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Polish Music Newsletter |  |
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October 2011, Vol. 17, No. 10. ISSN 1098-9188. Published monthly. Anniversaries |
Awards | Discography | Festivals | News |
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PMC NEWS |
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PADEREWSKI FESTIVAL IN PASO ROBLES
In the mid-1930s, Paderewski expressed a wish to establish free music education for talented youth in Paso Robles, a community where he owned large ranches with vineyards and almond groves. This year’s Festival will again honor Paderewski’s initiative to bring music to fellow Californians by making all concerts during the 2011 Paderewski Festival in Paso Robles free of charge. However, as a nonprofit organization, the Paderewski Festival welcomes donations. To accommodate the highest possible number of concertgoers, reservations are strongly suggested by going to the shop page of the Festival website, www.paderewskifest.com, e-mailing info@paderewskifest.com, or calling (805) 769-4622. Otherwise, seating will be on a first-come basis. 2011 PADEREWSKI FESTIVAL EVENT CALENDAR THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 2011: The 2011 Paderewski Festival will open with an evening of choral music performed by Cuesta College North County Chorus led by Cassandra Tarantino. Waclaw z Szamotul, the most important composer of the Polish Renaissance and court composer to King Sigismund Augustus II, will be represented by his evocative song Daylight Declines. Feliks Nowowiejski’s rousing setting of Hymn of 1910, and a celebrated patriotic poem by Maria Konopnicka will follow. Other items on the program include music by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Rene Clausen and USC Thornton School of Music professor Morten Lauridsen. FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2011: Polish Jazz Concert Widely acclaimed as one of the most brilliant and original jazz pianists today, Leszek Możdżer (at right) will present a solo program largely based on his recently-released album of film music and jazz compositions by Krzysztof Komeda (1931-1969). Komeda wrote soundtracks to several of Roman Polanski's films, including Knife in the Water and Rosemary's Baby. Signature tunes from these celebrated silver screen classics will receive a sparkling treatment from Mozdzer, whose virtuoso interpretations of Komeda's music elicited high praise from music critics worldwide. SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2011: Dr. Kenneth H. Marcus, Associate Professor of History and Director of the International Studies Institute at the University of LaVerne, is author of Musical Metropolis: Los Angeles and the Creation of a Music Culture, 1880-1940, published in 2004. The 2011 Youth Piano Competition Winners’ Concert The 2011 Paderewski Festival Gala Concert
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 2011: Historic Paderewski Vineyard & Estate Tour, Jazz Concert & Lunch (Fundraiser) Featuring three young guitar virtuosos – Perry Smith, John Storie and Jeff Stein – the New West Guitar Group’s original music combines the foundation of jazz with elements of blues, rock and folk. They will play pieces from their fourth and latest album Round Trip Ticket, released October 2011, which combines the different timbres of acoustic and electric guitar that is their signature sound. A 2011 Friends of Paderewski VIP Pass, which includes the Sunday Epoch Estate Wines vineyard tour, lunch with wine and concert, plus preferred seating at the lecture and all performances, is available for $150 per person. Purchase at the Festival website shop page at www.paderewskifest.com, e-mailing info@paderewskifest.com or calling (805)769-4622. * * * * * BACKGROUND: In a short time we are going to my home in California. When my tour is over, you (Polish composer, musicologist and close friend Henryk Opienski) and I will settle down to teach music to talented children. In a few years, we should be able to start several good artists on careers that will be worthy of the names of Opienski and Paderewski. … Everything is to be free in our school (financed from Paderewski's tours). … Good people have helped me all my life; then why should I not help others? Good people had confidence in me; when I was discouraged, they gave me faith in myself. This is what I will do for young musicians, and they in turn will enrich the hearts and spirits of people all over the world. Ignacy Jan Paderewski, late 1930s He was a wild-haired rock star, a world-famous pianist and composer who sold out concerts from Paris to Los Angeles. He appeared twice on the cover of TIME magazine. He served as independent Poland’s first prime minister, befriended every American president from William McKinley to Franklin D. Roosevelt and hobnobbed with the crowned heads of Europe. Sarah Linn, The Tribune, San Luis Obispo, November 6, 2008
