antonín Dvořák String Quartet No. 12 in F major, Op. 96, American [25’]
I. Allegro ma non troppo
II. Lento
III. Molto vivace
IV. Finale: vivace ma non troppo
Leonard Bernstein Music for String Quartet [12’]
I. Allegro vivace
II. Andante (Tempo di Sarabande)

Concert description

In what rhythm does America’s heart beat? What melody does it sing? For Antonín Dvořák, who absorbed it with all his senses while vacationing in Spillville in 1893, it was primarily the melodies and rhythms of the continent’s indigenous folklore. The author of the Symphony From the New World was enthralled by the space of the vast prairies and the freedom-giving landscape, which, along with the memory of the ethnic music sound, he wanted to include in his works. That is why the entirety of String Quartet in F major is permeated by a folk element. This can be heard especially in the wistful melody of the second movement or the imitations of bird voices in the third movement.

Leonard Bernstein, meanwhile, listened to the distinctly different sounds of the city’s nightlife, and – there’s no doubt about it – his America pulsates to the rhythm of the blues. The narrative of the piece’s first link flows briskly, changing as if in a kaleidoscope, but with freely recurring jazzy motifs and harmonies, while in the second the atmosphere thickens in more intense dark colors and nostalgic sarabande rhythm.

– Karolina Dąbek (pisanezesluchu.pl)

Programme

Bedřich Smetana Symphonic Poem The Moldau from My Fatherland [15’]
Camille Saint-Saëns Symphonic Poem Dance of Death (Danse macabre), Op. 40 [8’]
Georges Bizet Carmen Suite No. 2 (arr. Ernest Guiraud) [23’]
I. Marche des contrebandiers
II. Habanera
III. Nocturne
IV. Chanson du Toréador
V. La garde montante
VI. Danse bohème 

Programme

Stomp Poles [5’]
Suite of West-African Dances [8’]
I. Jia
II. Kassa
III. Sunu
John Cage Third Construction [9’]
Stomp Plungers [3’]
Keiko Abe Wave [10’]
Batucada [10’]

Concert description

The heart of a calm person beats an average of 60–70 times per minute. This is also the measure of one of the basic musical terms – andante, moderately, that is, at the pace of a slow step, with a rhythm of steady heartbeats. Each acceleration increases tension, and each deceleration calms. Added to this are accents, fluctuations, layers, space and movement. Percussion music, close to the ground, composed of rhythms, pulses and colors, grows from what is most human and bodily, from primal needs and instincts. And – like ritual – it interacts on a purely sensual preconceptual level.

The source of sound could then become anything. John Cage reached with childlike joy not only for the most oriental instruments, such as the Aztec carved teponaztli drum or a quijada created from an animal jaw, but also for completely common cans or pins. Members of the percussion-theater group Stomp also used everything at hand in their performances: everyday objects, tools, furniture, their own bodies. Pulse mixes with rhythm, and the rhythms become melody, music, a language you don’t need to understand – just feel!

– Karolina Dąbek (pisanezesluchu.pl)

Programme

Henryk Mikołaj Górecki Three Pieces In Old Style [10’]
Aram Khachaturian Waltz from Masquerade Suite [5’]
Antonín Dvořák Furiant (No. 8) from Slavonic Dances, Op. 46 [5’]
Arturo Márquez Danzón No. 2 [10’]
Edvard Grieg Peer Gynt Suite No. 1, Op. 46 [15’]
I. Morning
II. Ase’s Death
III. Anitra’s Dance
IV. In the Hall of the Mountain King

Programme

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Overture and duo Cinque… dieci… venti… trenta… (Figaro and Susanna) from act I of the opera Le Nozze di Figaro, K.492 [7’]
Aria Deh vieni, non tardar (Susanna) from act IV of opera Le Nozze di Figaro, K.492 [4’]
Recitativo and aria Hai già vinta la causa! – Vedrò mentre io sospiro (Count) from act III of the opera Le Nozze di Figaro, K.492 [5’]
Don Giovanni Overture, K.527 [5’]
Duo Là ci darem la mano (Zerlina and Don Giovanni) from act I of the opera Don Giovanni, K.527 [4’]
Così fan tutte Overture, K.588 [5’]
Concert aria Rivolgete a lui lo sguardo, K.584 (originally Guglielmo’s aria from act I of the opera Così fan tutte, K.588) [5’]
Recitativo and Concert Aria Ch’io mi scordi di te? – Non temer, amato bene, K.505 [10’]
Pas Seul, excerpts of ballet music from the opera Idomeneo, K.367 [5’]

Concert description

Mozart loved amorous intrigue. For his operas, he usually chose librettos describing the adventures of beautiful ladies, maids and servants seduced by bachelors with not always pure intentions or pursuing their own plans and ambitions. And nothing develops a romantic plot like a love aria or the singing by two lovers.

The duet opening The Marriage of Figaro gushes with sincere joy – the characters in love, preparing for a life together, do not even think about what will soon befall them. The perpetrator of their misfortunes will soon become the Count, who is as influential as he is morally corrupt, and whose character is brilliantly reflected in the recitative and aria from Act II. Similarly, Zerlina’s innocence and naiveté contrasts with cunning of the shameless amante Don Giovanni in their joint duet Là ci darem la mano.

But what would a love intrigue be without humor – in Mozart’s operas we have it in abundance. Musical wit and lightness pervade the fast-paced parts of the overtures, as well as – for example – the concert aria Rivolgete a lui lo sguardo. Convinced of his uniqueness, Guglielmo sings a list of his qualities. It is impossible, then, that his beloved could ever betray him. Right?

– Karolina Dąbek (pisanezesluchu.pl)

Programme

How is it that from word-to-word stories are created, and from sound to sound music emerges? We know the kind of books that magically make more ideas come to mind. A long time ago, they were written by Oskar Kolberg, who had a special gift for listening to what people tell, sing and play in the fields, meadows, city streets and countryside. He wrote it all down in his books, and we still wonder how he did it all. Perhaps he was a magician?

Concert description

How is it that from word-to-word stories are created, and from sound to sound music emerges? We know the kind of books that magically make more ideas come to mind. A long time ago, they were written by Oskar Kolberg, who had a special gift for listening to what people tell, sing and play in the fields, meadows, city streets and countryside. He wrote it all down in his books, and we still wonder how he did it all. Perhaps he was a magician?

Programme

Where did Bazylek come from? What ancient creatures were his ancestors? The Warsaw dragon has the makings of many fantastic animals. He will tell the story of them in his own special Basilisk way, combining words, images and music. The dragon will be accompanied on stage by an entire symphony orchestra.

Concert description

Where did Bazylek come from? What ancient creatures were his ancestors? The Warsaw dragon has the makings of many fantastic animals. He will tell the story of them in his own special Bazylek’s way, combining words, images and music. The dragon will be accompanied on stage by an entire symphony orchestra.

Programme

Oskar Kolberg Polonaise from the opera The King of Shepherds (Król pasterzy) [3’]
Bartłomiej Danielewicz Polonaise [7’]
Antonín Dvořák Adagio – Allegro molto (mov. I) from Symphony No. 9 in E minor, Op. 95, From The New World [10’]
Witold Lutosławski Little Suite (Mała suita) [12’]
I. Fife
II. Hurra Polka
III. Song
IV. Dance
Wojciech Kilar Krzesany [15’]
Stanisław Wisłocki Dance of Brigands (Taniec zbójnicki) [2’]

Programme

How is it that from word-to-word stories are created, and from sound to sound music emerges? We know the kind of books that magically make more ideas come to mind. A long time ago, they were written by Oskar Kolberg, who had a special gift for listening to what people tell, sing and play in the fields, meadows, city streets and countryside. He wrote it all down in his books, and we still wonder how he did it all. Perhaps he was a magician?

Concert description

How is it that from word-to-word stories are created, and from sound to sound music emerges? We know the kind of books that magically make more ideas come to mind. A long time ago, they were written by Oskar Kolberg, who had a special gift for listening to what people tell, sing and play in the fields, meadows, city streets and countryside. He wrote it all down in his books, and we still wonder how he did it all. Perhaps he was a magician?

