Polish Music Center Newsletter Vol. 12, no. 1
Best Of Polish Music In 2005
Anniversaries
50th anniversary of the W. Lutosławski Philharmonic Orchestra in Wrocław: In celebration, the group toured America, performing 5 concerts in 4 cities between April 21st and 26th, featuring Mariusz Smolij, conductor and soloists: pianist Stanisław Drzewiecki and singers Jadwiga Rappé, Ewa Biegas, Piotr Nowacki and Adam Zdunikowski. Program: Piano Concerto in e minor by Chopin, Mała suita [Little Suite] by Lutosławski and Symphony no. 3 in D Major by Tchaikovsky. See article.
20th Anniversary of the Polish Music Center at USC
60th Anniversary of Poland’s largest music publisher, PWM Edition [Polskie Wydawnictwo Muzyczne], est. 6 April 1945
60th Anniversary of the Polish composers’ union, ZKP [Związku Kompozytorów Polskich]
195th birth anniversary of Frederyk Chopin
95th birth anniversary of Roman Maciejewski. See article
75th birth anniversary of Romuald Twardowski, honored at a Jubilee Concert during Warsaw Autumn 2005
80th Anniversary of the Kosciuszko Foundationin New York
Józef Patkowski, Poland’s great musicologist, teacher, composer, and ground-breaking creator of the Polish Radio Experimental Music Studio died in Warsaw on the 25th of October, 3 weeks short of his 79th birthday
Awards, Prizes & Distinctions
On 27 February 2005, Polish film composer Jan A.P. Kaczmarek won the Academy Award for “Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original score)” for his latest film, Finding Neverland. See article.
2005 National Polish F. Chopin Piano Competition in Warsaw: Rafał Blechacz (pictured at right), from the Academy of Music in Bydgoszcz, was the first Pole to win this prestigious contest since Krystian Zimmerman won the 9th edition in 1975
Krys Chmiel of the University of Ottowa in Canada created the “Grażyna Bacewicz String Instrument Performance Award”, funded by the sale of his book, Grażyna Bacewicz—A Distinguishing Mark, to increase students’ awareness and to encourage performance of Bacewicz’s works
U.S. National Chopin Piano Competition winners: Mei-Ting Sun (1st prize, Best Polonaise, Best Concerto); Rachel Kudo (2nd prize); Sean Kennard (3rd Prize); Esther Park (4th prize); Igor Lovichinsky (Best Mazurka)
Juliana Gondek won the Fryderyk prize for the “Best Recording of Polish Music in 2004” for SZYMANOWSKI – The Complete Songs for voice and piano
Waldemar Dąbrowski gave his annual Award of the Polish Minister of Culture to Prof. Michał Bristiger, Zygmunt Krauze, Jerzy Maksymiuk and Jerzy Semkow in the category of music
2005 ZKP Award: Alicja Matracka-Kościelny, Irina Nikolska, Rafał Augustyn, Wojciech Michniewski, Marek Moś and Adam Sławiński. Also, honorary membership awarded to Teresa Chylińska, Elżbieta Dziębowska and Stanisław Skrowaczewski. Ochlewski Composition Competition (PWM) winners: First Prize for Konstrukcjaby Dariusz Przybylski and special mention to Psikus by Robert Koska
Krzysztof Penderecki is the first artist in history to receive the “Honoris Causa” Docorate from the Seoul National University
Extraordinary Polish pianist Janusz Olejniczak received the Gold Medal Gloria Artis award and a Gold CD, for the success his performance on the soundtrack of The Pianist, from the Minister of Culture.
The Polish accordion group Motion Trio was awarded the Gus Viseur “Musical Discovery of the Year” in France
Donations to the PMC Archives
The Sigismond & Luisa Stojowski Collection has been donated to the Polish Music Center at USC. Receipt of this collection will be celebrated with a concert on October 2006.
On 11 February 2005, Eloise Quackenboss of Greenwood, Mississippi made a generous donation of music by Polish-born composer and piano teacher Jaroslaw de Zielinski, including an 18-page manuscript that was dedicated to Ms. Quackenboss’s grandmother, Ms. Eloise Williamson, a student of de Zielinski.