Paso Robles is proud of its most famous resident, Ignacy Jan Paderewski, who visited this Central California city on many occasions for 25 years between 1914 and 1939. He stayed in the El Paso Hotel (now the Paso Robles Inn) and took cures in Paso Robles’ hot springs. He eventually bought nearly 3,000 acres of farmland in Paso Robles, Rancho San Ignacio and Rancho Santa Helena, where he planted wine grapes, almonds and a variety of fruit trees. In addition to his musical and political accomplishments, he also is remembered as a pioneer of vine cultivation and credited with bringing Zinfandel wine grapes to California. To commemorate Paderewski’s association with Paso Robles, the Paderewski Festival was launched in 1991. The festival was suspended temporarily from 2001 to 2006, when it was re-launched under the leadership of the Polish Music Center at the University of Southern California’s Thornton School of Music and Paso Roblans led by Steve Cass of Cass Winery and Joel Peterson, grandson of the Paderewski Festival's founder Virginia Peterson. A sister city agreement between Tarnów, Poland and Paso Robles, California, was signed in 2008 with the goal of establishing cultural, educational, personal and commercial exchanges between the two cities that share historical ties to Ignacy Jan Paderewski. The Paderewski Festival in Paso Robles is a non-profit organization that sponsors an annual series of concerts featuring internationally acclaimed artists, the Paderewski Youth Piano Competition and Exchange Program, and other Paderewski-themed events throughout the year. Visit www.paderewskifest.com to learn more. [Source: Press release, Photo (Możdżer): Nikodem Krajewski] |
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NEWS |
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SKROWACZEWSKI PREMIERE
October 3, 2011, marks the eighty-eighth birthday of Stanisław Skrowaczewski, one of the world’s leading conductors whose career has spanned many decades and continents. Born in Lwów, Poland in 1923, he first studied piano and violin but settled on the conducting career after World War II, enjoying a succession of appointments as music director of Wrocław, Katowice, and Kraków Philharmonic Orchestras as well as the National Philharmonic Orchestra in Warsaw. After studying composition in Paris with Nadia Boulanger and conducting with Paul Kletzki in the mid 1950s, Skrowaczewski won the Santa Cecilia Competition for Conductors in Rome in 1956 and was invited by Maestro George Szell to conduct the Cleveland Orchestra in 1958. Shortly thereafter, Skrowaczewski settled in the United States and his long association with the Minneapolis Symphony (later renamed the Minnesota Orchestra) began with his appointment as music director of this distinguished ensemble in 1960. After nearly two decades in Minneapolis, Skrowaczewski became conductor laureate of the orchestra and, throughout the 1980s and the 1990s was principal conductor of the Hallé Orchestra in Manchester, England. During his concert-rich six decades of conducting, Stanisław Skrowaczewski has led almost all of the world’s most prestigious orchestras, including the Philadelphia, London, New York, Cincinnati, St. Louis, Pittsburgh, Saarbrücken, Concertgebouw, French National, Warsaw, Zuirich, and Nippon Symphony Orchestras, as well as Vienna State Opera, and the Metropolitan Opera orchestras, among others. Throughout his career, Skrowaczewski has recorded for Columbia Records, RCA, Chandos, Arte Nova, and Pickwick/Carlton labels. Particularly noted are his interpretations of the complete cycles of Bruckner and Beethoven Symphonies. During his tenure with the Minnesota Orchestra he recorded a complete cycle of Ravel’s symphonic music, and his Bruckner Ninth Symphony recording with that ensemble was nominated for the Grammy Award. In addition to his busy performing schedule, Stanisław Skrowaczewski is also a noted composer, who started writing music as a teenager. His compositions were recognized with the Kennedy Center Friedheim Award (1976) and garnered two Pulitzer Prize for Music nominations (1997 and 1999). Maestro Skrowaczewski’s catalogue of compositions includes such works as Four Symphonies (1936; 1945; 1947; and 1954), Overture (1947), Music at Night (1951), Concerto for English horn and Orchestra (1969), Ricercari Nocturni (1976), Clarinet Concerto (1981), Violin Concerto (1985), Fanfare (1987), Triple Concerto (1991), Concerto for Orchestra (1999), Symphony (2003), and Music for Winds (2009). In addition to these large-scale works, Maestro Skrowaczewski’s catalogue also extends to chamber music, including: four string quartets; a string trio; Trio for Clarinet, Bassoon and Piano; six Piano Sonatas; and a cycle of three works entitled Fantasie for small ensembles of winds and strings.
Maestro Skrowaczewski’s ties to the Polish Music Center date back to 1984 when, following Wanda Wilk’s suggestion, he donated the manuscripts of three of his works to the Center’s manuscript collection: Violin Concerto, Op. 18 (1940); Symfonia na smyczki [Symphony for Strings], Op. 25 (1949); and Uwertura [Overture] (1954). Witold Lutosławski was the other initial donor and the scores from these two prominent Polish musicians became the foundation for one of the world’s most important repositories of manuscripts by modern Polish composers. Today the PMC collection holds over 100 manuscripts by such acknowledged masters as Bacewicz, Baird, Laks, Meyer, Penderecki, Ptaszyńska, Schaeffer and Tansman, among many others. The most recent additions include the archives of Sigismond and Luisa Stojowski and the newly discovered manuscripts of symphonic music by Henry Vars [Henryk Wars].
Maestro Skrowaczewski’s latest composition, Music for Winds—co-commissioned by Thornton School of Music at USC—will receive its World Premiere on Sunday, October 30, 2011 by the USC Thornton Wind Ensemble, directed by H. Robert Reynolds. The concert begins at 4:00 p.m. at Bovard Auditorium and the admission is free. Please come and celebrate Maestro Skrowaczewski’s birthday and the premiere of his latest composition!