Programme

Zespół Państwowych Szkół Muzycznych w Żorach i Zespół Szkół Muzycznych w Sosnowcu:

Mykola Lysenko Taras Bulba Overture [6’]
Henryk Wieniawski Allegro moderato (mov. I) from Violin Concerto No. 2 in D minor, Op. 22 [11’]
Stanisław Moniuszko Mazur from the act I of opera Halka (arr. Grzegorz Fitelberg) [6’]

Ogólnokształcąca Szkoła Muzyczna I i II stopnia im. F. Chopina w Bytomiu:

Edvard Grieg Morning (mov. I) from Peer Gynt Suite, Op. 46 [4’]
Henryk Mikołaj Górecki Three Pieces in Old Style [10’]
Arturo Márquez Danzón No. 2 [10’]

Programme

François Couperin Le Rossignol en amour, Le Rossignol-vainqueur from ordre XIV, book III of Pièces de clavecin [6’]
Kevin Juillerat Le Grand Tétras (No. 1) from Tombeaux-volières [4’]
Hoagy Carmichael Skylark
Kevin Juillerat Le Cassican flûteur (No. 2) from Tombeaux-volières [2’]
Raphaël Sévère  Oiseaux de Bali
Anders Hillborg The Peacock Moment [2’]
Kevin Juillerat La Bécassine sourde (No. 3) from Tombeaux-volières [3’]
Astor Piazzolla Los Pájaros Perdidos (arr. Philippe Maniez) [6‘]
Kevin Juillerat Le Méliphage tui (No. 4) from Tombeaux-volières [7’]
John Lennon/Paul McCartney Blackbird (arr. Philippe Maniez) [4’]

Concert description

As early as the fifth century BC, Aristophanes presented a picture of a perfect kingdom of sky creatures in his comedy The Birds. So we know that since antiquity in literature and art they have been a symbol of the sun, air, deity, immortality and freedom. Although they are different from humans in almost every way, they are particularly close to us in at least one aspect. Few can resist the charm of birdsong, their filigree music – and the works of composers of various eras are the best proof of this.
Imitazione della natura, or imitation of nature’s sounds, was one of the leading compositional ideas of the Renaissance and Baroque eras. It can be heard in the works of François Couperin, where melodic ornamentation is meant to illustrate the lyrical singing of a nightingale. The revival of this idea occurred in 20th century music. Contemporary composers, however, became increasingly fascinated by less obvious bird sounds, such as the crepitating song of the grouse – rendered with percussion in a piece by Kevin Juillerat – or the bright cries of the peacock, which are imitated by a saxophone part composed by Anders Hillborg. In contrast, sincere admiration for the beauty of exotic species is expressed in the poetic music of Astor Piazzola and Raphaël Sévère.
– Karolina Dąbek (pisanezesluchu.pl)

Programme

How is it that from word-to-word stories are created, and from sound to sound music emerges? We know the kind of books that magically make more ideas come to mind. A long time ago, they were written by Oskar Kolberg, who had a special gift for listening to what people tell, sing and play in the fields, meadows, city streets and countryside. He wrote it all down in his books, and we still wonder how he did it all. Perhaps he was a magician?

Concert description

How is it that from word-to-word stories are created, and from sound to sound music emerges? We know the kind of books that magically make more ideas come to mind. A long time ago, they were written by Oskar Kolberg, who had a special gift for listening to what people tell, sing and play in the fields, meadows, city streets and countryside. He wrote it all down in his books, and we still wonder how he did it all. Perhaps he was a magician?

Programme

Igor Stravinsky Three Pieces For Solo Clarinet [5’]
I. Sempre piano e molto tranquillo ♩ = 52
II. ♪ = 168
III. ♪ = 160
Igor Stravinsky The Soldiers’s Tale Suite for violin, clarinet and piano [15’]
I. The Soldiers’s March
II. The Soldiers’s Violin
III. The Little Concert
IV. Tango – Waltz – Ragtime
V. The Devil’s Dance
Béla Bartók Six Romanian Folk Dances for violin and piano, BB.68 [7’]
I. Jocul cu bâtă (Stick Dance): Allegro moderato
II. Brâul (Sash Dance): Allegro
III. Pe loc (In One Spot): Andante
IV. Buciumeana (Dance from Bucium): Molto moderato
V. Poarga românească (Romanian Polka): Allegro
VI. Mărunțel (Fast Dance): Allegro
Béla Bartók Contrasts for violin, clarinet and piano, B.116 [17’]
I. Verbunkos (Dance of Recruits): Moderato ben ritmato
II. Pihenö (Rest): Lento
III. Sebes (Fast Dance): Allegro vivace

Concert description

The 20th century brought a crisis, but also the beginning of powerful changes in classical music – thanks in part to the works of Béla Bartók and Igor Stravinsky. Their greatest achievement became the revolutionization of the realm of time and rhythm – that is, the essence of dance – although each accomplished this in a slightly different way.
Bartók drew fully on Hungarian folklore, for in it he saw sources of innovative ideas. Classical music is usually governed by simple regular divisions – as in a march, when the accent always falls on the first of four pulses, and in a waltz on the first of three. Folk melodies, on the other hand, flow freely, sung from the heart, without divisions, measures or bars. It was this freedom that Bartók transplanted into his own work – in his works, it is the meter that follows the dance musical thought, not the other way around.
Shifting accents and disrupting regularity in derived genres is, in turn, Stravinsky’s domain. The composer brilliantly maneuvered between styles, modifying and appropriating a bit of each. Ragtime, tango, jazzy improvisation or lyrical song were never the same again later.

– Karolina Dąbek (pisanezesluchu.pl)

Programme

Robert Schumann Piano Concerto in A minor, Op. 54 [31’]
I. Allegro affettuoso
II. Intermezzo: Andantino grazioso
III. Allegro vivace
Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy Music to Midsummer Night’s Dream after William Shakespeare (selection) [25’]
Overture
Scherzo
A Dance of Clowns
Wedding March

Concert description

NOTE: Change of soloist

If there is a musical genre that best captures the essence of the Romantic era, it is the 19th century instrumental concerto. An individual pitted against an ensemble, a genius and virtuoso conducting a poignant monologue, and an accompanying orchestra that completes the mood and outlines the background. Robert Schumann was a master of this artistic expression – in his Piano Concerto, the soloist part teems with subcutaneous pulsing emotions, moving from agitation and anger to unspeakable sadness to nostalgic lyricism and gentle sweetness.

But Romanticism is also a delight in the world of imagination, myths and magic. On Midsummer Night, June 23–24, the fantastic characters from William Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream come to life – each of them finding its musical illustration in Felix Mendelssohn’s composition. Thus, in the Overture we will hear the whirling stomp of the fairies’ dance and the theme of love between Hermia and her fiancé Lysander, the Scherzo paints the grace and beauty of the elves, and A Dance of the Clowns suggests a colorful and witty picture of court entertainments.

– Karolina Dąbek (pisanezesluchu.pl)

Programme

Johann Sebastian Bach Aria (on G string, mov. III) from Orchestral Suite No. 3 in D major, BWV 1068 (arr. August Wilhelmi) [5’]
Andrzej Panufnik Old Polish Suite (Suita staropolska) [11’]
I. Dance I. Cenar: Allegro giusto
II. Interlude: Lento espressivo
III. Dance II. Wyrwany: Allegretto leggero
IV. Chorale: Andante tranquillo
V. Dance III. Hayduk: Allegro deciso
Henryk Wieniawski Romance (mov. II) from Violin Concerto No. 2 in D minor (arr. for strings Bronisław Kazimierz Przybylski) [6’]
Antonio Vivaldi Violin Concerto in G minor Summer (L’Estate), R.315 from The Four Seasons [15’]
I. Allegro non molto
II. Adagio e piano – Presto e forte
III. Presto
Wojciech Kilar Orawa [9’]

Programme

Maurice Ravel String Quartet in F major [32’]
I. Allegro moderato
II. Assez vif, très rythmé
III. Très lent
IV. Vif et agité
Darius Milhaud Création du monde for piano quintet, Op. 81b [17’]
I. Prélude
II. Fugue
III. Romance
IV. Scherzo
V. Final

Concert description

If we look ahead with squinted eyes, shapes quickly begin to lose their edges, and colors merge and blur into shimmering patches of color. This is how the Impressionists of the early 20th century wanted to perceive reality – in its transience, outline, by feeling rather than reason. Music, as the most elusive of the arts, is perhaps even better than painting at conveying this incessancy of vibration, fluidity of color, feeling and sensation. And certainly this is masterfully done by Maurice Ravel in his String Quartet. The world seen through his eyes is beautiful and fragile, but not random – underneath the delicate coating is a thoughtful, well-balanced classical structure.

