Classical Concerts at

Narodowej Orkiestry Symfonicznej Polskiego Radia

The National Orchestral Institute / NOSPR Academy / A musical journey around the world

What does music by Golijov, Bartók, Lutosławski and Copland have in common? Despite coming from various parts of the world, each of those 20th-century composers remained close to the musical traditions of their country.The evening will be framed in works by representatives of both Americas. Opening the concert, Osvaldo Golijov’s Last Round will transport the audience to Argentina, in order to pay a musical homage to the great Astor Piazzolla. Although the piece was written for strings, one can also hear numerous references to the sound of the bandoneon. Furthermore, there will be no dearth of the passion and sensuality characteristic for the Argentinian tango. New Yorker Aaron Copland’s Appalachian Spring, in turn, is one of the most iconic examples of 20th-century music of the United States. The work crowns the ballet trilogy initiated by Billy the Kid and continued in Rodeo, in which the composer draws upon folk traditions and national myths.The works from across the pond will find their counterpoint in the diversity of European music to be heard in Witold Lutosławski’s Little Suite for chamber orchestra, inspired by folk melodies of the Rzeszów region, and Béla Bartók’s The Miraculous Mandarin, a composition replete with energy and expressionist dramatism, born from a fascination with the “underground” world filled with passion and contrasts. In the chamber version, arranged by Joolz Gale, Bartók’s piece gains a particular sonic clarity and intensity. Moreover, the concert will constitute the Polish premiere of this arrangement, performed by the young artists of the NOSPR Academy and musicians of the Maryland National Orchestral Institute + Festival.The concert showcasing young artists’ talents is a unique opportunity to discover music rooted in the past, yet sounding exceptionally modern.Julia Broniowska

NOSPR / Katowice Culture Nature Festival

The Festival of Premieres

The Festival of Premieres is a celebration of discoveries – both the latest ones and those which had to wait for their time to come. After all, the masters of traditional and baroque music taught us that discoveries can be made after hundreds or even thousands of years. The forgotten minimalistic works by Tomasz Sikorski and Zygmunt Krauze waited decades for their premieres, and so did Barbara Buczek’s Anekumena, which could not be more stylistically distant from the two. In order to discover themselves, composers sometimes need extraordinary soloists who play unusual instruments (Paweł Romańczuk’s theremin in Paweł Hendrich’s Sfumato) or such instruments that are only superficially usual (Małgorzata Walentynowicz in Jacek Sotomski’s Piano Concerto). An intergenerational, acoustic-electric meeting is about to take place between the Silesian String Quartet and the NeoQuartet, while the ensemble OMN will perform together with the Camerata Silesia. We will also take care of the little ones (Baby Opera by Ewa Fabiańska-Jelińska), and the AUKSO strings will sing Krzysztof Knittel’s composition on “the gift of life” (the Hawaiian ka makana o ke ola). And what discoveries will the Warsaw-based Hashtag Ensemble bring us? See (and hear!) you at NOSPR from 14th to 16th March.

The Festival of Premieres

The Festival of Premieres is a celebration of discoveries – both the latest ones and those which had to wait for their time to come. After all, the masters of traditional and baroque music taught us that discoveries can be made after hundreds or even thousands of years. The forgotten minimalistic works by Tomasz Sikorski and Zygmunt Krauze waited decades for their premieres, and so did Barbara Buczek’s Anekumena, which could not be more stylistically distant from the two. In order to discover themselves, composers sometimes need extraordinary soloists who play unusual instruments (Paweł Romańczuk’s theremin in Paweł Hendrich’s Sfumato) or such instruments that are only superficially usual (Małgorzata Walentynowicz in Jacek Sotomski’s Piano Concerto). An intergenerational, acoustic-electric meeting is about to take place between the Silesian String Quartet and the NeoQuartet, while the ensemble OMN will perform together with the Camerata Silesia. We will also take care of the little ones (Baby Opera by Ewa Fabiańska-Jelińska), and the AUKSO strings will sing Krzysztof Knittel’s composition on “the gift of life” (the Hawaiian ka makana o ke ola). And what discoveries will the Warsaw-based Hashtag Ensemble bring us? See (and hear!) you at NOSPR from 14th to 16th March.