KILAR PREMIERES
The Concerto is scored for piano, string orchestra, and percussion. Its four movements open with a meditative, slow introductory movement that imitates the tolling of funeral bells. The Concerto’s third movement is similarly somber in character. The second and fourth movements are very lively and dynamic, with highly effective use of Kilar’s favorite minimalist techniques—both in terms of repetitive melodic cells and rhythmic ostinato figures. The Concerto is about 22 minutes long and is published by PWM Editions. Audiences in Katowice and listeners to Polish Radio Programme 2 will also have an opportunity to hear Franz Schubert's Symphony No. 4 “Tragic” and the symphonic poem Tod und Verklärung [Death and Transfiguration] by Richard Strauss on the same program.
[Sources: pwm.com.pl, nospr.org.pl]
CAPELLA PROTEST IN KRAKÓW Capella Cracoviensis, an ensemble devoted to performances of ancient music on historical instruments, has been gripped by a protest strike. The new artistic director, Jan Tomasz Adamus, requested personnel changes in the ensemble and demanded competitive auditions for those who wanted to remain in the group. Musicians who did not agree to audition were fired. Others picketed the Old Market Square and wore t-shirts to concerts with messages: Save Our Capella. The musicians who were fired accused the new artistic director of insufficient professional qualifications. His reply to the press stressed that the new ensemble is not only better but more popular, with programs of masses by Bach, Mozart and Beethoven being well-received by the public. [Source: rmfclassic.pl, muzyka.onet.pl]
KURZAK AT LA OPERA
Polish-born soprano Aleksandra Kurzak has made her debut at the Los Angeles Opera in the role of Fiordiligi in Mozart’s Cosi fan tutte. She recently made her La Scala debut as Gilda in Verdi’s Rigoletto. Her appearances for the 2011/12 season include the title role in Lucia di Lammermoor in Warsaw, Adina in L'Elisir d'Amore at the Vienna Staatsoper, Gretel in Hansel und Gretel at the Metropolitan Opera, Susanna in L'Elisir d'Amore at Covent Garden, La Scala and Vienna Staatsoper, and Violetta in La Traviata in Warsaw and at the Berlin Staatsoper. Running throughout the second half of September, Cosi fan tutte has the following production dates in October: Sunday, 10/2 at 2:00 p.m.; Wednesday, 10/5 at 7:30 p.m.; and Saturday, 10/8 at 2:00 p.m. [Sources: Press release, laopera.com]
OPERA CIRCLE – KRÓL ROGER
Left: Andrzej Stec, tenor, and Dorota Sobieska, soprano Dr. Peter Laki of Bard College presents the following Introduction to this ground-breaking opera by the ‘father of modern Polish music’:
October 28 & 30, 2011 | 7:30 p.m. [Source: operacircle.org]
PASAŻERKA AT ENO
Currently in rotation at the prestigious English National Opera, Pasażerka will be performed on October 7, 13, 15, 22 and 25 at 7:30pm. The following description is provided by the ENO website:
Read a review of the ENO production at www.classical-music.com. [Source: eno.org, bregenzerfestspiele.com]
MUSIC AT 2011 POLISH FILM FEST IN L.A.
For details on all events, please visit www.polishfilmla.org. [Sources: Festival brochure, polishfilmla.org]
DĘBSKI & BATTLE OF WARSAW
The score was written by Krzesimir Dębski, who previously collaborated with Jerzy Hoffman on such well-known films as Stara baśń [An Old Tale] or Ogniem i mieczem [With Fire and Sword]. The composer also plays a small screen role in the film. Battle of Warsaw opens in the United Kingdom on October 7 and in the United States a week later. [Source: filmneweurope.com]
In addition to some of the greatest works of Polish chamber music, this concert brings together world-renown performers: Olga Pasiecznik – soprano, Kevin Kenner – piano, Szymanowski Quartet: Andrej Bielow and Grzegorz Kotów (Violin), Vladimir Mykytka (Viola), and Marcin Sieniawski (Cello). The concert is organized by Pro Musica Mundi—a non-profit association that promotes music, artists, concerts and festivals—and is cofinanced by the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage of the Republic of Poland. Both artists and organizers have dedicated the concert in memory of composer Andrzej Panufnik, whose 20th death anniversary falls on October 27.