Ravel wrote his Quartet in 1903, and twenty years later Darius Milhaud created his own original musical vision of the world – from its very beginnings. African mythology became the stimulus for this theme, while American jazz and blues became the direct inspiration. Milhaud’s world emerges from the darkness, from dense and disturbing matter, to soon dazzle with a multitude of colors, luscious harmonies and rhythms. If only the reality around us were so danceable, light, joyful and charming?

– Karolina Dąbek (pisanezesluchu.pl)

Programme

Poznańska Ogólnokształcąca Szkoła Muzyczna II st. im. Mieczysława Karłowicza:

Edward Elgar March in D major (No. 1) from Pomp and Circumstance Marches, Op. 39 [5’]
Antonín Dvořák Furiant (No. 8) from Slavonic Dances, Op. 46 [4’]
Johannes Brahms Csardas (No. 5) in G minor from Hungarian Dances (arr. for orchestra Martin Schmeling) [4’]
Wojciech Kilar Orawa [9’]

Państwowa Szkoła Muzyczna I i II st. im. Fryderyka Chopina w Olsztynie

Hector Berlioz Rákóczy March (Marche hongroise), Dance of the Sylphs (Ballet Des Sylphes), Will-o-the-Wisps (Menuet de Follets) from the oratorio The Damnation of Faust (La Damnation de Faust), Op. 24, H.111 [14’]
Johann Strauss II Voices of Spring (Frühlingsstimmen), Op. 410 [7’]

Programme

The hurdy-gurdy, nyckelharpa and celesta: we don’t hear about them every day, and yet they play so beautifully! The ones we will see were created quite recently, somewhere close by, perhaps a few streets from your, our home? Tenderly nurtured in the privacy of their studios, they are sometimes created over many years… Perhaps that is why we know so little about them? Today their builders will play on them along with their friends. The concert and stories will be accompanied by photographs by Piotr and Dorota Piszczatowski from their many years of expeditions to the instrument makers.

Concert description

The hurdy-gurdy, nyckelharpa and celesta: we don’t hear about them every day, and yet they play so beautifully! The ones we will see were created quite recently, somewhere close by, perhaps a few streets from your, our home? Tenderly nurtured in the privacy of their studios, they are sometimes created over many years… Perhaps that is why we know so little about them? Today, their creators will play on them along with their friends. The concert and stories will be accompanied by Piotr and Dorota Piszczatowski’s photos from their many years of trips to the instrument makers.

Programme

Antonín Dvořák
Silent Woods (Klid) for cello and orchestra, B.182 [6’]
Symphony No. 9 in E minor, Op. 95, From the New World [40’]
I. Adagio – Allegro molto
II. Largo
III. Molto vivace
IV. Allegro con fuoco

Concert description

“The music of the people is like a rare and lovely flower growing amidst encroaching weeds. Thousands pass it, while others trample it under foot, and thus the chances are that it will perish before it is seen by the one discriminating spirit who will prize it above all else,” Antonín Dvořák wrote. The composer spent a lot of time studying the folklore of various countries, and during his travels he never missed an opportunity to listen to local songs, tunes and dances. He collected them like souvenirs – traces of them can be found in many of his works.

One of the world’s most famous symphonies, Symphony No. 9 in E minor, was written in a similar way. Among other things, Dvořák wrote it under the impression of the vast landscapes of the American prairies. In the work, in addition to the influence of African-American songs and Indian dances, one can also sense the inspiration of music closer to the composer’s Slavic roots. Slavicness, on the other hand, comes to the fore in the cycle of Dances, where he reaches for the folk rhythms of the Hungarian furiant, Ukrainian dumka, Czech polka or Polish polonaise and mazurka, and in the miniature Silent Woods (Klid), which seems to express nostalgia for the beauty of the native land.

– Karolina Dąbek (pisanezesluchu.pl)

Programme

Joseph Haydn Symphony No. 104 in D major, Hob.I:104 [29’]
I. Adagio – Allegro
II. Andante
III. Menuet: Allegro
IV. Finale: Spiritoso
Fryderyk Chopin Mazurka in C major, Op. 56 No. 2 (arr. for orchestra Marcin Grabosz) [3’]
Radosław Broda Genesis [10’]
Julius Weissenborn Capriccio for bassoon and piano, Op. 14 (arr. for bassoon and orchestra Marcin Grabosz) [8’]

Programme

The hurdy-gurdy, nyckelharpa and celesta: we don’t hear about them every day, and yet they play so beautifully! The ones we will see were created quite recently, somewhere close by, perhaps a few streets from your, our home? Tenderly nurtured in the privacy of their studios, they are sometimes created over many years… Perhaps that is why we know so little about them? Today their builders will play on them along with their friends. The concert and stories will be accompanied by photographs by Piotr and Dorota Piszczatowski from their many years of expeditions to the instrument makers.

Concert description

The hurdy-gurdy, nyckelharpa and celesta: we don’t hear about them every day, and yet they play so beautifully! The ones we will see were created quite recently, somewhere close by, perhaps a few streets from your, our home? Tenderly nurtured in the privacy of their studios, they are sometimes created over many years… Perhaps that is why we know so little about them? Today, their creators will play on them along with their friends. The concert and stories will be accompanied by Piotr and Dorota Piszczatowski’s photos from their many years of trips to the instrument makers.

Programme

Dyž sem šla z kostela (When I was leaving the church), traditional Moravian song
Georg Philipp Telemann Largo and Vivace (mov. III and IV) from Concerto in D major for flute, strings and basso continuo, TWV 51:D2
Suite of Dances from the Uhrovec Collection (Slovakia, 1730): [without title] – Hungaricus • Hajdukujymy, traditional song from Żywiec region (Poland – Hungary)
Georg Philipp Telemann Vitement from the Rostock manuscript, TWV 45 • Braul Oltenesc, traditional Romanian dance (arr. Iurie Morar)
Nisko słonko, traditional song from Kurpie region (Poland)
Georg Philipp Telemann Allegro (mov. VII) from Trio No. 3 in B minor, TWV 42:H2 • Hora din caval, traditional Romanian melody (arr. Iurie Morar) • Georg Philipp Telemann Adagio (mov. III) from Concerto polonoise in D major, TWV 51:D3 • Georg Philipp Telemann Presto (mov. V) from Trio No. 3 in B minor, TWV 42:H2 (oprac. Iurie Morar)
Vešelo še dzivče, traditional Slovakian melody (arr. Josef Žák)
Suite of Dances from the Uhrovec Collection (Slovakia, 1730): [without title] – Hungaricus – Hungaricus – [without title] – Olas

Concert description

“In 1704 I was appointed Chapelmaster in Sorau (Zary) by His Excellence Count Erdmann von Promnitz. (…) When the Court resided for six months in Plesse (Pszczyna) and Kraków, I became acquainted with both Polish music and the music of the Hanaks. This in all its barbaric beauty,” wrote Georg Philipp Telemann in his 1740 autobiography. His admiration for the folk music of these regions knew no bounds. Many of his works allude directly to it: his sonatas, concertos and suites resound with the lively rhythms of national dances, and the melodies he composed bring to mind the hard-to-fake color of ethnic chants.