The Festival of Premieres

The Festival of Premieres is a celebration of discoveries – both the latest ones and those which had to wait for their time to come. After all, the masters of traditional and baroque music taught us that discoveries can be made after hundreds or even thousands of years. The forgotten minimalistic works by Tomasz Sikorski and Zygmunt Krauze waited decades for their premieres, and so did Barbara Buczek’s Anekumena, which could not be more stylistically distant from the two. In order to discover themselves, composers sometimes need extraordinary soloists who play unusual instruments (Paweł Romańczuk’s theremin in Paweł Hendrich’s Sfumato) or such instruments that are only superficially usual (Małgorzata Walentynowicz in Jacek Sotomski’s Piano Concerto). An intergenerational, acoustic-electric meeting is about to take place between the Silesian String Quartet and the NeoQuartet, while the ensemble OMN will perform together with the Camerata Silesia. We will also take care of the little ones (Baby Opera by Ewa Fabiańska-Jelińska), and the AUKSO strings will sing Krzysztof Knittel’s composition on “the gift of life” (the Hawaiian ka makana o ke ola). And what discoveries will the Warsaw-based Hashtag Ensemble bring us? See (and hear!) you at NOSPR from 14th to 16th March.

The Festival of Premieres

The Festival of Premieres is a celebration of discoveries – both the latest ones and those which had to wait for their time to come. After all, the masters of traditional and baroque music taught us that discoveries can be made after hundreds or even thousands of years. The forgotten minimalistic works by Tomasz Sikorski and Zygmunt Krauze waited decades for their premieres, and so did Barbara Buczek’s Anekumena, which could not be more stylistically distant from the two. In order to discover themselves, composers sometimes need extraordinary soloists who play unusual instruments (Paweł Romańczuk’s theremin in Paweł Hendrich’s Sfumato) or such instruments that are only superficially usual (Małgorzata Walentynowicz in Jacek Sotomski’s Piano Concerto). An intergenerational, acoustic-electric meeting is about to take place between the Silesian String Quartet and the NeoQuartet, while the ensemble OMN will perform together with the Camerata Silesia. We will also take care of the little ones (Baby Opera by Ewa Fabiańska-Jelińska), and the AUKSO strings will sing Krzysztof Knittel’s composition on “the gift of life” (the Hawaiian ka makana o ke ola). And what discoveries will the Warsaw-based Hashtag Ensemble bring us? See (and hear!) you at NOSPR from 14th to 16th March.

The Festival of Premieres

The Festival of Premieres is a celebration of discoveries – both the latest ones and those which had to wait for their time to come. After all, the masters of traditional and baroque music taught us that discoveries can be made after hundreds or even thousands of years. The forgotten minimalistic works by Tomasz Sikorski and Zygmunt Krauze waited decades for their premieres, and so did Barbara Buczek’s Anekumena, which could not be more stylistically distant from the two. In order to discover themselves, composers sometimes need extraordinary soloists who play unusual instruments (Paweł Romańczuk’s theremin in Paweł Hendrich’s Sfumato) or such instruments that are only superficially usual (Małgorzata Walentynowicz in Jacek Sotomski’s Piano Concerto). An intergenerational, acoustic-electric meeting is about to take place between the Silesian String Quartet and the NeoQuartet, while the ensemble OMN will perform together with the Camerata Silesia. We will also take care of the little ones (Baby Opera by Ewa Fabiańska-Jelińska), and the AUKSO strings will sing Krzysztof Knittel’s composition on “the gift of life” (the Hawaiian ka makana o ke ola). And what discoveries will the Warsaw-based Hashtag Ensemble bring us? See (and hear!) you at NOSPR from 14th to 16th March.