[Source: culture.pl]
CZERNECKA IN EDMONTON
Ms. Beata Czernecka, very justly acclaimed as one of Poland's most unique stage voices active today, holds two Master degrees—one in Theatre Performance and the other in Philosophy. This broad professional and intellectual background has brought about "interpretive originality" and "deepest, extramusical cultural awareness". Her interest in and thorough research into the traditional repertoire of Central Europe, always presented in its original linguistic context, has resulted in Ms Beata Czernecka's being hailed by the critics and audiences alike as, simply, "breath-taking", "perfect", and "positively thought-provoking". Accompanied by two outstanding musicians, violinist Michał Półtorak and pianist Paweł Pierzchała, Ms. Czernecka will present a programme of old Polish and Jewish songs, for whose interpretations she is widely recognised and praised.
[Source: polishculturesociety.com]
BACZEWSKA & WRYK PERFORM FITELBERG & LUTOSŁAWSKI
Polish mezzo-soprano Marta Wryk is a recitalist and opera singer performing throughout the United States and in Europe. She has been praised by Bruce-Michael Gelbert in Q on Stage for her “radiance [and her] clear sound and assured presence,” and by Roman Markowicz in the Polish Daily News for her “noble sound and natural stage presence.” While a student at the Manhattan School of Music, she performed the role of Prince Orlofsky in Die Fledermaus, Mirtillo in Handel`s Il Pastor Fido and Third Lady in The Magic Flute. In summer of 2010, she covered Gondi in Maria di Rohan and Clotilde in Norma at the Bel Canto at the Caramoor Festival. Recently, Ms. Wryk won first prize at the International Voice Competition in Gorizia, Italy.
Magdalena Baczewska will also perform Lutosławski’s music on another recital in October, this time in two-piano fashion. Also on the program will be repertoire for two pianos by Brahms, Copland and Mozart.
[Sources: Press release, magdalenabaczewska.com, martawryk.operabelcanto.net]
RECITALS IN WARMIA-MAZURY
Besides classically-oriented programming, the Philharmonic will also present lighter fare with appearances by Marek Tomaszewski (a former duet partner of the late Marek & Wacek ensemble) and Leszek Możdżer. [Source: rmfclassic.pl]
AUGUSTYN NEWS
[Sources: Press release, kingaaugustyn.com]
NEW IJP COINS
The gold, 200 zloty coin (shown at right) features an image of the eagle and a ribbon in white and red, symbolic of the national colors of Poland. The reverse depicts the bust of Ignacy Jan Paderewski, seen in profile. 3000 copies of this coin, 27 mm in diameter, were minted. The silver, 10 zloty coin depicts the figure of the pianist at the piano. The reverse features a fragment of Paderewski’s bust en face and a silhouette of the eagle, which alludes to the coat of arms of the Republic of Poland from 1919. The National Bank of Poland minted 50,000 copies of the 10 zloty coin, 32 mm in diameter. A Nordic Gold, 2 zloty coin depicts a fragment of Paderewski’s bust with the outline of a piano in the background. Minted in 800,000 copies, it is 27 mm in diameter. Images and statistics for all three coins can be found on the National Bank of Poland website. [Source: beethoven.org.pl] |
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AWARDS |
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POSTHUMOUS HONORS FOR GÓRECKI
The composer’s daughter, Anna, accept the award on behalf of her father during a concert on September 30. She also performed her father’s Concerto for Piano and String Orchestra, Op. 40. Zbigniew Rychert will lead the Pomeranian Symphony Orchestra in the program that will also include Capriccio by Górecki’s son, Mikołaj, and Wojciech Kilar’s Krzesany. Concerto for Piano and String Orchestra, Op. 40, is considered to be one of the most popular in Górecki’s catalogue. It was commissioned by the Polish Radio and premiered in 1980 by the strings of the National Polish Radio Symphony Orchestra in Katowice, led by Stanisław Wisłocki. The soloist on that occasion was the harpsichord player Elżbieta Chojnacka, to whom the Concerto (in the version for harpsichord and strings) is dedicated. [Source: rmfclassic.pl, Photo: Gerry Hurkens ]
ANNUAL ZKP AWARD Having been announced in May, the winners of the prestigious Annual Polish Composers' Union Award [Nagroda ZKP] were presented with their awards on September 20, 2011 at a special ceremony held during the 54th Warsaw Autumn Festival. Recognizing outstanding creative accomplishments in composition, support, research and promotion of contemporary Polish music, the Annual ZKP Award has honored such luminaries as Penderecki, Stravinsky, and Messiaen in the past. The 2011 laureates are:
At the same ceremony, ZKP also gave out its Honorary Awards to the following laureates:
[Sources: Press release, polmic.pl]
FURTHER AWARDS FOR PTASZYŃSKA
The Lovers from the Cloister of Valldemosa was commissioned for the 2010 Chopin Bicentennial and premiered in December 2010 by the Grand Opera Theatre in Łódź, Poland. The premiere performance of the opera was screened twice last spring at the University of Chicago, where Marta Ptaszyńska serves as the Helen B. & Frank L. Sulzberger Professor of Music and the Humanities—see uchicago.edu for details about the opera. [Source: Press release]
NORWID PRIZE IN MUSIC
Named after the Romantic-era Polish poet, the 2011Cyprian Kamil Norwid Prize is given in the categories of music, literature, theatre, and visual arts, for works or achievements in the Mazowsze Region during the year 2010. The nominees in the area of music included Alicja Knast (for her work in opening the Chopin Museum in Warsaw in 2010), Aleksander Kościów (for his composition Gorzkie żale for Female Choir and Eight Cellos), and Zygmunt Krauze (for the opera Polieukt premiered by the Warsaw Chamber Opera). The Norwid prizes range from 20-25 thousand PLN (ca. 7-9 thousand dollars) and were given at a gala ceremony at the Royal Castle in Warsaw on September 26. In the music section, the Norwid Prize was awarded to [Source: polmic.pl, Photo: warszawa.gazeta.pl]
KORYFEUSZ POLISH MUSIC PRIZES
October 1 is the International Music Day and it was celebrated in Warsaw with the announcement of the winners of the Koryfeusz Muzyki Polskiej Prize for the year 2011. The gala event was held at the Polish Radio Lutosławski Music Studio.