Folk music is constantly changing, evolving. Each village band will play a traditional preposition in its own way, and each successive generation will hum the old song a little differently. The composers’ work inspired by them is therefore particularly valuable. As Bohdan Pociej writes, Telemann’s compositions “preserved what is by its nature most ephemeral, elusive, fragile, and perishable.” Reflections and memories of that music survive in his works to this day.

– Karolina Dąbek (pisanezesluchu.pl)

Programme

Sergei Rachmaninov Suite No. 1 in G minor Fantaisie-tableaux for two pianos, Op. 5 [23’]
I. Barcarolle: Allegretto
II. La nuit… L’amour…: Adagio sostenuto
III. Les Larmes: Largo di molto
IV. Pâques: Allegro maestoso
Béla Bartók Sonata For Two Pianos And Percussion, BB.115 [30’]
I. Assai lento – Allegro molt
II. Lento, ma non troppo
III. Allegro non troppo

Concert description

The piano is not only the largest, but also the most versatile instrument of the orchestra. It can sing lyrical cantilenas, add a painterly backdrop, sound menacing like a mighty choir or charm with subtle grace like a ballerina. Two pianos only add to this artistic potential, and Sergei Rachmaninoff’s Suite No. 1 in G minor lets you revel in it. In it we hear both a fabulously light shimmering dance (Barcarolle) and a dreamy vision of a romantic night (La nuit… L’amour…). In contrast, the quiet deep sadness of the third movement contrasts with the solemn drama of the finale.

While Rachmaninoff affects feelings and imagination through musical images, Béla Bartók’s music speaks directly to primal instincts. The Hungarian composer discovered a previously unknown face of the piano, which in his compositions becomes one of the most magnificent percussion instruments. The vibrant style of Bartók’s music, inspired by folklore and pagan rituals, is referred to as “barbarism.” In it, the Hungarian composer reaches back to his native roots and what is primal in every culture – energy, pulse and rhythm.

– Karolina Dąbek (pisanezesluchu.pl)

Programme

Johann Sebastian Bach Bourrée and Gigue (mov. IV, V) from Orchestral Suite No. 3 in D major, BWV 1068 [5’]
Antonín Dvořák Furiant (No. 8) from Slavonic Dances, Op. 46 [4’]
Johannes Brahms Csardas in G minor (No. 5) from Hungarian Dances (arr. Martin Schmeling) [4’]
Antonín Dvořák Starodávny (No. 2) from Slavonic Dances, Op. 72 [6’]
Edward Elgar March in D major (No. 1) from Pomp and Circumstance Marches, Op. 39 [5’]
Wojciech Kilar Polonaise from the film Pan Tadeusz [5’]
Wojciech Kilar Orawa [9’]
Manuel de Falla Ritual Fire Dance (Danza ritual del fuego) from the ballet-pantomime Love, the sorcerer (El Amor brujo) [5’]

Programme

Ottorino Respighi Symphonic Poem Fountains of Rome (Fontane di Roma), P.106 [15’]
I. The Fountain of Valle Giulia at Dawn (La fontana di Valle Giulia all’alba)
II. The Triton Fountain in the Morning (La Fontana del Tritone al mattino)
III. The Trevi Fountain at Noon (La Fontana di Trevi al meriggio)
IV. The Villa Medici Fountain at Sunset (La fontana di Villa Medici al tramonto)
Aaron Copland Clarinet Concerto [18’]
I. Slowly and expressively
II. Rather fast
Zoltán Kodály Dances of Galánta [16’]

Concert description

Allora, clarinetto!

Wind instruments are some of the oldest musical sound sources. They were originally created from hollow sticks or animal bones. The history of the clarinet as we know it today dates back to the early 18th century. Today it is a virtuoso instrument with exceptional expressive capabilities. These qualities fit perfectly with the character of Aaron Copland’s Clarinet Concerto, in which the deep “bittersweet lyricism” of the first movement contrasts with the jazzy elements and whimsical showiness of the second.

The sound of woodwind instruments is soothing and loud, close to nature and the timbre of the human voice – no surprise, then, that it is to them that composers from classicism to the present often entrusted the conducting of cantilenas and dialogues in their orchestral works. Such is the case in the first movement of Fountains of Rome, where Ottorino Respighi, with the voices of flutes, oboes and clarinets, presents an idyllic image of sheep being led out to pastures damp with morning dew. Or in Zoltán Kodály’s work, where the wind parts intone fragments of folk melodies from Galanta.

 – Karolina Dąbek (pisanezesluchu.pl)

Programme

Sergei Bortkiewicz 4 Klavierstücken, Op. 65 (selection) [6’]
1. Song without words (Lied ohne Worte)
2. Etude
Levko Revutsky Three Preludes, Op. 4 [5’]
1. in D-flat major
2. in F-sharp minor
3. in C-sharp minor
Levko Revutsky Two Preludes, Op. 7 [5’]
1. in E-flat major
2. in B-flat minor
Levko Revutsky Sonata-Allegro in B minor [13’]
Ferenc Liszt Piano Sonata in B minor, S.178 [30’]

Concert description

A genius of the Romantic era and a legendary piano virtuoso, Franz Liszt was a citizen of the world. His talent manifested itself at an early age, and from his childhood years he toured many corners of Europe. Germany, France and Italy became the composer’s adopted homelands. Although he was cut off from his native land when he was young and initially did not even speak his native language, he always felt an overwhelming bond with Hungary. It was evident in his works – directly in the use of folk melodies and scales in the Hungarian Rhapsodies, and indirectly, as reflected in the elemental and dark nature of the theme of the Piano Sonata in B minor, known as the “encyclopedia of Lisztian pianism.”

Liszt started the tradition of solo instrumental recitals, and developed harmonics and performance techniques in ways even contemporaries could not have dreamed of. His work is an ever-beating source of inspiration – Sergei Bortkiewicz, who also happened to be an émigré, admitted to being fascinated by it. Like Levko Revutsky, who was not much younger than him, he returned for most of his life to the music and memories of his native Ukraine.

– Karolina Dąbek (pisanezesluchu.pl)

Programme

Tsuzamen – traditional klezmer, Armenian and Roma music in new arrangements.

Concert description

“Tools of melody” is how the Hebrew klej zemer (כלי זמר), meaning musical instruments, can be literally translated. From this word comes the name of klezmer music, the traditional work of itinerant musicians with Jewish roots. And indeed, the instruments in their hands came to life, with the freedom to combine the special nostalgic allure of Jewish cantilenas with the dancing element of ensemble playing. From as early as the mid-18th century, klezmer bands graced religious ceremonies and folk parties, performing solemn songs and pieces, but also popular tunes and dances of incredible sonic richness, full of primal energy, rhythms and filigree embellishments.

The klezmer tradition is being revived in the work of Sirba Octet. However, they reach not only to the colorful sources of Jewish music, but also to the emotional folklore of the Armenian lands and the internally contrasted, strongly expressive Gypsy music. They create their sonic fusion, a contemporary reading in innovative transcriptions and arrangements in which the spirit and beauty of the musical originals are still legible.

– Karolina Dąbek (pisanezesluchu.pl)

Programme

George Gershwin/Paul Lay Rhapsody in Blue Extended 1924–2024

Concert description

The story behind the creation of Rhapsody in Blue is as stunning as the music itself. George Gershwin learned by complete accident – from a newspaper announcing the premiere – that he was to compose it. There wasn’t much time left. As a pianist of fantastic inventiveness, he undertook the breakneck task of composing the piece in one month. He decided to combine in it the classical traditions of symphonic music with the lightness and freedom of jazz. He came up with the concept for the piece on the spur of the moment while riding a train and listening to its steady clatter and the richness of the city’s sounds – echoes of which can be heard in the music. During the premiere, he sat at the piano himself, and partially improvised the solo part live. The event was a success and the composition soon entered the canon as one of the most outstanding works of the 20th century.

Today – a century later – Paul Lay is reaching for Gershwin’s work. However, he treats it not as a relic of the past, but as a living and colorful matter, open to creative interpretations. Lay supplements the legendary piece with arrangements of his other popular works, while he himself – as a pianist, improviser and member of a jazz trio – sits down to the instrument, following the example of the composer himself, giving new life to the music.