Collection of unknown symphonic works by Henry Vars donated by his widow, Elizabeth. The donation was celebrated on November 11th with a spectacular Gala concert.
The Polish Music Information Centre, the Library arm of the ZKP(Polish Composers’ Union), donated the Program book and 8-CD set of selected music from the 2003 Warszawska Jesień [Warsaw Autumn Festival].
Performances
March 9-24: Tomasz Stanko Quartet returns to North America for a 12 city tour
Feb. 15: Reprise of Graveand Chain I at USC. In 1985, Lutosławski visited Los Angeles, where he was an honored guest at the inauguration of the Polish Music [Reference] Center, donating some of the first manuscripts of our collection as well as coaching the Thornton Contemporary Music Ensemble on Grave and conducting the CME in the West Coast premiere of Chain I. See article.
April 22: Penderecki’s week-long residence at Yale ends with performance of his Credo
October 9: Inauguration of the new concert series “Lutosławski’s Piano”, sponsored by the Witold Lutosławski Society in Warsaw
November 5-20: The New York Dance & Arts Innovations, Inc. (NYDAI) International Chopin & Friends Festival in New York, showcasing innovative artists who emulate Chopin in uniting the traditional and the modern, the young and the mature, the national and the universal, and all the art forms
According to the LA Weekly(Jan. 6-12 2006), “Chronicles: A Lamentation [was] the best offering in UCLA Live’s International Theater Festival, and the most stirring, soulful production seen in the city. Poland’s “Song of the Goat Theater” offered a choreographed chorale that was simply a testament to the spiritual power of sound and motion.”
Premieres
April 23: Wojciech Kilar’s Missa Pro Pace[Mass for Peace] had its American premiere at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York, presented in memoriam of John Paul II (Kilar pictured at right)
June 4: World Premiere of Marta Ptaszyńska’s new solo viola piece, Elegia in Memoriam John Paul IIat the thirty-third International Viola Congress in Reykjavik, Iceland. Later given its American premiere at the PMC’s 2005 Paderewski Lecture in Los Angeles.
June 3-5: The 8th Annual Łódz Film Festival honored Henryk Vars and featured the Polish Music Center’s own Marek Żebrowski playing the World Premiere of updated version of Vars’ Piano Concerto. See article. June 19: The Vienna Philharmonic gave the World Premiere of Krzysztof Penderecki’s Largo for Cello and Orchestra
June 26: The Luxembourg Philharmonic Orchestra gave the World Premiere of Krzysztof Penderecki’s Symphony No. 8: Lieder der Vergänglichkeit
Sept. 12: World Premiere of Sinfonia de motu[Symphony of Movement] for soprano, baritone, choir and orchestra by Wojciech Kilar at the National Philharmonic in Warsaw, during the 38th Polish Physicist Convention (International Year of Physics)
Sept. 17: World Premiere of the new movement of the Polish Requiemof Krzysztof Penderecki, which is dedicated to Pope John Paul II, at the “Wratislavia Cantans” International Festival
Oct. 15: World Premiere of Górecki’s new work, String Quartet No. 3, during the 10th annual Festival of Polish Composers in Bielsko-Biała
Oct. 3: World Premiere of Joanna Bruzdowicz’s Fanfare for Celebration of Women in Musicat the Gala Concert of the International World Forum for Music (UNESCO) in Los Angeles, CA
Dec. 2: The Sudety Philharmonic in Wałbrzych gave the World Premiere of Józef Wiłkomirski’s Concert Suite for Marimba and Orchestra
Dec. 4: Premiere of the newly reworked score for the 1916 Charlie Chaplin film Behind the Stageby Krzesimir Dębski, attended by the youngest son of Charlie Chaplin, Eugene Chaplin
PMC Events
March 9: a concert of songs by Karłowicz and the piano quintet of Zarębski at the United University Church at USC
October 14: composer Marta Ptaszyńska gave this year’s Paderewski Lecture, in conjunction with excellent performances of her music. See article.