The Festival of Premieres

The Festival of Premieres is a celebration of discoveries – both the latest ones and those which had to wait for their time to come. After all, the masters of traditional and baroque music taught us that discoveries can be made after hundreds or even thousands of years. The forgotten minimalistic works by Tomasz Sikorski and Zygmunt Krauze waited decades for their premieres, and so did Barbara Buczek’s Anekumena, which could not be more stylistically distant from the two. In order to discover themselves, composers sometimes need extraordinary soloists who play unusual instruments (Paweł Romańczuk’s theremin in Paweł Hendrich’s Sfumato) or such instruments that are only superficially usual (Małgorzata Walentynowicz in Jacek Sotomski’s Piano Concerto). An intergenerational, acoustic-electric meeting is about to take place between the Silesian String Quartet and the NeoQuartet, while the ensemble OMN will perform together with the Camerata Silesia. We will also take care of the little ones (Baby Opera by Ewa Fabiańska-Jelińska), and the AUKSO strings will sing Krzysztof Knittel’s composition on “the gift of life” (the Hawaiian ka makana o ke ola). And what discoveries will the Warsaw-based Hashtag Ensemble bring us? See (and hear!) you at NOSPR from 14th to 16th March.

The Festival of Premieres

The Festival of Premieres is a celebration of discoveries – both the latest ones and those which had to wait for their time to come. After all, the masters of traditional and baroque music taught us that discoveries can be made after hundreds or even thousands of years. The forgotten minimalistic works by Tomasz Sikorski and Zygmunt Krauze waited decades for their premieres, and so did Barbara Buczek’s Anekumena, which could not be more stylistically distant from the two. In order to discover themselves, composers sometimes need extraordinary soloists who play unusual instruments (Paweł Romańczuk’s theremin in Paweł Hendrich’s Sfumato) or such instruments that are only superficially usual (Małgorzata Walentynowicz in Jacek Sotomski’s Piano Concerto). An intergenerational, acoustic-electric meeting is about to take place between the Silesian String Quartet and the NeoQuartet, while the ensemble OMN will perform together with the Camerata Silesia. We will also take care of the little ones (Baby Opera by Ewa Fabiańska-Jelińska), and the AUKSO strings will sing Krzysztof Knittel’s composition on “the gift of life” (the Hawaiian ka makana o ke ola). And what discoveries will the Warsaw-based Hashtag Ensemble bring us? See (and hear!) you at NOSPR from 14th to 16th March.

JazzKLUB / Marilyn Mazur Group / A stunning arsenal of instruments from all over the world

The lucky ones, born early enough to have participated in that legendary concert, certainly remember the Danish drummer’s spectacular performance with Miles Davis’ group at the 1988 Warsaw Jazz Jamboree. Consecutive generations of fans grew up with Marilyn Mazur’s playing on Jan Garbarek’s records, a collaboration which lasted over a decade. While, paradoxically, only selected works by the New-York-born Dane with Polish roots are known in Poland, the same cannot be said about Denmark, where Marilyn Mazur is considered an institution. Her stunning arsenal of instruments from around the world makes one forget what an original drummer she is on a traditional set. The groove driving you deep into your seat provides a counterpoint for the delicate pieces permeated with the spirit of world music, a genre Mazur pioneered in the 80s. A great personality, with an arsenal of excellent accomplishment to her name, still moving forward with a youthful energy. Tomasz Gregorczyk Concert duration: approximately 90 minutes

NOSPR Chamber Musicians / American Minimalism / Glass / Reich

American minimalism stems from the assumptions of experimental music – firstly, we create a working model and see what happens when we repeat it, gradually introducing variations. The perception of the human brain tricks us, which is why such procedures result in mesmerising auditory illusions. Philip Glass and Steve Reich are the founding fathers of this popular genre. Glass's quartets are more classical and never evade romantic phrases or recitative melodies. Steve Reich's Different Trains, written in 1988, on the other hand, is a classic of the genre and undoubtedly one of the masterpieces of the 20th century. During the Second World War, a few-year-old Reich used to travel by train between New York and Los Angeles, where his separated parents lived. He later realised that if he had lived in Europe, as a Jew, he could have gone to a concentration camp. In his harrowing work, the music mimics the shape of sentences played back from a recording taken from the wartime memories of Jews from both continents. Adam Suprynowicz Concert duration: approximately 90 minutes