– Karolina Dąbek (pisanezesluchu.pl)

Programme

One of the most characteristic and important elements of traditional music in Central Poland is undoubtedly the mazurka rhythm. It is a constant source of inspiration for two ensembles, which during their joint concert will present two seemingly different approaches to the oberek groove. The link between the two formations is their leader, violinist, improviser, composer and jazzman, Kacper Malisz. Deeply involved with traditional music since childhood through music-making in the Malisz family band, he develops a new outlook on traditional music in, among others, his jazz quintet and the Suferi ensemble. While being respectful to the old masters and the traditional core of the music he has practised since childhood, Malisz combines oberek rhythms and melodies with influences from modern jazz, electronic music, Romanian music and hip-hop.

Concert description

One of the most characteristic and important elements of traditional music in Central Poland is undoubtedly the mazurka rhythm. It is a constant source of inspiration for two ensembles, which during their joint concert will present two seemingly different approaches to the oberek groove. The link between the two formations is their leader, violinist, improviser, composer and jazzman, Kacper Malisz. Deeply involved with traditional music since childhood through music-making in the Malisz family band, he develops a new outlook on traditional music in, among others, his jazz quintet and the Suferi formation. While being respectful to the old masters and the traditional core of the music he has practiced since childhood, Malisz combines oberek rhythms and melodies with influences from modern jazz, electronic music, Romanian music and hip-hop.

Programme

The Duende spirit wandered from distant Spain through mountains, valleys and forests until our Polish meadows he reached. He met dancing gnomes who offered to play with him. How lucky! It turned out that Duende quickly learned Polish dances and the gnomes got to know those from Spain. Auntie Ada and the Madrugada Sombra group will tell the story of how it went.

Concert description

The Duende spirit wandered from distant Spain through mountains, valleys and forests until he reached our Polish meadows. He was lucky enough to meet dancing gnomes, who offered to play with him. What luck! It turned out that Duende quickly learned Polish dances and the gnomes – those from Spain. Auntie Ada and the Madrugada Sombra group will tell the story of how it was.

Programme

Johann Strauss II Voices of Spring (Frühlingsstimmen), Op. 410 [7’]
Pyotr Tchaikovsky Swan Lake Suite, Op. 20a [26‘]
I. Scene
II. Waltz
III. Dance of Swans
IV. Scene
V. Hungarian Dance (Csardas)
VI. Scene
Hector Berlioz Rákóczy March (Marche hongroise), Dance of the Sylphs (Ballet Des Sylphes), Will-o-the-Wisps (Menuet de Follets) from the oratorio The Damnation of Faust (La Damnation de Faust), Op. 24, H.111 [14’]

Programme

Where does music come from? Is it simply all the sounds of the world, or just magically selected? And how are the sounds created? Can they be seen? Panakota, an admirer of ‘cat music’ decides to find answers to these questions by talking to the best experts on the subject, musicians of the Sinfonia Varsovia orchestra.

Concert description

Where does music come from? Is it simply all the sounds of the world, or just magically selected ones? And how are the sounds created? Can they be seen? Panakota, an admirer of “CATerwauling” decides to find answers to these questions by talking to the best experts on the subject, musicians of the Sinfonia Varsovia orchestra.

Programme

The Duende spirit wandered from distant Spain through mountains, valleys and forests until our Polish meadows he reached. He met dancing gnomes who offered to play with him. How lucky! It turned out that Duende quickly learned Polish dances and the gnomes got to know those from Spain. Auntie Ada and the Madrugada Sombra group will tell the story of how it went.

Concert description

The Duende spirit wandered from distant Spain through mountains, valleys and forests until he reached our Polish meadows. He was lucky enough to meet dancing gnomes, who offered to play with him. What luck! It turned out that Duende quickly learned Polish dances and the gnomes – those from Spain. Auntie Ada and the Madrugada Sombra group will tell the story of how it was.

Programme

Johann Sebastian Bach Prelude No. 1 in C major from Das Wohltemperierte Klavier, BWV 846 (arr. Raphaël Feuillâtre)
François Couperin Les Barricades mystérieuses from ordre VI, book II of Pièces de clavecin (arr. Antoine Fougeray)
Jacques Duphly Médée from book III of Pièces de clavecin (arr. Antoine Fougeray)
Miguel Llobet Solés Variations on Theme of Fernando Sor (La Folia)
Isaac Albéniz Asturias from Suite espagnole, Op. 47
Augustín Barrios Mangoré La Catedral
I. Preludio saudade
II. Andante religioso
III. Allegro solemne
Astor Piazzolla Adios Nonino (arr. Cacho Tirao)

Concert description

Guitar recitals have a special charm. The main place on the stage during them is occupied by a small, quiet instrument, which is relatively easy to learn to play – surely anyone could pick it up and master the basics after a while. However, not everyone is able to ascend to such a level of virtuosity and expressive sophistication as to mesmerize an entire hall with an inconspicuous guitar. Raphaël Feuillâtre can, and more than only one – for he has played in some of the world’s finest philharmonics, from France to China, from Argentina to the US.

In his hands, the instrument is like a chameleon, changing its face, adapting from a variety of styles and types of music – even that originally written for harpsichord, piano or accordion‑like bandoneon. Thus, the guitar will be heard in a canonical work of Baroque polyphony (Bach’s Prelude in C major) and an intricately woven miniature in French style brisé (Couperin’s Les Barricades mystérieuses). However, it seems to be particularly in her nature to play the music of sun and rhythm, temperamental and melancholy dances: the Andalusian flamenco (Albeniz’s Asturias) and the Argentine tango (Piazzolla’s Adios Nonino).

– Karolina Dąbek (pisanezesluchu.pl)

Programme

Ogólnokształcąca Szkoła Muzyczna I i II stopnia im. Karola Szymanowskiego we Wrocławiu:

Julius Weissenborn Capriccio for bassoon and piano, Op. 14 (arr. for bassoon and orchestra Marcin Grabosz) [8’]
Radosław Broda Genesis [10’]
Joseph Haydn Finale: Spiritoso (mov. IV) from Symphony No. 104 in D major, Hob.I:104 [7’]

Zespół Szkół Muzycznych im. Ignacego Paderewskiego w Białymstoku:

Georges Bizet Carmen Overture [2’]
Georges Bizet Introduction to the act II of opera Carmen [5’]
Giacomo Puccini Aria Tu, che di gel sei cinta (Liu) from act III of opera Turandot [3’]
John Williams Schindler’s List Theme (arr. Adam Chomiuk) [4’]
Stanisław Moniuszko Recitativo and Stefan’s aria from act III of opera The Haunted Manor (Straszny dwór) [8’]
Eugene Bozza Aria [4’]

Programme

The Duende spirit wandered from distant Spain through mountains, valleys and forests until our Polish meadows he reached. He met dancing gnomes who offered to play with him. How lucky! It turned out that Duende quickly learned Polish dances and the gnomes got to know those from Spain. Auntie Ada and the Madrugada Sombra group will tell the story of how it went.

Concert description

The Duende spirit wandered from distant Spain through mountains, valleys and forests until he reached our Polish meadows. He was lucky enough to meet dancing gnomes, who offered to play with him. What luck! It turned out that Duende quickly learned Polish dances and the gnomes – those from Spain. Auntie Ada and the Madrugada Sombra group will tell the story of how it was.