The gala included a concert of works by Stefan Kisielewski, Ludomir Różycki, and Witold Lutosławski, performed by the Polish Radio Orchestra led by Maestro Borowicz.
[Source: polmic.pl ] |
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FESTIVALS |
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POLISH COMPOSERS’ FESTIVAL IN BIELSKO-BIAŁA
The inaugural concert on October 5 will feature Górecki’s Third Symphony “Symphony of Sorrowful Songs” and Penderecki’s Second Symphony, with Maestro Penderecki (above left) on the composer’s podium leading Sinfonia Varsovia and soprano soloist Iwona Hossa. On October 6, conductor Wojciech Rodek will lead Sinfonia Varsovia in a program of film music by composer Jan A. P. Kaczmarek (above center). The “Special Concert for Children” will be held on October 7, featuring film music by Waldemar Kazanecki, Zenon Kowalowski, and Tadeusz Kocyba. Also on October 7 will be a concert dedicated to the film music of Wojciech Kilar (above right), performed by the Sląsk Philharmonic Orchestra from Katowice led by Mirosław Jacek Błaszczyk. The final concert of the Festival, entitled “Story and Serials,” will feature the Bielska Festival Orchestra with conductor Janusz Powolny with soloists: Vadim Brodsky – saxophone and violin, Katarzyna Jamrós – vocals, and Tomasz Stockinger – vocals. The program is comprised of music from the film composers Waldemar Kazanecki, Krzysztof Komeda, Włodzimierz Korcz, Henryk Wars, Andrzej Kurylewicz, and Henryk Kuźniak. [Sources: fkpbb.pl, sinfoniavarsovia.org]
KAMERaTON
The International Festival of Films about Music KAMERaTON is one-of-a kind and an unprecedented event in Poland. This year, The Gorzów Philharmonic will proudly host its first edition (September 28 – October 2) in its new, magnificent building. The program of KAMERaTON is versatile. It includes competition screenings, off-competition screenings and accompanying events. This year features concerts by Leszek Możdżer, Adam Bałdych with the Royal String Quartet and guest star Grażyna Auguścik; the Award Ceremony celebrating the film music of Krzesimir Dębski conducted by the composer himself; photo exhibitions; and film workshops for young people. The co-organizer of the festival is the Miejski Ośrodek Sztuki (The City’s Art Centre), which will host off-competition screenings and a photo exhibition (‘jazz photos’ by Jan Bebel) and Jazz Club Pod Filarami, where young jazz musicians will perform Komeda’s compositions. The festival is co-financed by the Polish Ministry of Culture and National Heritage. Polish TV (TVP Kultura) and the Polish Radio (Channel 2) have assumed media patronage over the event. The winners of the competition will receive the following awards: Grand Prix – a statue and a cash prize of 15.000 PLN; Awards for Best Works in the five competition categories (biography or portrait; concert or musical show; reportage film; music impression and music education) – statue and a cash prize of 5.000 PLN each. Best Polish Film about Music Award – statue. Audience Award, decided through audience poll – statue. Although the call for entries was not announced until July 2011, with the submission deadline in the mid- August, the number of films submitted to the competition exceeded the wildest dreams of the organizers. Of the 120 films from over 12 countries, 46 made it to the competition. The films will be evaluated by the international jury comprised of: Mr Bartosz Bryła, Mr Philip de la Croix (the director of Mezzo), Mr Ireneusz Engler, Mr Aleksander Maliszewski, MS Barbara Pietkiewicz, Mr Paweł Sztompke, Mr Petr Vlček (Polish film researcher and promoter) and Mr Robert Ćwikliński- the author of the project and the Director of the Festival. [Source: kameraton.pl]
INT’L WIENIAWSKI COMPETITION For over seventy years Henryk Wieniawski has lent his name to international violin competitions. In 2011, the 14th edition of the competition in Poznań, Poland (held since 1952) will take place from October 8-23. Organizers at the Henryk Wieniawski Musical Society are welcoming a new generation of young virtuosos, ones already brought up in the globalized world: oftentimes born in one country, educated in another, living in still another, and daily exposed to the influence of varied cultures. What unites them, however, is music, and, as always, the urge to challenge their peers’ talents, technical skills and artistic imagination. For the venue of this confrontation they chose Poznań – the town that can boast the oldest violin competition in the world.