PMC director Marek Żebrowski spread the work of the PMC around the U.S. and the world, giving talks and performances from Arizona to Brazil to Poland
Nov. 11: the PMC and the Polish Consulate in L.A. ended the 2005 season with a great success at the Polish Independence Day Vars Gala. See article.
New Recordings/Publications
Chandos Records has released a recording of the Bacewicz Violin Sonatas 4 & 5, the Partita and Solo Sonata, with violinist Joanna Kurkowicz and pianist Gloria Chen (CHAN 10250)
PWM has published a new book about Juliusz Zarębski, written by Golianek Ryszard, entitled Juliusz Zarębski; Man, Music, Culture. The book bears witness to the high level of his work and calls him the “most outstanding Chopinesque composer.” The book also postulates that it is largely due to Zarębski’s musical influence that any link can be made between Chopin and the 1900’s compositions of Karłowicz and Szymanowski.
A new recording of Szymanowski’s King Roger(Accord Records CD 131), with Jacek Kaspszyk and the Polish National Orchestra & Choir and soloists Wojtek Drabowicz and Olga Pasiecznik
PowerBros Records presents the most comprehensive selection work by the extraordinarily talented self-taught composer and pianist, Krzysztof Komeda, including his most famous motion pictures scores: The genius of Krzysztof Komeda, 13-CD box-set
Avec et Sans, the 7th volume in the “Skrowronski Plays!” series, was independently released by violinist Vincent P. Skowronski
“[Piotr] Anderszewski enthralls the listener by the sheer beauty of the sounds that conjures up from the piano” (Erik Levi, BBC Music Magazine, August) on his recording of rare pieces for solo piano by Szymanowski
A new book on Krzysztof Penderecki has just been published by Cindy Bylander, entitled Krzysztof Penderecki: A Bio-Bibliography
Acte Prealable continues to produce ground-breaking recordings of well-known and rare Polish music
New solo piano album from Leszek Możdżer: Piano. Premiered in December.
News
Kaczmarek Concert In LA
The music of Oscar-winning composer Jan A.P. Kaczmarek (Finding Neverland) will be presented in concert on Friday, January 20th at the Royce Hall at UCLA at 8 p.m. The program, “Journey to Light,” will commemorate the inauguration of the Polish Film Institute and the Polish Audiovisual Publishers. Kaczmarek’s film music from Finding Neverland, Unfaithful, Quo Vadis and The Third Miracle will be featured, as well as the two last movements from his newest work Cantata for Freedom. This is sure to be a significant moment in Polish cinematic history.
Born and educated in Poland, Kaczmarek is an ambassador to the film world for filmmakers and artists of his native land, having enjoyed much success during his time in Hollywood. In February 2005, he won the Academy Award for Best Original Score for the highly acclaimed feature film Finding Neverland, directed by Marc Forster and starring Johnny Depp, Kate Winslet, and Julie Christie. For the film, Kaczmarek also won the National Board of Review prize for Best Score of the Year, and received both Golden Globe and BAFTA nominations. His other major Hollywood success came with the Oscar-nominated film Unfaithful, starring Diane Lane and Richard Gere.
“Journey to Light” will trace the remarkable career of Kaczmarek as conducted by Michal Nesterowicz. Soloists will include Leszek Możdżer on piano, vocalist Sussan Deyhim, soprano Agnieszka Tomaszewska, Marta Maslanka on dulcimer, The Hollywood Film Chorale, and the USC Thornton Symphony. The Polish Film Institute, co-sponsor of this event, is a government entity established in 2005 by the virtue of new cinema law in Poland. The General Director is Mrs. Agnieszka Odorowicz, former vice-minister in the Ministry of Culture. Poland joins the international film market with new possibilities of world wide co-productions and new professional offerings. The goal of this organization is to revitalize the Polish film industry, and showcase both established talent such as Roman Polanski, Krzysztof Kieslowski, Agnieszka Holland, Jerzy Skolimowski, Andrzej Wajda, and to bring emerging artists to the attention of Hollywood’s filmmaking community.
