 | Polish Music Newsletter |
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September 2003, Vol. 9, No. 9. ISSN 1098-9188. Published monthly.
Los Angeles: Polish Music Center, University of Southern California
Anniversaries |
Awards |
Calendar of Events |
Discography |
History of "Warsaw Autumn" |
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In keeping with its 10 year tradition of honoring the music of the Baltic Nations, since its founding by Kurt Masur shortly
following the reunification of Germany, the Usedom Music Festival, on the German vacation Island
of Usedom, will present a
series of programs focusing on the music of Poland. The highpoint of the Festival will be a performance conducted by the
composer Krzysztof Penderecki of his Credo (1996-98), on Wednesday, October 1, in the former Nazi missile development
center of Peenemünde.
Credo was completed as Penderecki neared his 65th birthday. Although his original intention was to set the entire text of the Catholic Mass to music, in the end he decided to focus on the section called the Credo, which is taken from the Nicene Creed. In writing his Credo, Penderecki supplemented the text of the Nicene Creed with psalms, excerpts from Revelations and quotes from Polish and German hymns. The result is a monumental work performed here with the NDR Sinfonieorchester, NDR Chor, Chöre der Krakauer Philharmonie, and soloists: Bozena Harasimowicz-Haas (Soprano), Olga Pasiecznik (Soprano), Agnieszka Rehlis (Alto), Adam Zdunikowski (Tenor), Romuald Tesarowicz (Bass) Penderecki's original intention was to set the entire Ordinary of the Mass. At this point he has completed only the Credo, but he has nevertheless produced a major work nearly an hour in length that is distinguished by its accessibility to concert audiences and its focus on the central beliefs of the Christian church. Like Bach before him, Penderecki has set the entire "Credo" text. As in many of the composer's oratorios (i.e. St. Luke Passion, Te Deum, the Polish Requiem) there are musical references to his native Poland. In Credo this link appears in the form of the Polish Holy Week hymns "Ludu, mój ludu" ["My people, what have I done to thee?"] and "Który za nas cierpial rany" ["You who suffer the wounds for us, have mercy upon us"]. In addition to five soloists (SSATB), mixed chorus and large orchestra, the musical setting includes a boy choir and an off-stage brass ensemble that the composer places behind the audience. By the very act of setting the long and difficult "Credo", Penderecki seems to be affirming a personal religious commitment in the manner he knows best, by writing a musical work on a prominent sacred text, a point he strongly emphasized in a recent interview: "Since I am a Christian and compose as a Christian, I must write another religious work. I am considered a composer of sacred music. I have [already] written many religious works. Looking at other composers of our time, there is only one - Olivier Messiaen - who has written as much music on sacred texts. This is my task!" This year, the 10th Usedom Music Festival will open with Polish contralto Ewa Podle¶ and the Krakauer Philharmonie under Tomasz Burgai, in works of Stanislav Moniuszko, Henryk Wieniawski, and Karol Szymanowski. Other Polish Ensembles include the Szymanowski-Quartett, the "Posener Nachtigallen", one of the most famous Boy's Choirs in Euorpe, as well as pianist Ewa Kupiec, and cellist Rafal Kwiatkowski, who are counted among the most widely recognized young musicians of Poland today. A special highlight of the Festival will include a Jazz and Klezmer concert. Klezmer music has not been heard on Usedom in 70 years, since 1933. Further concerts include prize winner's of "Young Concert Artists" from New York and Leipzig.
references to "America the Beautiful" are intentional and unmistakable. Kilar got the idea for this symphony when he
heard his "Missa pro pace" [Mass for peace] performed by the National Philharmonic on the occasion of
the first anniversary of the attack. He stated that he wanted to compose a piece that was both in homage to the victims of
September 11th and in protest of those who do not respect human life.
Kilar attended the State College of Music (currently the Music Academy) in Katowice, where he studied piano performance and
composition under Boleslaw Woytowicz. He graduated with top honors and was awarded his diploma in 1955. Between 1955 and 1958
he was a post-graduate student under Woytowicz at Krakow's State College of Music (currently the Music Academy). In 1957 he
participated in the International New Music Summer Course in Darmstadt. Kilar expanded on his musical education in Paris in
1959-60, when a scholarship from the French government allowed him to study composition under Nadia Boulanger. He has
received numerous awards for his artistic activity and achievements.
In 1977 he was one of the founding members of the Karol Szymanowski Society. Kilar
chaired the Katowice chapter of the Association of Polish Composers for many years and from 1979-81 was vice chair of this
association's national board. He was also a member of the Repertoire Committee for the "Warsaw Autumn" International Festival
of Contemporary Music. In 1991 Polish filmmaker Krzysztof Zanussi made a biographical film about the composer titled Wojciech Kilar.
For more information, see Kilar's PMC Composer Page.