This concert will be followed by nine days of competition. The third stage of the competition (7 – 18 October 2011) will be performed with the Amadeus Polish Radio Chamber Orchestra, conducted by Agnieszka Duczmal. The fourth and final stage of the competition (19 –21 October 2011) will be performed with the Poznań Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Marek Pijarowski. Prizes will be awarded during a final Award Ceremony and Gala Concert (22 October 2011). The final event of the Competition will be special concert entitled “And yet he will play!” ( 23 October 2011, 7:00 p.m.). This program will be performed by violinist and jury member Maxim Vengerov, with the Poznań Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Marek Pijarowski, and will inlcude music by Kurpiński, Liszt and Beethovan. All events take place at the A. Mickiewicz University Auditorium on H. Wieniawskiego Street. [Source: wieniawski.com] |
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PERFORMANCES |
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SZPILMAN – THE PIANIST OF WARSAW
Polish Radio organized a series of events called The Pianist of Warsaw [Pianista Warszawy] in commemoration of the life and work of Władysław Szpilman—the Polish musician of Jewish origin whose war-time experience was made into the Oscar-winning film The Pianist by Roman Polanski. This cycle of events precedes the 100th anniversary of Szpilman’s birth on December 5, 2011. The Pianist of Warsaw series was inaugurated on September 22 with a remembrance evening at the Agnieszka Osiecka Music Studio devoted to the composer’s connections with Polish Radio. The rest of the series comprises such events as a lecture on Szpilman’s compositional achievements presented by Dr. Katarzyna Naliwajek-Mazurek of the Institute of Musicology of Warsaw University; reminiscences by Szpilman’s widow and Polish musicians associated with the composer; an exhibition on “Music in Nazi-occupied Poland”; screenings of The Pianist and of a documentary film about Szpilman;and concerts of the composer’s music. On September 25, the Władysław Szpilman Concert Studio was opened at the Warsaw Polish Radio headquarters of on al. Niepodległości. This small studio, which remained abandoned for 25 years, has recently been completely refurbished. The program of the inaugural concert refers to Szpilman’s Warsaw Quintet repertoire, which will be performed by Solisti di Varsavia. The cycle ended on 26 September with a concert entitled “No One Can Return Those Songs” at the Och-Theatre. Hits such as “I Don’t Believe the Song”, “Rain”, “No One Can Return Those Years”, “The Time Will Come For That” , and “Three Friends From the Sports Fields” will be performed by students and graduates of the Theatre Academy, including Karolina Dąbrowska, Wiktoria Gorodeckaja, Natalia Sikora, Jacek Beler, and Marcin Januszkiewicz. “Although he was not born in Warsaw, [Szpilman] was connected throughout his entire life with the capital city, through thick and thin,” said Paweł Sztompke from Polish Radio Channel One during a press conference. “Szpilman and Warsaw – it is for this city that he wrote his most beautiful songs during the rebuilding after the war, it is here that he organized the musical life not only for the city but also for the entire country by acting as music director of Polish Radio, by writing new repertoire for orchestras, by recording hundreds of works, by creating the music stage, and by finding new singing stars. When Szpilman formed one of the best known chamber ensembles, he deemed it appropriate to emphasize its links the capital of Poland, naming it the Warsaw Quintet,” recalled Sztompke. [Sources: cogo-news.eu, beethoven.org.pl, muzeumliteratury.pl]
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DISCOGRAPHY |
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FITELBERG CONDUCTS SZYMANOWSKI
"Mike Dutton is the supreme magician of CD re-mastering" Dutton has done it again. The English recording label has released another tribute to the famous Polish conductor Grzegorz Fitelberg, who once led the London Philharmonic Orchestra as a guest conductor after WWII. The latest CD features archival sound recordings of Fitelberg conducting the Russian composers Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov and Pyotr Tchaikovsky, as well as the Polish composer Karol Syzmanowski. Rimsky Korsakov’s Tsar Sultan Suite, op. 57 is the first composition featured and all three movements are performed: I. The Tsar’s Departure and Farewell, II. The Tsarina and her son afloat in the cask, and III. The Three Wonders. Recorded at Wembley Hall in Middlesex on April 15,1946, this performance was previously re-released as part of another Dutton CD, Ansermet Conducts Rimsky-Kosakov . The five movements of Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No.3, op.29—his ‘Polish’ symphony—are also featured on this recording: I. Moderato assai – Allegro brillante, II. Alla tedesca – Allegro moderato e semplice, III. Andante elegiac, IV. Scherzo: Allegro vivo. V. Allegro con fuoco (tempo di Polacca). This recording was made at Kingsway Hall on April 9-10, 1946. The performance of Szymanowski’s Violin Concerto No.1, op.35 features the famous Polish violinist Eugenia Uminska and the Philharmonia Orchestra. It was recorded in Abbey Road Studio No. 1 on September 22, 1948. One can surely delight in the recent resurgence of interest in Grzegorz Fitelberg, whose work is re-emerging thanks to creative and innovative CD labels such as Dutton. Polish classical music afficianados owe Dutton a debt of gratitude for contributing to the preservation of legacy of this prominent Polish composer and conductor. * * * Gary Fitelberg is a musicologist, music critic and historian specializing in Polish classical music. [Source: duttonvocalion.co.uk ]
HOMMAGE TO PADEREWSKI
Internationally acclaimed British pianist Jonathan Plowright becomes the first artist to record an album of works written in homage to one of the early twentieth century’s most fascinating figures, Polish pianist, composer and politician Ignacy Jan Paderewski, 70 years after his death. The legacy of Paderewski is celebrated through this virtuosic exploration of the compositions inspired by Plowright’s unparalleled musicianship, as well as informative liner notes from music historian, Joseph A. Herter.