The Tallis Scholars / Music of the Sistine Chapel

In 1977, NASA sent into space gold-plated disks with basic information about the terrestrial civilisation encoded on them. Their musical-sonic content included recordings of works by Bach, Mozart and Beethoven, but also those of Japanese court chamber music, the Javanese gamelan and Chuck Berry’s guitar, as well as various natural landscapes and cityscapes. Do you think that such an attempt at “singing the whole world” makes sense? For their 50th anniversary, the legendary British vocal ensemble The Tallis Scholars set themselves a slightly less ambitious goal. The group, which has given 2500 concerts on three continents and recorded over 50 albums, decided to take its listeners on a journey to the undisputable musical centre of the Renaissance era, i.e. to Rome. It was there – at the junction of the Middle Ages and the Modern era – several generations before Bach and Mozart, that the Western ideals of balance, clarity and harmony were defined. Will the Renaissance masterpieces by Palestrina, Morales, Allegri and des Prés transport the NOSPR audience to the Sistine Chapel – a living monument to the Western spirituality, architecture, art and music? Let us see! Michał Mendyk Concert duration (intermission included): approximately 100 minutes

Filharmonie Brno / Kružík / Dances, scherzos and the adventures of The Cunning Little Vixen

Music by the Czech composer Bohuslav Martinů is not appreciated enough today, though in the last century his oeuvre – particularly the 1940s New York period – was artistically celebrated. The dynamic and rapid 1945 scherzo for orchestra Thunderbolt P-47 H. 309 is a good case in point – rooted in the convention of a symphonic poem, it satisfies all the requirements of program music and leaves no doubt as to extramusical contexts. It is difficult not to hear the roar of American fighter aircraft, heralding the Allies’ victory.The master’s neoclassical style was taken up by one of his Moravian compatriots, whom Martinů met in New York in 1947: Jan Novák. Fascinated by his mentor’s clear message and musical discipline, in mid-1950s Novák wrote the Philharomonic Dances, in which he paid tribute to the composing techniques he learned in America and focused on the colour of the sound and formal clarity of the piece. Nevertheless, the Moravian line of composers subscribing to the program idea of composing and clear musical narration was born earlier. One of its leading representatives was Leoš Janáček, extremely well versed in Moravian folk music. His first mature work – the 1891 Lachian Dances – is a postromantic study of Moravian folklore. The Ancient Dance it begins with is based on the region’s endemic melodies, while the Blacksmith provides a sonic description of a blacksmith’s craft. Full of humour, the suite from the 1921 three-act opera The Cunning Little Vixen is, in turn, an expression of the composer’s adoration for nature, broadly understood. Maria Wilczek-KrupaConcert duration: approximately 70 minutes