Programme

Bedřich Smetana Symphonic Poem The Moldau from My Fatherland [15’]

Camille Saint-Saëns Symphonic Poem Dance of Death (Danse macabre), Op. 40 [8’]

Georges Bizet Carmen Suite No. 2 (arr. Ernest Guiraud) [23’]
I. Marche des contrebandiers
II. Habanera
III. Nocturne
IV. Chanson du Toréador
V. La garde montante
VI. Danse bohème

Programme

Moldavian Suite: Jelea Din Bosanci (Doïna) / Hora Din Grăniceşti / Sirba Lui Nutu [8’]
Tire L’aiguille [5’]
Dos Broitele [4’]
Tata, Vine Pastele [4’]
Cocher, ralentis tes cheveaux [6’]
Doina / Hora Flacailor [5’]
Deux Guitares [5’]
Farges Mikh Nit / Zug Es Meir Noch Amool [8’]
Azol Tantzmen / Arga [5’]
Corageasca [2’]
Hora Moldoveneasca [6’]

Concert description

Sometimes the combination of completely distant things produces astonishingly good results. The symphony orchestra traces its tradition back to the Baroque era, where it formed its shape in the lavish halls of palaces and later philharmonic halls. On the other hand, the folk band playing music has an even longer centuries-old history, but it originated in the bustling village streets and inns. The former is famous for its perfectly balanced sound, classical repertoire and is a symbol of noble entertainment, while the latter is close to life in all its aspects, along with raw beauty, thrilling emotions, simplicity and imperfection.

Sirba Octet joins forces with Sinfonia Iuventus in a program that brings out the best in each of them. Contemporary symphonic-ethnic arrangements of festive, occasional and popular songs and dances tell long-forgotten stories, strumming the emotional strings. Moldovan, Gypsy and Romanian traditions are revived in this music, accompanied by the finest instrumental set of classical music.

– Karolina Dąbek (pisanezesluchu.pl)

Programme

Middle Ages (12^th–13^th centuries):
Marcabru Pastorella L’autre ièr josta una sebissa (The Day Before by the Hedge)
Adam de la Halle Robin, par l’ame ten pere from Le Jeu de Robin et Marion (The Play of Robin and Marion)
Anonimous Belle Doette – La Quinte Estampie Real

Renaissance (16^th–17^th centuries) :
Suite of Renaissance Dances: Une Jeune Fillette (allemande) · Allemande (ed. Pierre Phalese) · Claude Gervaise Branle simple · Branle du petit homme (ed. Pierre Phalese)
Schiarazula Marazula – Ungaresca (ed. Pierre Phalese)
Michael Praetorius Les Passepiedz de Bretaigne from Terpsichore collection

Baroque (17^th–18^th centuries):
Joseph Bodin de Boismortier Prélude – Passepied from the collection Divertissements de campagne (Country Entertainment)
Anonimous À l’ombre d’un ormeau (In the Shadow of an Elm Tree)
Charles-Emmanuel Borjon de Scellery Suite of country branles in G, choice from Traité de la Musette (Treatise of Musette)
Nicolas Chédeville La Divinité des Bois (The Divinity of the Woods) from Les Déffis ou l’Étude Amusante (Challenges, Or the Amusing Study), Op. 9                                                 

Popular Music of Central France and Auvergne (19^th–21^st centuries):
Andantino (noted by George Sand) · Bourrée of Aurora Sand · En traversant les plain’s et les montagnes (Crossing planes and mountains, bourrée)
Le cabretaïre et le loup (Tale of the Bagpiper and the Wolf): Bourrée Ai vist lo loup (I have seen a wolf) · Suite de marches nuptiales de Bouscatel (Suite of the Wedding Marches after Antoine Bouscatel)
La polka du Quartier

Concert description

Since the Middle Ages, the luscious intense sound of bagpipes has graced important ceremonies and encouraged people to have fun in lively rhythms. This is the oldest complex musical instrument, which for centuries in Europe has not been inferior in popularity to almost any other. Its construction is simple: it consists primarily of an air-filled container – a bag made of animal skin (sometimes the entire body), and a set of pipes. Different regions and historical periods have developed its distinct variants, as can be seen in the type of ornamentation, materials used, number of pipes and the way it is played.

Their distinctive nasal sound, however, is unmistakable. So is the disposition of the voices – the highest and busiest leads the melody, while the lower one or ones hold the bourdon, that is, a long standing sound, which supports the harmony. Bagpipes probably wouldn’t have survived to this day if they weren’t so versatile. Among other things, they can be heard telling medieval legends of love and intoning the tuneful melodies of French dances popular in the Renaissance and Baroque.

– Karolina Dąbek (pisanezesluchu.pl)

Programme

Origins:
Scott Joplin Elite Syncopations
Skip James Devil Got My Woman
William Christopher Handy Memphis Blues

1920:
James P. Johnson The Charleston
Fats Waller Ain’t Misbehavin’
Duke Ellington It Don’t Mean a Thing If It Ain’t Got That Swing

1930:
George Gershwin Embraceable You
Frank Church of Art Societiesill Someday My Prince Will Come
Duke Ellington Caravan

1940:
Charlie Parker Donna Lee
Thelonious Monk Ruby, My Dear
Dizzy Gillespie A Night in Tunisia

Concert description

In the beginning there was ragtime. A light, danceable form with an irregularly “jagged,” or syncopated rhythm, whose overwhelming potential was discovered by Scott Joplin back in the late 19th century. This son of a former slave, rooted in African-American culture and enamored of European classical music, integrated these two poles in a fantastic way into a new kind of music. Some time must have passed between his compositions, in which free-flowing figurations are always based on marching bass, and swinging mid-century jazz improvisation.

Later years brought a flowering of various styles. The New Orleans jazz of the first 20th century decade represents a never-aging classic, in which a constantly repeated rhythmic formula is accompanied by a band members’ impressive solo displays. The role of soloists grew even stronger in Chicago jazz, and the next step was dixieland, or colorful simultaneous improvisations to a theme played at the same time by a single musician. And then came the era of dance swing and the popularity of big bands, while the direct impetus for the development of modern jazz came from bebop, a brilliant style of freedom and rhythmic richness. And it’s not over yet.

– Karolina Dąbek (pisanezesluchu.pl)

Programme

What do pop hits, tap dancing, hip-hop, jazz music, reggae and capoeira have in common? – The clave (Spanish for key), a distinctive rhythmic pattern that originated many centuries ago in Sub-Saharan Africa. Travelling from the 15th to 19th century along the slave routes from Africa through the Caribbean, South America and into North America, it became a key element of jazz and a whole range of later styles. The outstanding and versatile percussionists, as well as composers and improvisers, Jerzy Rogiewicz and Hubert Zemler, will guide us on a journey to its origins. We will get to know the structure of clave, its types, learn to perform it together and recognise it in pop music. You should equip yourself with a clave (simple instrument) for this journey. It will be klawe (old-fashioned Polish word for swell)!

Concert description

What do pop hits, tap dancing, hip-hop, jazz music, reggae and capoeira have in common? The clave (Spanish for key), a distinctive rhythmic pattern that originated many centuries ago in sub-Saharan Africa. Travelling from the 15th to 19th century along the slave routes from Africa through the Caribbean, South America and into North America, it became a key element of jazz and a whole range of later styles. The outstanding and versatile percussionists, as well as composers and improvisers, Jerzy Rogiewicz and Hubert Zemler, will guide us on a journey to its origins. We will get to know the structure of the clave, its types, learn to perform it together and recognise it in popular music. You should equip yourself with a clave (simple instrument) for this journey. It will be ‘klawe’ (old-fashioned Polish word for fancy)!

Programme

John Willliams Schindler’s List Theme (arr. Adam Chomiuk) [4’]
Pyotr Tchaikovsky Overture-Phantasy Romeo and Juliette, Op. 42 [20’]
Alan Silvestri The Avengers Theme (arr. Diana Sidoruk) [2’]
Georges Bizet Carmen Overture [2’]
Georges Bizet Introduction to act II of Carmen [5’]
Giacomo Puccini Tu, che di gel sei cinta (Liu) from act III of opera Turandot [3’]
Stanisław Moniuszko Recitativo and aria from act III of opera The Haunted Manor (Straszny dwór) [8’]
Eugene Bozza Aria for clarinet solo [4’]

Programme

Robert Schumann Etudes in Variation Form on a Theme by Beethoven, WoO 31 [15’]
Ludwig van Beethoven Symphony No. 7 in A major, Op. 92 (arr. for piano solo Ferenc Liszt S.464/7) [40’]
I. Poco sostenuto – Vivace
II. Allegretto
III. Scherzo: Presto – Trio: Assai meno presto
IV. Allegro con brio

Concert description

A somber, tragic tone pervades the slow movement of Ludwig van Beethoven’s Symphony No. 7. The Allegretto’s main theme is a procession of chords in the insistent, repetitive rhythm of a funeral march. There is both mourning and sadness as well as anger in it, standing in stark opposition to the exuberant, even unleavened and joyful expression of the themes in the other movements of the symphony, which Richard Wagner called “the apotheosis of the dance.” Beethoven wrote it in 1811 and 1812, at the height of his career as a composer and over the brink of a lifelong tragedy, gradually and irreversibly losing his hearing.