Homage to Paderewski will be Plowright’s ninth disc on Hyperion. His last recording, Hommage à Chopin, was one of Hyperion’s top-ten sellers in 2010 and met widespread critical acclaim; "as beguiling in intimacy … as he is magisterial in virtuosity." (Gramophone), "Plowright's dazzling playing can't be faulted” (Sunday Times), “exquisitely played” (Fanfare). Paderewski was one of the world’s most famous entertainers of the early twentieth century. Virtuoso pianist, composer, politician (the first Prime Minister of independent Poland after World War I), humanitarian and orator, he was acclaimed as a "Modern Immortal" by Franklin D Roosevelt. He attracted the largest ever recorded audience for a musical performance in New York’s Madison Square Garden in 1932, gave the first ever solo recital at Carnegie Hall and was the world’s highest-paid musician of his time. Published in New York in 1942, the album of sixteen pieces on the disc are musical tributes to Paderewski by composers including Bartók, Martinů, Milhaud, Stojowski and Tedesco. A further six pieces written in dedication to Paderewski also feature, including a Mazurka for two pianos by Britten. As well as being a snapshot of the leading composers of the day, the album provides a fascinating insight into the effects on the War on European cultural life – many of these composers were exiled in the USA to escape Nazi oppression, paving the way for America to become an international leader in new trends in Western music following World War II. [Source: Press release, hyperion-records.co.uk]
NEW ON DUX
Michał Moc - Emotions
[Source: Press release]
CHOPIN CHOPIN CHOPIN
“Chopin Chopin Chopin” is the first album by Profesjonalizm, Marcin Masecki’s new jazz sextet. The line-up consists of Marcin Masecki – piano/composer, Kamil Szuszkiewicz – trumpet, Michał Górczyński – clarinet/saxophone, Tomasz Duda – saxophone, Piotr Domagalski – bass, and Jerzy Rogiewicz - percussion. The music was composed by the group’s leader in mid 2010, at the instigation of the Dom Kultury Śródmieście cultural centre in Warsaw. This is Masecki’s first original project, in which he presents himself as a mature composer. Below is a review by Bartek Chaciński of Polityka:
[Sources: beethoven.org.pl, ladoabc.com, polish-jazz.blogspot.com] |
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REGINA SMENDZIANKA
During her decades-long tenure as a piano professor in Warsaw, which began in 1966, Regina Smendzianka guided the careers of many Polish and foreign pianists who came through her studio. In 1988 she launched the Regina Smendzianka Foundation that devoted its activities to helping young pianists. Having served as the President of the Warsaw Music Academy (1972-1973), she received an honorary doctorate from the Academy in 2002. She made numerous recordings and toured internationally with the National Philharmonic and the National Polish Radio Symphony Orchestra. Among the many accolades and distinctions she received throughout her life, Prof. Smendzianka was honored with six Ministry of Culture awards, the Gold Gloria Artis medal, and the Cavalier’s Cross of the Polonia Resituta. Her funeral will take place on Monday, October 10 at the Holy Cross Church in Warsaw and her remains will be interred at the Honor Row of the Powązki Military Cemetery. [Sources: chopin.edu.pl, polskieradio.pl]
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PMC Newsletter Archive
Copyright 2011 by the Polish Music Center
Send your comments and inquiries to: polmusic@thornton.usc.edu
Newsletter Editor: Krysta Close
Translation Assistance: Marek Żebrowski
Layout Assistance: Charles Bragg
Contributions from:
Marek Żebrowski, Wladek Juszkiewicz,
Paweł Łukaszewski, Jonathan Plowright,, Gary Fitelberg, Fred Harris
Sources of information: Polish Cultural Institute (NY & UK), Adam Mickiewicz Institute,
PWM,
Nowy Dziennik,
Polish Music Information Centre - Warsaw, Polish American Journal,
Poland.pl,
PAP,
ZKP, Kosciuszko Fdn., Ruch Muzyczny, Gazeta Wyborcza
Formatting by Krysta Close, October 11, 2011.