ELIANE ELIAS - LATIN JAZZ STAR

With the release of her new recording TIME AND AGAIN, internationally renowned Brazilian pianist, composer and vocalist Eliane Elias proves again that she’s a multi-faceted, groundbreaking artist who continues to reach new heights in a brilliant career spanning decades. Straight off her last two albums, which earned GRAMMY® and Latin GRAMMY Awards, plus multiple nominations, inTIME AND AGAIN,she gives us a unique blend of her Brazilian roots informed by her mastery of jazz, R&B and alternative pop. Born in Brazil, Elias’ musical talents began to show at an early age. She started studying piano at age seven and at a 12 was transcribing solos from the great jazz masters. By the time she was 15, she was teaching piano and improvisation at one of Brazil’s most prestigious schools of music. Her performing career began in Brazil at age 17, working with Brazilian singer/songwriter Toquinho and the great poet Vinicius de Moraes, who was also Antonio Carlos Jobim’s co-writer/lyricist. In 1981, she headed for New York and in 1982 landed a spot in the acclaimed group Steps Ahead. Her first solo album release was a collaboration with Randy Brecker in 1984 entitled Amanda and in 1986 Eliane was signed to Blue Note Records.Eliane the composer and songwriter has already been recognized by her peers for her timeless melodies and skillful arranging as witnessed by her Latin GRAMMY nomination in 2011 for Best Brazilian Song and the GRAMMY nominated Impulsive, an album of her compositions arranged for big band by the legendary Bob Brookmeyer. Additionally, Eliane’s songs have been covered by a variety of jazz luminaries. The music on TIME AND AGAIN reflects the same level of artistry and ingenuity Elias has demonstrated throughout her career. She surprises us time and again with her creative ability, this time, producing an entire album of her own compositions with lyrics in English and Portuguese.Over the course of her distinguished career, Eliane Elias has consistently displayed the ability to integrate the many artistic roles she takes on. With her 2022 GRAMMY and Latin GRAMMY winning album Mirror Mirror, she showcased her mastery of the piano and improvisation in a collection of duets with Chucho Valdés and Chick Corea. With 2023’s GRAMMY and LATIN GRAMMY nominated follow up Quietude, her intoxicating vocals took center stage singing Brazilian standards. With this latest album, her songwriting skills are once again in the forefront showcasing her alluring voice and masterful musicianship, cementing her status as the reigning queen of Brazilian jazz! This is another landmark recording marking Eliane Elias’ brilliant musical journey. Through her music one comes to the profound affirmation that life is beautiful.With now 32 albums and over 2.5 million albums sold to date, Eliane Elias has a strong presence on Spotify with almost 500 million streams and over 33 million Spotify listens of her song “Little Paradise.” She has toured 77 countries, is a four-time Gold Disc Award recipient, a three-time Best Vocal Album winner in Japan and winner of the 2018 Edison Lifetime Achievement Award in Holland to name a few accolades. Her 2019 and 2021 albums (Love Stories and Mirror Mirror) were both voted “Downbeat’s Best Album of the Year - Masterpiece” and as most of her previous releases, her recordings hit #1 on the jazz charts worldwide. Eliane has received eleven GRAMMY and Latin GRAMMY nominations, in 5 different categories with two GRAMMYS and two Latin GRAMMY Award wins to date. The concert at NOSPR in Katowice is an excellent opportunity to encounter refined jazz art of the highest order, but without forgetting the Latin, crisp harmonies and at the same time the roots of Eliane Elias' music. Her soothing vocals delight music lovers around the world, spiced up by the fact that the concert will promote her latest album. However, there will be no shortage of repertoire from her past work. We highly recommend and warmly invite you to this show.Concert duration: approximately 90 minutes

Kaleidoscope

Kaleidoscope

The National Orchestral Institute / NOSPR Academy / A musical journey around the world

What does music by Golijov, Bartók, Lutosławski and Copland have in common? Despite coming from various parts of the world, each of those 20th-century composers remained close to the musical traditions of their country.The evening will be framed in works by representatives of both Americas. Opening the concert, Osvaldo Golijov’s Last Round will transport the audience to Argentina, in order to pay a musical homage to the great Astor Piazzolla. Although the piece was written for strings, one can also hear numerous references to the sound of the bandoneon. Furthermore, there will be no dearth of the passion and sensuality characteristic for the Argentinian tango. New Yorker Aaron Copland’s Appalachian Spring, in turn, is one of the most iconic examples of 20th-century music of the United States. The work crowns the ballet trilogy initiated by Billy the Kid and continued in Rodeo, in which the composer draws upon folk traditions and national myths.The works from across the pond will find their counterpoint in the diversity of European music to be heard in Witold Lutosławski’s Little Suite for chamber orchestra, inspired by folk melodies of the Rzeszów region, and Béla Bartók’s The Miraculous Mandarin, a composition replete with energy and expressionist dramatism, born from a fascination with the “underground” world filled with passion and contrasts. In the chamber version, arranged by Joolz Gale, Bartók’s piece gains a particular sonic clarity and intensity. Moreover, the concert will constitute the Polish premiere of this arrangement, performed by the young artists of the NOSPR Academy and musicians of the Maryland National Orchestral Institute + Festival.The concert showcasing young artists’ talents is a unique opportunity to discover music rooted in the past, yet sounding exceptionally modern.Julia Broniowska