This poignant march theme, which is deeply memorable, was chosen by Robert Schumann as the leitmotif of his variations. In the traditional form of a variation, each miniature differs from one another, being a study of another aspect of piano technique. Schumann’s work has a special character, dominated by figuration and romantic virtuosity. The composer – who struggled for most of his life with personal dramas and mental illness – never completed it as a whole. He left three manuscripts, written for different occasions, and the variations were not published for the first time until after his death.

– Karolina Dąbek (pisanezesluchu.pl)

Partner: Zygmunt Zaleski Foundation

Programme

Astor Piazzolla Libertango (arr. Jarema Jarosiński) [5′]
Béla Bartók Six Romanian Folk Dances, BB.68 (arr. for violin, accordion and double bass Zoltán Székely) [7′]
I. Stick Dance (Jocul cu bâtă): Allegro moderato
II. Sash Dance (Brâul): Allegro
III. In One Spot (Pe loc): Andante
IV. Dance from Bucium (Buciumeana): Molto moderato
V. Romanian Polka (Poarga românească): Allegro
VI. Fast Dance (Mărunțel): Allegro
Stanisław Moniuszko Mountaineers’ Dances from the act III of opera Halka (arr. Piotr Kamiński) [5′]
Grażyna Bacewicz Oberek No. 1 (arr. for violin and accordion) [2′]
Gankino horo, traditional Bulgarian dance [2′]
Leonard Bernstein Music from the musical West Side Story (selection, arr. for violin, accordion, double bass, wind quintet and percussion Jarema Jarosiński) [10′]
Astor Piazzolla Café 1930 and Nightclub 1960 from Histoire du Tango (arr. Jarema Jarosiński) [12′]
Arturo Márquez Danzón No. 2 (arr. Jarema Jarosiński) [10’]

Concert description

Dance is the most beautiful language of emotions that exists. Universal, understandable to all, although it can take a variety of forms. Each country – and even each region – has developed separate genres, melodies and rhythms that say a lot about its identity. Argentine tango is a dance of love – its master Astor Piazzolla was able to enchant in music simultaneously feelings of desire and unspeakable longing. The danzón, on the other hand, represents a slow, passionate dance from sunny Cuba and Mexico; Arturo Márquez brings out hints of nostalgia and drama.

The study of folk songs and dances is handled by a scientific field called ethnomusicology. One of its pioneers was Béla Bartók, who spent a lot of time traveling from village to village and listening to Hungarian and Romanian folklore. This resulted in the special color of his work, in which he artistically processed folk rhythms and melodies. Polish artists also reached for inspiration from native folklore. In her works Grażyna Bacewicz brought out the lightness and feistiness of the oberek, once famous in Mazovia and Radomszczyzna regions, and Stanisław Moniuszko perfectly captured the spirit of highland games.

– Karolina Dąbek (pisanezesluchu.pl)

Programme

What do pop hits, tap dancing, hip-hop, jazz music, reggae and capoeira have in common? – The clave (Spanish for key), a distinctive rhythmic pattern that originated many centuries ago in Sub-Saharan Africa. Travelling from the 15th to 19th century along the slave routes from Africa through the Caribbean, South America and into North America, it became a key element of jazz and a whole range of later styles. The outstanding and versatile percussionists, as well as composers and improvisers, Jerzy Rogiewicz and Hubert Zemler, will guide us on a journey to its origins. We will get to know the structure of clave, its types, learn to perform it together and recognise it in pop music. You should equip yourself with a clave (simple instrument) for this journey. It will be klawe (old-fashioned Polish word for swell)!

Concert description

What do pop hits, tap dancing, hip-hop, jazz music, reggae and capoeira have in common? The clave (Spanish for key), a distinctive rhythmic pattern that originated many centuries ago in sub-Saharan Africa. Travelling from the 15th to 19th century along the slave routes from Africa through the Caribbean, South America and into North America, it became a key element of jazz and a whole range of later styles. The outstanding and versatile percussionists, as well as composers and improvisers, Jerzy Rogiewicz and Hubert Zemler, will guide us on a journey to its origins. We will get to know the structure of the clave, its types, learn to perform it together and recognise it in popular music. You should equip yourself with a clave (simple instrument) for this journey. It will be ‘klawe’ (old-fashioned Polish word for fancy)!

Programme

John Kander Hot Honey Rag from the musical Chicago [4’]
Sammy Nestico The Queen Bee [5’]
Irving Mills St. James Infirmary [5’]
Henryk Kuźniak Ragtime from the film Vabank [4’]
Glenn Miller Pennsylvania 6-5000 [4’]
Louis Prima Sing, Sing, Sing [4’]
Cole Porter/Artie Shaw Begin the Beguine [4’]
Billy Strayhorn/Duke Ellington Take the “A” Train [3’]
Cole Porter Love for Sale from the musical The New Yorkers [5’]
Andy Weiner Cruisin’ for a Bluesin’ [7’]

Concert description

It’s time to kick back and let the juicy sounds of the big band carry you away! It’s time to move nearly a hundred years back to American stuffy movie theaters and pubs filled with freedom, shouting and cigarette smoke. Recorded in sounds, however, the beginnings of jazz and blues are not only fantastic rhythms and original harmonies, but also a piece of history. It’s the traditional spiritual When the Saints Go Marchin’ In, now classic jazz standards like the longing farewell to his beloved at St. James Infirmary, which was intoned by Louis Armstrong in the 1920s, as well as an anthem in honor of the newly established 1936 railroad connecting Brooklyn to Manhattan (Take the “A” Train). The atmosphere of New York’s bustling Café Rouge (Pennsylvania 6-5000) and swing dancing (Sing, Sing, Sing), for which the American youth of the 1930s and 1940s went crazy, survives in music.

Jazz instantly captured the Broadway stage and cinema market – the title song from the musical Lady, Be Good!, in which poor siblings fight for love and dreams, became a hit shortly after its release in 1924. But this genre of music has also worked well in productions that are far from a romantic vision of the world. Among them will be Hot Honey Rag, the final “duet of murderesses” – the heroines of the famous musical Chicago – and the song of the prostitute Love for Sale, which contributed to the initial controversy surrounding The New Yorkers musical.

– Karolina Dąbek (pisanezesluchu.pl)

Programme

Johann Sebastian Bach Goldberg Variations, BWV 988 [50’]

Concert description

“Bach is the father of music of our era. Nicht Bach, Meer sollte er heissen*) – Beethoven said. Indeed – Bach is like the sea,” wrote Stefan Kisielewski. Reaching for the music of the Baroque genius, we reach to the inexhaustible sources of all later composers’ creativity. Wherein lies its phenomenon? Perhaps the answer will be provided by The Goldberg Variations, a polyphonic masterpiece that grows out of universal mathematical laws.

A human voice can sing a single melody. A choir composed of many people will sing several of them. Polyphony consists of harmonious conducting of voices, or singing lines, but often by a single instrument. It was out of thinking in terms of melody, cantilena, that the Goldberg Variations were born. Bach wrote them for the then-popular harpsichord, whose sound is noble but quiet and short. The modern accordion, on the other hand, can truly sing, linking notes together and breathing along with the musical phrase. The foundation of the composition is the Aria, or rather its melody, curiously contained in the lower bass voice. The thirty variations that follow reveal Bach’s love of symmetry and proportion. They are grouped in threes – with a dance, a virtuoso miniature and a canon – so that the piece develops gradually and diversely. From polonaise and fugato to sarabande and quodlibet, from simple figurations and canons to rich ornamentation and elaborate polyphonic forms.