“JOURNEY TO LIGHT”
Friday, January 20, 2006, 8:00 PM
Royce Hall, UCLA
Tickets: $30.00, $15.00 – all students with ID
UCLA Central Ticket Offiice at (310) 825-2101
www.uclalive.org/event.asp?Event_ID=325
Zarębski at Kosciuszko Fdn.
The rarely-heard Piano Quintet in G minor, of Juliusz Zarębski, will be featured in a concert on Sunday, January 22 at 3 pm at the Kosciuszko Foundation. Pianist Roman Markowicz will join the Cassatt String Quartet in the monumental work; other works in the program include Borodin’s Nocturne and Dvorak’s Quartet No. 14 in A-flat.
Hailed as one of America’s outstanding young ensembles, the Manhattan-based Cassatt String Quartet has performed throughout North America, Europe and the Far East. Formed in 1985, the quartet is celebrated for its commitment to American music and for its tireless leadership as teachers at numerous universities and conservatories. The ensemble was formed in 1985 with the encouragement of the Juilliard Quartet, and their numerous awards include a Tanglewood Chamber Music fellowship, two top prizes at the Banff International String Quartet Competition, and a 1996 recording grant from the Mary Flagler Cary Charitable Trust. The quartet takes its name from the celebrated American impressionist painter Mary Cassatt.
Pianist Roman Markowicz, born in Poland, was educated at the Chopin Academy of Music in Warsaw, as well as at the Manhattan School of Music and The Juilliard School in New York City. Among his mentors were such eminent pianists as Maria Wilkomirska, Artur Balsam and Ania Dorfman, In 1968 political circumstances forced Mr. Markowicz and his family to leave Poland and resettle in the United States, where as a scholarship student he continued his musical education. Currently he divides his musical activities between performing, music education and music criticism. He is a sought after soloist and chamber musician , and in that capacity he has performed all over the United States, as well as several European countries; he recently partnered with renowned Polish contralto Ewa Podleś for recitals in Spain.
In addition, Mr. Markowicz has been active for many years as a highly regarded music reviewer for the Nowy Dziennik (Polish Daily News), the leading Polish language newspaper in New York. His writings appear regularly also on the Internet site www.kamerton.net.
For more information, visit: www.kosciuszkofoundation.org/EV_Jan06_22.html.
Commendation For PWM
Aleksander Kwaśniewski, the outgoing President of Poland, had sent a special letter to the Polish music publishers PWM Edition, congratulating the most important publisher of Polish music for their wide-ranging accomplishments on their 60th anniversary. During a special meeting held at the Kraków City Hall, attended by such musical luminaries as Henryk Mikołaj Górecki, Teresa Chylińska, Professor Leszek Polony, and others, the governor of the province of Małopolska, Jerzy Adamik, decorated several guests with medals awarded by President KwaŚniewski. The Golden Cross of Merit was bestowed upon Teresa Chylińska, Aleksandra Woźnicka, and Adam Neuer. The Silver Cross of Merit was awarded to Ewa Widota-Nyczek, Barbara Stryszewska, and Janina Warzecha. Andrzej Kosowski, the Editor-in-Chief of PWM received a Bronze Cross of Merit.
Grammy Award Nominees
Nominees announcement: New York City, December 8, 2005
Gala event: Los Angeles, February 8, 2006
This year, three Polish artists have been nominated for the 48th Annual GRAMMY Awards, the most publicized honor for music in the U.S. The nominees are Antoni Wit, managing and artistic director of the Warsaw Philharmonic and Henryk Wojnarowski, choirmaster of the Choir Of The National Philharmonic, and Piotr Anderszewski, pianist.
The nominations come in two categories:
- “Best Choral Performance” (Awarded to the Choral Conductor, Orchestra Conductor, and Choral Director/Chorus Master as applicable). For the recording of Krzysztof Penderecki’s A Polish Requiemby Antoni Wit/Henryk Wojnarowski, with the orchestra and choir of the Warsaw Philharmonic and soloists: Izabela Klosinska, Jadwiga Rappé Ryszard Minkiewicz and Piotr Nowacki. [Naxos]
“Best Instrumental Soloist Performance (without Orchestra)” Piotr Anderszewski has been nominated for recording of Karol Szymanowski’s: Piano Sonata No. 3 Op. 36, Métopes Op. 29, and Masques Op. 34. [Virgin Classics].