NOSPR / Alsop / Requiem as a tribute

“It is with greatest ease and willingness that I am working on this Concerto and, nota bene, I feel that this is going to be a first-class trick” – these words from a letter by Karol Szymanowski are proof of how important the Symphony No. 4 was for the composer. It was his unfulfilled dream of a “true” piano concerto. One of a pianistic tour de force, the first sketches of which he dropped to focus on the Stabat Mater he was working on back then. The moving „Peasant Requiem” (such was the title Szymanowski had originally intended for the work), born out of the pain he experienced after his niece’s death, it brings together religious ecstasy and a note of the Polish folklore to be heard in a recollection of the popular Bitter Lamentations resonating in the composer’s memory.How different was that world from the instrumental Chaconne by Krzysztof Penderecki! The latter is an expressive musical tribute to the memory of the late Polish Pope. It was this piece that provided a symbolic closure for the Polish Requiem, which Penderecki had been working on for a quarter of a century – a monumental chronicle of Poland’s modern history, the melancholic finale of which contains both a nostalgia for the baroque tradition and emotions of a surprisingly romantic nature.Róża ŚwiatczyńskaConcert duration (intermission included): approximately 90 minutes

Cinematic Symphony on Organ / Fritz Lang / Metropolis with live music

Cinematic Symphony on OrganOrgan improvisation complements old cinema exceptionally well, lending century-old films a new dimension. The concept is almost as old as cinematography itself. The first screening with an organ took place in 1908, at the Alcazar Theatre in Chicago. That was how silent movies – accompanied by the one-person orchestra at the manuals – would celebrate their triumphs for the next two decades, until talking movies were invented and popularised in the late 30s and early 40s. The purpose-built instruments even earned their own name: the film or theatre organ. If there was a thing they could not do! Among the sound effects they could imitate, one could find snoring, laughter, and even… kisses. The organ could yell for revenge, frantically pull at something or someone with sharp claws, cry bitter tears of sorrow, weep for love, moan at pangs of conscience, cry like a baby, giggle like a toddler, and even… bark like a dog. A musician who can improvise at the organ for film is a true rarity. They must be able to join melodies, harmonies and counterpoint together into a neat musical form. And simultaneously, to follow the picture being shown at the moment… Concert duration: approximately 150 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

JazzKLUB / Schlippenbach / How to love Monk? Unorthodoxically!

Reportedly, for many years, Alexander von Schlippenbach was considered the only European able to play Monk’s Off Minor properly. An exquisite proof of how well the German free jazz legend felt Monk was the album Monk’s Casino, probably the first instance in history, in which all, nearly seventy, of Monk’s compositions were recorded together. The ensemble, made up of great personalities of European improvised music, such as Axel Dörner and Rudi Mahall – whose personal attitudes to Monk are no less interesting – proved perfect and has now been performing together for twenty years. The group’s formula has not burnt out, as the last thing to be expected from Schlippenbach is an orthodox approach to originals. Nevertheless, there is respect and love for the music by the composer of Epistrophy to be found in every sound of those, very personal, interpretations. Tomasz Gregorczyk Concert duration: approximately 90 minutes