^*) Translated from German: “Not Brook (German: Bach), but Sea (German: Meer) should be his name”.

– Karolina Dąbek (pisanezesluchu.pl)

Programme

John Bull
Carol Een Kindeken is ons geboren [3’]
Lord Lumley’s Pavan and Galliard [8’]
Duke of Brunswick’s Alman [2’]
Duchess of Brunswick’s Toy [1’]
My Self [2’]
In Nomine [V] [4’]
In Nomine [IX] [6’]
Chromatic Pavan and Galliard [9’]
Bull’s Good Night [4’]
Melancholy Pavan and Galliard [8’]
Pavan and Galliard ‘Saint Thomas, Wake!’ [5’]
Salvator mundi [II] [3’]

Concert description

Polish premiere of the album The Real John Bull (Ricercar 2024).

During the concert we will get to one of the sources of harpsichord music, which is considered to be the works of English virginalists from the turn of the 16th and 17th centuries. An outstanding representative of this musical trend is John Bull – an intriguing composer, in whose life two opposing natures constantly clashed: that of a pious organist and academic, and that of a hedonist and wastrel, causing numerous moral scandals. The artist’s turbulent personality was reflected in his work: absolute polyphonic mastery and rigorous adherence to the rules of counterpoint sit side-by-side with uncouthness, whimsical virtuosity and unexpected harmonic turns. The recital program will be filled with a wide range of musical forms present in the English composer’s oeuvre: from keyboard miniatures, through pavanes and galliards, to grandiose fantasias and plainsongs. The guide through this repertoire will be Maciej Skrzeczkowski, a young harpsichordist and pianist, who in 2023 became the first Pole to win the prestigious Musica Antiqua Competition in Bruges. With his performance, the artist is promoting his debut album, The Real John Bull, which showcases the Englishman’s compositions in their original virginal sound.

– Maciej Skrzeczkowski

Programme

George Gershwin/Paul Lay Rhapsody in Blue 1924–2024

Concert description

The story behind the creation of Rhapsody in Blue is as stunning as the music itself. George Gershwin learned by complete accident – from a newspaper announcing the premiere – that he was to compose it. There wasn’t much time left. As a pianist of fantastic inventiveness, he undertook the breakneck task of composing the piece in one month. He decided to combine in it the classical traditions of symphonic music with the lightness and freedom of jazz. He came up with the concept for the piece on the spur of the moment while riding a train and listening to its steady clatter and the richness of the city’s sounds – echoes of which can be heard in the music. During the premiere, he sat at the piano himself, and partially improvised the solo part live. The event was a success and the composition soon entered the canon as one of the most outstanding works of the 20th century.

Today – a century later – Paul Lay is reaching for Gershwin’s work. However, he treats it not as a relic of the past, but as a living and colorful matter, open to creative interpretations. Lay supplements the legendary piece with arrangements of his other popular works, while he himself – as a pianist, improviser and member of a jazz trio – sits down to the instrument, following the example of the composer himself, giving new life to the music.

– Karolina Dąbek (pisanezesluchu.pl)

Programme

Robert Schumann Pictures from the East (Bilder aus Osten) for four hands, Op. 66 [22’]
I. Lebhaft
II. Nicht schnell und sehr gesangvoll zu spielen
III. Im Volkston
IV. Nicht schnell
V. Lebhaft
VI. Reuig andächtig
Antonín Dvořák From the Bohemian Forest (Ze Šumavy) for four hands, Op. 68 (choice) [15’]
I. In the Spinning-Room (Na přástkách): Allegro molto
II. Silent Woods (Klid): Lento e molto cantabile
III. From Troublous Times (Z bouřlivých dob): Allegro con fuoco

Concert description

Back in Johann Sebastian Bach’s time, the piano keyboard was too short to fit two pianists at it. However, the instrumental industry was developing rapidly and already the Viennese classics were able to confidently employ for this solution. It became popular around 1770. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was one of the first to compose a piece for four hands – he wrote duets for himself and his beloved sister Nannerl. But it was not until Romanticism that the wide dynamic, textural and expressive possibilities of this specific cast type were demonstrated.

In the compositions of Robert Schumann and Antonín Dvořák, the pair of pianists speak with one voice like a lyrical subject spinning a story. In doing so, both composers go beyond the purely sonic meaning of music. The German composer saturated his cycle of miniatures with poetic references – he was inspired while writing by translations of Al-Hariri’s Arabic maqams, rhyming tales from an exotic world. And the Czech composer in Op. 68 returns with memories to the beloved places in his native land, trying to capture and paint their character in music.

– Karolina Dąbek (pisanezesluchu.pl)

Programme

Vincent D’Indy Symphonie sur un chant montagnard français (Symphony on a French Mountain Air) Op. 25 [24’]
I. Assez lent – Modérément animé
II. Assez modéré, mais sans lenteur
III. Animé
Leonard Bernstein Symphonic Dances from West Side Story [24’]
I. Prologue
II. Somewhere
III. Scherzo
IV. Mambo
V. Cha Cha
VI. Meeting Scene
VII. Cool Fugue
VIII. Rumble
IX. Finale

Concert description

Music is a source of emotion, wonderful aesthetic experiences and affection. But what is the source of music? Perhaps the final concert will bring us closer to the answer to this question. However, there is not one, but several distinct areas from which the works of classical music composers grow.

The first is the work of the old masters, followed by folklore and popular music. The symphonic cast, the traditional forms, the skillful use of the art of instrumentation and counterpoint – all indicate that reaching for the beautiful and balanced patterns of classical music is still vital. This is the foundation on which Vincent d’Indy built his symphony while referring to a folk melody heard in the Cévennes, and Leonard Bernstein his musical, from which he brought a symphonic dance suite with colorful jazz elements to the concert stage.

However, the sources of music can also lie quite elsewhere – in inspiration from various arts, culture or nature. In d’Indy’s case it will be the memory of picturesque mountain landscapes, and in Bernstein’s case it will be the immortal love story from William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, which found a new adaptation in the musical West Side Story.

– Karolina Dąbek (pisanezesluchu.pl)

Programme

When The Saints Go Marchin In, traditional spiritual [4’]
Sammy Nestico The Queen Bee [5’]
George Gershwin Oh, Lady Be Good from the musical Lady Be Good [4’]
Lil Hardin Armstrong Struttin’ With Some Barbecue [5’]
Cole Porter Love For Sale from the musical The New Yorkers [5’]
Glenn Miller Pennsylvania 6-5000 [4’]
Duke Ellington/Billy Strayhorn Satin Doll [5’]
Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Groove Merchant [7’]

Concert description

It’s time to kick back and let the juicy sounds of the big band carry you away! It’s time to move nearly a hundred years back to American stuffy movie theaters and pubs filled with freedom, shouting and cigarette smoke. Recorded in sounds, however, the beginnings of jazz and blues are not only fantastic rhythms and original harmonies, but also a piece of history. It’s the traditional spiritual When the Saints Go Marchin’ In, now classic jazz standards like the longing farewell to his beloved at St. James Infirmary, which was intoned by Louis Armstrong in the 1920s, as well as an anthem in honor of the newly established 1936 railroad connecting Brooklyn to Manhattan (Take the “A” Train). The atmosphere of New York’s bustling Café Rouge (Pennsylvania 6-5000) and swing dancing (Sing, Sing, Sing), for which the American youth of the 1930s and 1940s went crazy, survives in music.

Jazz instantly captured the Broadway stage and cinema market – the title song from the musical Lady, Be Good!, in which poor siblings fight for love and dreams, became a hit shortly after its release in 1924. But this genre of music has also worked well in productions that are far from a romantic vision of the world. Among them will be Hot Honey Rag, the final “duet of murderesses” – the heroines of the famous musical Chicago – and the song of the prostitute Love for Sale, which contributed to the initial controversy surrounding The New Yorkers musical.

– Karolina Dąbek (pisanezesluchu.pl)