The 48th Annual GRAMMY Awards will be held on Wednesday, Feb. 8, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles and once again will be broadcast live on CBS from 8-11:30 p.m. (ET/PT).
Jasna Góra Publications
Andrzej Kosowski, the Editor-in-Chief at PWM announced a join venture of the Polish Music Publishing (PWM) and the Society of Music at Jasna Góra to publish works from the extensive collection of scores and other musical sources held at the Jasna Góra Monastery Library. The publication will present compositions by numerous Polish composers associated with the Jasna Góra Monastery throughout several centuries, as well as works by other European composers preserved in manuscript at the Monastery Library. The entire project will be overseen by Professor Remigiusz Pośpiech from the Opole University.
Book Review: Grisha
By Gary Fitelberg
GRISHA, the biography of cellist Gregor Piatigorsky (1903-1976), is a true rags to riches story. It is an adventurous and arduous journey from his birthplace in Ekaterinoslav to citizenship in America, with many twists and turns in between; Warsaw in Poland, Berlin in Germany, Paris in France are just a few stops on his path to freedom.
GRISHA tells the story of a struggle between father and son; both aspiring musicians. Both very proud, independent, strong men with minds and wills of their own. Willing to take several risks towards success. Proving that nothing ventured is nothing gained. While the father fails the son succeeds. GRISHA escapes his father, failure, homelessness, hunger. He escapes and flees Bolsheviks, Cossacks, pogroms and the Russian Revolution. Next the Nazi Holocaust. Barely and narrowly each and every time. Just when it seems like the end a little luck saves the day.
The story of Gregor Piatigorsky’s life is one of both fantasy and reality. One of adventure, struggle, success and love. He was a man with a heart too big to fill, a mind that was both penetrating and wide open, a talent rich in its agility and expressiveness, and a sense of humor as warming as his enormous smile. Piatigorsky’s life was dedicated to finding what was beautiful. He found beauty everywhere in nature, in art, in people, in life itself, and of course in music.
Gregor Piatigorsky’s cello was his lifelong companion and “weapon” as he liked to refer to it. He admired it, loved it, protected it, and was in awe of it, fought with it, and shared it with people in every corner of the world. He brought the cello to places that never ever had seen one. He taught and inspired dozens of cellists to become artists. They learned about music from the inside, not merely about technique. They also learned the important values of honesty and quality. Piatigorsky told stories, not only with words but he spoke through music, and he always spoke from the heart about what was on his mind. Piatigorsky gave to the world of music the cello as a solo instrument, and along with it, a voice of warmth, imagination and infinite humanity.
Author Margaret Bartley is quite amazing in her story-telling ability and her portrayal recreates a glorious, romantic and unforgettable part of history. Her account of all the events is so remarkable and is done entirely in a dramatic narrative style so real that you could imagine you were there yourself. Bartley tells the story through his eyes as if she had been there or was Piatigorsky herself. It is another world altogether. Bartley reconstructs all the events and the facts of history as accurately as possible.
GRISHA was written as the result of a gift Bartley received from his son, Joram Piatigorsky. In July 1999, he visited his old home in New Russia, New York, and gave her copies of both his parents autobiographies. Inspired by what she read, she dug deeper into the history of Gregor Piatigorsky and eventually wrote Sanctuary Among the Birches which was published by Adirondack Magazine in June 2001. She felt, though, that the magazine article couldn’t do justice to Piatigorsky’s incredible and fascinating life. The biographies Cellist by Gregor Piatigorsky and Jump in the Waves by Jacqueline (née Rothschild) Piatigorsky served as the basis and foundation of her own biography. This was supplemented by interviews with family, friends, colleagues and students who shared their memories and stories of this true maestro together with her.
The best endorsement of all of the biography comes from his son Joram Piatigorsky who stated as follows in the Foreward:
Margaret has done a wonderful job researching my father’s life, from the frightening hardships of the Russian pogroms, his escape from the Bolshevik Revolution and the insanity of Hitler and World War II. She tells of his struggles as a talented young cellist and his success as a great artist. She captures my father’s remarkable life in extraordinary times, his vulnerabilities and his strength as a survivor.