NOSPR Chamber Musicians / Hindemith / Britten / Music as light as a feather

Paul Hindemith is among the most underrated artists of the 20th century. Anyone who listens to his Kammermusik, op. 24 no. 1, a genuinely sparkling with ideas and light as a feather piece of music, will come to this conclusion. This architect of the cornerstone of historical performance and founding father of the famous Donaueschingen Contemporary Music Festival embodied the dominant ideals of the New Objectivity in German art of the 1920s, namely simplicity of means and communicativeness, in his Chamber Music series. It is a peculiar variety of neo-classicism, unjustly overshadowed by French or Russian music. The third movement in Kammermusik (op. 36 no. 3) is essentially a chamber cello concerto with explicit references to Baroque music. It is not without reason, after all, that this entire series has been compared to Bach's Brandenburg Concertos. Surprisingly similar in its spirit tone, although referring to the classical form and not devoid of stronger emotional accents, is the Sinfonietta of the then-only 18-year-old Benjamin Britten, already heralding his extraordinary talent. Adam SuprynowiczConcert duration: approximately 70 minutes

NOSPR / Klauza / Nizioł / The American Dream

The (co)creators of the works to be presented in this concert share an American connection. Bach’s Passacaglia and Fugue in C minor, written for the organ, was arranged for an orchestra by the exquisite conductor Leopold Stokowski, who spent most of his life in the United States, leading such ensembles as the famous Philadelphia Orchestra. In 1940, it was with them that he recorded the soundtrack for Walt Disney’s Fantasia, which has since become a legend, having prepared the symphonic version of the famous Toccata and Fugue in D minor for this purpose in particular (he was awarded an honorary Oscar for his achievements). Allegedly – due to the similarity of their surnames – he was often mistaken with Zygmunt Stojowski, who left Europe for the States at the beginning of the 20th century and remained there until his death in 1946. On the other side of the pond, the latter was chair of the piano department at the New York Institute of Musical Art, also teaching at the Von Ende School of Music. The Violin Concerto in G minor, Op. 22, is an early composition of his, created at the end of the 19th century. Unusually expressive, it is imbued with the Romantic spirit, its violin part glimmering with brilliant virtuosity. Henryk Wars – known in the States as Henry Vars – is predominantly recognised in his homeland as a pioneer of Polish jazz, composer of film music, and author of such smash hits as Miłość ci wszystko wybaczy, Umówiłem się z nią na dziewiątą and Zimny drań. His outstanding symphonic pieces were only discovered in the late 1990s. Among those, there was the exquisite Symphony No. 1 (1949), which blends the late-Romantic sense of drama, flawless instrumentation and a cinematic scope.Agnieszka Nowok-ZychConcert duration (intermission included): approximately 90 minutes

Wojciech Waglewski MTV Unplugged

Kaleidoscope

Kaleidoscope

NOSPR / Zagrosek / Mahler’s happiest symphony

The most joyous one among Gustav Mahler’s symphonies does not, by any means, renounce either the grotesque irony that is so typical for the composer or eschatological threads. Yet again, it deals with the subject of death. This time, however, it is first represented by the grotesque Ländler played by the violin in the scherzo, later to introduce us to the realm of paradise in the finale. But is this true paradise, or rather an image, ironical in its effect, that arises from the naive folk poetry of The Boy’s Magic Horn collection, which the composer uses in his symphonies for the last time?Jakub PuchalskiConcert duration: approximately 70 minutes

An absolute work / The Goldberg Variations

The Goldberg Variations are described as an absolute work of art. The commission is said to have come from count Hermann Carl von Keyserlingk, suffering from insomnia during his time at the Viennese court. The piece was intended to be performed by the very young harpsichordist Johann Gottlieb Goldberg, a musician of the count’s own court, whose playing helped the aristocrat while away the sleepless hours. The composer found variations to be the best form for night-time music-making. And that was how the aria with thirty variations, which over time became a synonym for musical innovativeness, came to be. The work Bach created is eclectic in its every aspect, showing a skillful use of various musical elements, such as counterpoint, virtuosity, and musical rhetoric. The leitmotif, however, is not the melody of the aria, but… the bass line! What is more, the composer created a work of unbelievable singability, which can be heard in the entirety of the cycle. There is no other keyboard composition of Bach’s that adheres to the idea of the cantilena – a singable and smooth melody, highly engaging for the listener – to such an extent. The Goldberg Variations stood the test of time and continue to delight listeners. Their influence on further generations of composers and the development of pianistics cannot be overstated. Centuries after the work’s creation, numerous renowned artists, such as Glenn Gould, proposed interpretations as controversial as they were groundbreaking, often crossing the borders laid out by the composer, perceiving the piece not only as a technical challenge, but predominantly as a source of deep musical knowledge. The contemporary grand piano performances represent another innovative trend, which constitutes a significant departure from the composer’s original imagination and concept. While the piano is indeed different from the harpsichord, it does, however, enable even more depth and complexity to be found in the masterpiece, thus showing the richness of its sound and the unsurpassed skill of its composition in all their glory. [Alexandra Kozowicz]Concert duration: approximately 90 minutes