This collection of songs was premiered in the Teatr Rapsodyczny in Kraków in 1995 then subsequently performed in theaters around the country. Ms. Warska performs with the Wilanów Quartet, whose members are pianists Andrzej Kurylewicz and Leszek Mozdzer, violist Ryszard Duz, cellist Marian Wasiólka, bassist Adam Cegielski, and percussionist Stanislaw Skoczynski. As a jazz vocalist and composer, Ms. Warska made her debut in the 1950s in Kraków. She met pianist Andrzej Kurylewicz at the Music Academy and together they formed a jazz ensemble. She also had her own song theatre, called Klara. After moving to Warsaw, she opened a club that still exists today, a sort of cult venue for concerts, spectacles, and other exhibitions.
 utation as one of Europe's foremost postmodern composers. Lachert is a self-taught
composer and his first compositions were written in 1970. His music has been performed at countless contemporary
music concerts and festivals. In 1982-84, he developed a computer-assisted composition system called "Letter Music".
A celebratory concert of Lachert's music will be given on September 11th by the Gdansk Circle of Friends of Contemporary Music,
featuring pianist Justyna Philipp. The concert will be at 7 p.m. at:
There is a new book out by Jolanta T. Pekacz that has left many musicologists impressed. This book explores the role
of music in developing the culture of Galicia — a part of the Polish Commonwealth which belonged to the Hapsburg Monarchy
from the first partition of Poland in 1772 until the end of World War I. It gives a central place to the relation the
people had with shared musical objects, knowledge and practices — both domestic and imported form cultural centers such
as Vienna — and the ways in which music emphasized social cleavages, and provided individuals and groups with a
national identity, sense of community, and social status.
An analysis of the conditions of Galician society — its social structure and dynamics, political and economic status,
and cultural level and aspirations — is followed by chapters on music as a commercial pursuit, as civic and moral pedagogy,
as an expression of cultural identity, as communal experience, as status symbol, and as an expression of political attitudes
of the Galicians. These themes illustrate the cultural use of music in Galician schools, theaters, musical societies, choirs,
public concerts, and homes. The book explains how Galicia's unique social and cultural ideals as well as economic and
geographic realities allowed a special place for music in its development.
Author Jolanta T. Pekacz is a professor of history at the University of Saskatchewan. She is the author of "Conservative Tradition
in Pre-Revolutionary France: Parisian Salon Women" (1999) and co-editor of "Polonia in Alberta, 1895-1995"(1995).
This book will be reviewed in the Winter edition of the 2003
Polish Music Journal.
Mr. Reich described the Second Chopiniana festival, subtitled "Frederic Chopin Days in Warsaw," stating that it, "Reached its artistic peak with a 'Chopin & Jazz' concert that attracted capacity crowds and proved that even mazurkas and scherzos can swing freely." He continued saying, "Better yet, Polish musicians — who since the Cold War have shown a profound affinity for American jazz techniques — transformed Chopin's ineffably poetic melodies through deeply felt, intellectually rigorous improvisations. Playing at an internationally competitive level, Warsaw's jazz artists somehow found common ground between Polish dance forms invented centuries ago and American jazz rhythms and blues-tinged scales that Chopin himself could not have anticipated... But for an American listener visiting Warsaw, the opportunity to hear so much of Chopin's indelible piano music utterly re-imagined was often startling, if only because of how seamlessly the two musical languages came together." For anyone wanting to hear a good example of this, look back into the discography section of the June PMC Newsletter for a review of Leszek Mozdzer's performance on OPUS 111 "Chopin: Tomorrow - Impressions." This has fifteen Mazurkas, preludes, nocturnes and etudes all made-over in various up- to-date styles. The album was highly recommended. |
Judges at the Mu Phi Epsilon International Competition unanimously awarded Polish cellist Marek Szpakiewicz the First Prize at the 100th anniversary convention in Cincinnati. Congratulations to the Mr. Szpakiewicz, President of the USC chapter of Mu Phi Epsilon! For more information on Mr. Szpakiewicz and the competition, see article in the News section above.
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INTERNET NEWS | 
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 Warsaw, September 19th - 27th 2003 The Warsaw Autumn (Warszawska Jesień) is a festival with a long history, an enormous tradition, and can be called a witness to history. It is the only festival in Poland on an international scale and with an international status, dedicated to contemporary music. For many years, it was the only event of this kind in Central and Eastern Europe. It is a major venue for the premier and exposure of new music, both Polish and international. The Festival is organized by the Polish Composers' Union (Zwiazek Kompozytorów Polskich). The Repertoire Committee, which is in turn appointed by the Board of the Union, determines the program of each particular festival. This year, the festival will take place for the 46th time. To read more about the festival's history, read Wanda Wilk's account below. |
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Usedom Island, Denmark, September 28th - October 11th 2003
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Chopin's Sonata was performed by William Fong (at left) at the 