When I was a boy, I heard my father’s own account of these events, and I can state with first-hand knowledge that she recreated the highlights of his life in her own words with feeling and sensitivity. I can hear my father’s voice and see my father gesticulating as she recounts his adventures. This book has its own music. I regret that my father is not alive to read it himself but I’m certain he would approve.
GRISHA is an absolute must read for any serious study of human nature, history and music.
[Author’s Note: Gregor Piatigorsky was cellist for the Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra under Artistic Director and Conductor Grzegorz Fitelberg.]
A copy of GRISHA can be ordered from Otis Mountain Press. Details are available on their website, www.otismountainpress.com or by contacting mail@otismountainpress.com or (301) 467-0261. Otis Mountain Press is donating a portion of the proceeds from the sale of the book GRISHA to the Meadowmount School of Music to create the Gregor Piatigorsky Memorial Fellowship. This fellowship will allow a worthy cello student the opportunity to study at Meadowmount. Located in the Adirondack Mountains near Piatigorsky’s home, the Meadowmount School of Music was established in 1944 with the help of Gregor Piatigorsky, who was also its first cello teacher.
New Score: Filtsch
A new score by the child prodigy and student of Chopin, Carl Filtsch (1830-1845), has been published. The edition is edited by Ferdinand Gajewski. Learn more about Filtsch and order the music at www.booklocker.com/books/2232.html.
Wozzeck Revisited
On January 5, 2006, at the Grand Theatre in Warsaw, a premiere performance of Alban Berg’s opera Wozzeck in a new staging, will be directed by Krzysztof Warlikowski. Set designs were by Małgorzata Szczęśniak, and choreography was by Saar Magal. An international cast of singers was accompanied by the Grand Theatre Orchestra and Choir under the direction of Jacek Kaszprzyk.
Stachowski Book
Polish Music Publishers (PWM) is releasing a new book about the composer Marek Stachowski: Trzeba umieć marzyć-rozmowy z Markiem Stachowskim [Imagination required—Conversations with Marek Stachowski]. The book launch is scheduled for January 10, 2006, at the Music Academy in Kraków.
Awards
Lutosławski Award 2005
Winners of the Lutosławski Award 2005 Competition were announced in Warsaw in early December. The jury, headed by Zygmunt Krauze, president of the Lutosławski Society in Warsaw, reviewed 102 compositions submitted for the competition. There were two First Prize winners: Sean Benjamin Shephard (USA) for his String Quartet and Tazul Izan Tajjudin (Malaysia) for Gamelbati III. The two Second Prize Winners were: Philippe Bodin (France) for the composition Vers le bleu—vers le rouge, and Eun mi Ko (South Korea) for the composition Shout of Silence. There were no Third Prize winners.
Discography
Chopin For Strings
By Gary Fitelberg
CHOPIN FOR STRINGS is a CD which is not striking on the outside but surely is impressive on the inside, giving credence to the saying, “Good things come in small packages.” It looks like a throw away but it is truly a real keeper. All one sees on the CD cover to identify its producers is merely an email and phone number. Plain wrap but powerful music.
Chopin arrangements by Walter Legawiec and Mieczyslaw Gubernat of Mazurkas (Op.7, Op. 63, Op. 67), Valses (Op. 6, Op. 34, Op. 69), Nocturne (Op.9 – c minor), Polonaise (Op. 40), and Prelude (Op. 28) show off some special talents of the Slavic Arts Ensemble. The Quartet features Mieczyslaw Gubernat and Krzysztof Kuznik as violinists, Erik Nowlin on viola and Rafal Jezierski on cello. These renditions will raise the souls of real Chopin aficionados straight to heaven.