Camerata Silesia / Orlow / Gusnar / Whitbourn / Different roots, same magnificent sound

Although the organ is traditionally associated with sacred music and grand concerts, it can also be a fascinating complement to less typical chamber settings. The untypical combinations in this year’s organ concert series provide unique sounds and new, unexpected combinations. The result? We become more open to new interpretational possibilities and free experimenting. One of such unusual pairings is that of the organ and the saxophone – instruments differing both in their roots and in character. There are the centuries of tradition of organ music and there is the saxophone, which, despite its relatively short history in classical music, has gained significant popularity thanks to its versatility and a broad palette of sound. In the Passacaglia moderna improvised composition, Tomasz Orlow and Paweł Gusnar reach for a classical form, into which they introduce contemporary elements. Together, the saxophone and the organ create musical structures referencing the past and simultaneously opening up new sonic spaces. The role of improvisation is crucial here, as it gives the musicians space for creative exploration. [Alexandra Kozowicz]Concert duration: approximately 70 minutes

Amsterdam Sinfonietta / Candida Thompson / Bruce Liu

This is a moment everyone has been waiting for – Bruce Liu returns to NOSPR!In 2021, several days after his spectacular triumph in the 18th Chopin Competition, Bruce Liu gained 1,800 new fans as soon as he stepped onto the NOSPR stage (more people did not manage to enter the hall, even though, as we can remember, they tried!). Nevertheless, if we take into account the 300,000 online broadcast viewers, we can say that the concert sealed the Canadian pianist’s superstar status.Back then, Bruce Liu performed the Piano Concerto No. 1 in E-minor, with which he had won the competition. This time, we are going to hear the second one of Chopin’s concertos – the one in the key of F-minor. Both in the Concerto and in the Andante spianato et grande polonaise brillante in E-flat major, the latter to open the evening, he will be accompanied by theAmsterdam Sinfonietta, led by Candida Thompson. You might also remember these artists from NOSPR posters: in 2020, the ensemble and its leader were to accompany the Jussen brothers, but their performance was cancelled due to the pandemic.In the April concert, the Dutch orchestra will also present Tchaikovsky’s Souvenir de Florence and Mieczysław Weinberg’s deeply moving Aria. It will be a truly unique evening!Szymon MaliszewskiConcert duration (intermission included): approximately 120 minutes

JazzKLUB / Get The Blessing / A fascinating kaleidoscope of groove

The band’s members’ discographies amount to a picture of several generations of British rock music: from Peter Gabriel and Robert Plant to Hawkwind, Portishead and Radiohead. Nevertheless, their horizons and inspirations reach far beyond that genre – which is probably the foundation of the group’s success. Get The Blessing travelled a long way, from the pugnacious Ornettian inspirations on their 2008 All Is Yes, to the trance-like, almost cinematic soundscapes of the latest albums. Still, however, Judge’s trumpet enhances the hypnotic trance with the element of unpredictability, McMurchie’s saxophone lending the band’s onirically meditative music its body and power. Seen from afar, the group’s music emanates calmness, while close up it is full of movement and surprising details. All this results in a fascinating kaleidoscope of grooves, colours and moods. Tomasz Gregorczyk Concert duration: approximately 90 minutes