Shakespeare of Music

Shakespeare of Music

Shakespeare of Music

Great works of music

Why not play piano concertos as a chamber ensemble? It would be impossible to show rational obstacles. In the times before the phonograph, that was exactly how people learnt great works of music that were not being performed at a concert hall near them. Privately, at home, at meetings, making music together. It is the meeting of artistic individualities and their willingness to collaborate that give chamber music its sense. Hence the presence of Chopin’s Concerto in E minor in the version for five instruments today, on the 175th death anniversary of this most important Polish musician of all. For the same reason, its counterpoint will be the famous Trout, Schubert’s masterpiece which introduced the early romantic sensitivity to chamber music. This is music derived from the spirit of a simple song. These two romantic build up layers of human emotions, activate affections and pile up associations. This is all we need. Adam Suprynowicz Concert duration: approximately 100 minutes

Music of the Vasa times

Members of the House of Vasa were generous patrons of the arts, with music standing in particularly high favour among them. Under their rule, the Polish court became a melting pot of Polish culture and foreign influence. Italian musicians, whose significance was crucial for the development of baroque music, found an important place at the court of the Vasas, Polish music thus accepting forms and stylistics popular in other parts on Europe. Among the numerous musicians present (singers and instrumentalists), a special position belonged to Bartłomiej Pękiel, maestro di cappella of the Wawel cathedral. It was his oeuvre that proved most inspirational for the Polish Radio Choir, now located in Lusławice, to popularise works by the outstanding masters of the early 17th century with ties to the Vasa court. Alongside pieces by Bartłomiej Pękiel, we are also going to hear compositions by the Italian masters: Asprilio Pacelli, Annibale Orgas, Luzzascho Luzzaschi, and Girolamo Frescobaldi, which situate the works of the exceptional Polish composer in a broader context of the European musical heritage of early baroque. Furthermore, the programme of the concert includes works from the “Album Sapieżyńskie”, an early 17th-century collection of short pieces for the organ, the unique binding of which is an artifact of particular significance both in the history of music and of bookbinding. Concert duration: approximately 60 minutes

NOSPR / Alsop / Yang / Polish sonorism and music of the north

Although Sibelius’ Violin Concerto is not programmatic music, it is permeated by the same Northern colour and breadth of breath that can be found in nearly all works by the creator of Finlandia. This is because landscape is not present there merely as a decoration – as it was in 18th-century music – but to reflect the scenery of the soul. Part of the core violinistic repertoire, enclosed within the framework of classical form, for over a hundred years, the piece has not ceased to inspire a sense of wonder, not only with its mysterious atmosphere and richness of sound, but also with its symphonic elan and originality of themes. While the British musicologist Donald Tovey called the final movement of the Concerto a “polonaise for polar bears”, he granted it – and rightly so! – an honourable place among the greatest violin concertos of Romanticism. Another great classic of 20th-century music is Bartók’s Concerto for Orchestra, in which – as Alex Ross put it – the Hungarian composer and folklore researcher “decided to throw away his notebook and began dancing with them [peasants]. From the strings, there rise clouds of dust, setting on the feet of the frenzied dancers.”. While the musical language of this late work of Bartok’s is a softened one, its form is classicising, and the sounds are nearly euphonic, still what is the most important for his style was retained – distinct rhythms, colourful instrumentation, and subtle inspiration drawn from folklore. Piotr MatwiejczukConcert duration: approximately 110 minutes

Music of mindfulness. Hypnotising and transcendental

Compositions by Arvo Pärt and i Giya Kancheli are permeated with deep reflection on the meaning of life, referencing universal aspects of the human experience. Their ubiquitous minimalism provides space for introspection and meditation. It enables the listener to reach such focus that has an element of metaphysics in it. In the context of the contemporary conflicts, unrest, and even fashionable trends of mindfulness, this music lets one focus on what is truly important and beautiful. It opens for the listeners doors to reflection on their own lives and on the surrounding world. Arvo Pärt’s Fratres, one of his best known works, has already been arranged for various instrumental ensembles. The version for a string quartet is special: it reinforces the hypnotising and transcendental message of the piece, opening up new opportunities for interpretation. In the Georgian language, the title of Giya Kancheli’s work, Amao Omi, means “a war of nonsenses”. It reflects the composer’s involvement in spreading pacifism and a reflection on human brutality and the pointlessness of war. Alexandra KozowiczConcert duration: approximately 60 minutes

NOSPR / Bayona / de la Salle / Great history and the joy of music-making

„Manuscripts don’t burn” – claimed a character of Bulgakov’s. Could Andrzej Panufnik feel that when composing his Tragic Overture in the occupied Warsaw? He intended to escape from the circumstances of the day, heading towards the sphere of sonic abstraction. And yet, in the imitative instrumental parts, dramatic to the point of feeling obsessive, echoes of the war can be heard on and on. The score survived the occupation, though it almost fell prey to the tenants who took over the composer’s Warsaw apartment and had a penchant for using sheet music as fuel for their stove. The Tragic Overture is one of those works that history itself uses as a medium to speak through. Liszt’s Piano Concerto No. 1 is also a priceless treasure. If we converted the time it took to compose it into its duration time, we would learn that the master of Romantic melodics was writing at a pace of less than a minute per year! This time-consuming process bridged youthful emotionality and a clear outlook on the form – crystallising over 26 years. The Weimar premiere of the piece was conducted by none other than Hector Berlioz, who called himself „Beethoven’s crescendo”, with audiences’ idol – Franz Liszt – on the piano. In the Katowice concert, the solo part will be performed by Sergio Tiempo, whose pianistic fame guarantees experiences of not only emotional, but also intellectual nature. The orchestra will be led by Néstor Bayona, NOSPR’s conductor in residence. Morton Gould’s music undoubtedly belongs to the world of Dionysian values. Spirituals for orchestra is a hymn celebrating the American roots. Composed in mid-twentieth century, the music beams with unpretentious joy, flowing straight from its ethnic sources. Gould’s inspiration was not only Baptist church music, but also the “carnival” joy of music-making, which lends the piece a mood of musical celebration. Krzysztof SiwońConcert duration: approximately 60 minutes

Festival of Timbre

Best of Tchaikovsky