The Polish Music Center includes all content on a space available basis. We reserve the right to refuse any content submitted.
Prizewinner of 13 major international piano competitions, including First Prize at the 2010 
Ignacy Jan Paderewski
The first such exchange program was held in 
Maestro Skrowaczewski spent two weeks in residence on the USC campus in September of 2004, appearing in the Polish Music Center’s annual Paderewski Lecture as well as conducting rehearsals, workshops, and concerts, and meeting with the local Polish cultural organizations such as the Helena Modjeska Club of Los Angeles. At that time, the Polish Music Center received another priceless donation from the Maestro—two of his manuscripts, including Prelude-Fugue-Postlude for Orchestra and Music at Night (1949). 
The latest composition of 
On Friday, October 14, the Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra in Katowice (
On October 28 and 30, 
Pasażerka [The Passenger]—the first opera by Polish composer Mieczysław Weinberg (1919-1996)—has had quite a successful rise since its World Premiere on July 21, 2010 during the 
This year’s Festival features several special events with the musicians behind the films. First, on Friday, October 14 at 7:00 p.m., composer 
Battle of Warsaw, the latest epic film by director Jerzy Hoffmann, opened on September 30, 2011 to record-setting box office receipts in over 140 cinemas throughout Poland. The film is first Polish 3D production and depicts the so-called “miracle on the Vistula,” when the Polish Army defeated Soviet Army’s attack on Poland’s capital in August of 1920. 
Marking the 20th anniversary of 
Edmonton, AB — The 
Mezzo-soprano Marta Wyrk and pianist Magdalena Baczewska— two Polish-born musicians now based in New York—will perform a recital at the Kosciuszko Foundation on October 14. Their program will feature the music of Grzegorz Fitelberg, Witold Lutosławski, Samuel Barber and Franz Schubert, with poetry by Goethe, Rilke, Tuwim, Miciński, Dehmel and Verlaine. Featured on this recital will be a rare performance of Fitelberg’s Dwie pieśni [Two songs]: “Tam nad jeziorem’ [Down by the lake] and “Jasna noc” [Clear night].
Praising her "world-class playing," The American Record Guide calls Polish-born pianist and harpsichordist 
Piotr Sułkowski, the artistic director of the Warmia-Mazury Philharmonic Orchestra in Olsztyn, decided to fill in the gap in the orchestral concert calendar with a series of piano recitals presented by several internationally recognized pianists. The cycle will begin with the recital of Beata Bilińska (shown at left), who will present a program of works by Chopin and Mussorgsky. Other pianists featured in the series include Kevin Kenner and Paweł Wakarecy. 
“An adventurous performer valuable to New York’s scene” (NY Concert Review) and “a violinist for whom nothing seems too difficult," Polish violinist 
On August 29, the National Bank of Poland put three coins commemorating the eminent Polish pianist and statesman, Ignacy Jan Paderewski, into circulation. This year marks 70 years since Paderewski’s death. 
The Casimir the Great University in Bydgoszcz has been planning to award Henryk Mikołaj Górecki an honorary doctorate degree since 2009. Unfortunately, failing health prevented the composer from travelling to Bydgoszcz for the ceremony. Only a year later, in November 2010, Górecki died and the degree award ceremony was moved to the 49th Music Festival in Bydgoszcz (September 9 - October 7, 2011) . 
This is the first time this particular award was given by the sponsor, the Polish Institute of Music and Dance [
The 
The schedule of the Festival features the Opening Concert (8 October 2011, 7:00 PM), with 
Grzegorz Fitelberg Conducts Szymanowski
Homage to Paderewski
Jonathan Plowright’s interest in Paderewski was ignited at a very early age by his grandfather, who walked fifteen miles from his Yorkshire mining village to see Paderewski perform in concert, such was the attraction at the time of this unique star performer. Plowright is a leading authority on Polish Romantic repertoire, and recording of a rare collection of pieces by Paderewski earned him an invitation by the Paderewski in Memoriam Foundation to give the closing recital of the Polish Parliament’s 2001 ‘Year of Paderewski’ celebrations in Warsaw. He was instrumental in helping to revive the 
Works for violin & piano
Mazurki polskie
Clarinet Sonatas of the 20th Century
Utwory fletowe kompozytorów wrocławskich XX wieku 
Chopin Chopin Chopin
Regina Smendzianka, one of the best-known Polish pianists and piano professors at the