The Slavic Arts Ensemble was founded in 1977 by Mieczyslaw Gubernat with the intent of presenting Polish and Slavic compositions and providing an important forum for performances by outstanding musicians. The great success of the “Birthday Concert Series” at the Kosciuszko Foundation, in NYC, which featured the music of Polish composers, prompted the Slavic Arts Ensemble to expand its repertoire to encompass all music eras and styles, including music written expressly by contemporary composers. The New York Times enthusiastically praised the Slavic Arts Ensemble for giving, “superlative performances of chamber music.” Comprised of distinguished musicians, the Slavic Arts Ensemble brings to its performances an enormous range of collective experience and talent in the classic European style of elegance and refinement. Some of the artists who have performed with the Ensemble include Teresa Kubiak, Christina Petrowska, Hanna Lachert, Jan Jozef Wnek, Krzystof Kuznik, Maurycy Banaszek, Matuesz Wolski and many others.
To place an order for this recording or for more information, please contact the Slavic Arts Ensemble at (718) 389-6984 or slavicartsensemble@earthlink.net.
New Recordings On Acte Préalable
AP0134: Derwid—Lutosławski’s Concealed Portrait
Mariusz Klimek, vocal
World Premiere recording
AP0135: A Musical Journey
Clarinet Quartet Claribel
Vivaldi – 4 Seasons: Winter; Takács – Serenade op. 83; J. & J. Strauss – Pizzicato-Polka; K. Wilson – Variations on a theme of 24th Caprice of Paganini; D. Brubeck – Blue Rondo à la Turk; M. Curtis – A Klezmer Wedding; T. Greaves – Beethoven’s Fifth Bossa Nova; S. Joplin – The Easy Winners; A. Piazzola – La muerte del angel; S. Nestico – A study in contrast; H. Stalpers – Clownery for clarinets; H. Wiberny – Here Comes Julian; G. Miller – Moonlight Serenade; G. Gershwin – Liza; Oh, Lady Be Good; B. Holcomb – Christmas Jazz
AP0136: Divertimento
Bartók – Bauer – Finney – Bakki – Hatch – Caubergs
Robert Gawroński, piano; Marcin Langner, oboe; Andrzej Michalak, percussion; Cezary Sanecki, piano; Marcin Serwaciński, percussion; Janusz Wieczorek, percussion; Anna Zmarzły, flute
World Premiere recording
Performances
Chamber Concerts Of Fitelberg
The Jewish Music Commission of Los Angeles is presented “A Little Jewish Night Music” at Valley Beth Shalom, Lopaty Hall, 15739 Ventura Blvd., Encino CA on November 29, 2005 at 7:30 p.m. The concert performance featured the work of Polish composer Grzegorz Fitelberg and Tzu der Chuppah [To the Wedding], a classical klezmer composition for clarinet and piano in two movements: Kaleh Bazetsen and Processional. The concert performance of this composition showed off the superb talents of Zinovy Goro on clarinet and Guy Hallman on piano. Admission was free to the community followed by a reception for the artists and guests.
Grzegorz Fitelberg was the founder of a group of young Polish composers known as “Młoda Polska” (“Young Poland”) consisting of composers Karol Szymanowski, Mieczyslaw Karłowicz, Ludomir Rozycki and Apolinary Szeluto. Fitelberg was also conductor of the Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra and founder/director/conductor of the Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra.
Also, Jerzy Fitelberg’s Serenade for violin and bass was presented in a premiere performance by Wolfram Brandt on violin and Martin Heinze at the Berlin Philharmonic on December 8, 2005.
[GF]
Calendar Of Events
JAN 14: 14th Annual International Chopin Piano Competition. St. Pius X, Corpus Christi, TX. 8:30am – 11:30am. www.fryderykchopinsocietyoftexas.org.
JAN 17: 14th Annual International Chopin Piano Competition Winners’ Recital and Luncheon. Town Club, Corpus Christi, TX. Noon. Reservations required – Call or fax for details: 361-853-6771. www.fryderykchopinsocietyoftexas.org.
JAN 20: “Journey to Light” – a tribute to the music of Oscar winner Jan A. P. Kaczmarek. Royce Hall, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA. 8:00 pm. (310) 825-2101 or www.uclalive.org/event.asp?Event_ID=325
JAN 22: National Chopin Competition (Miami) Special Prize winner Howard Na in recital. Hotel Alexander, Miami, FL. 4:00 pm. Free for Chopin Council members. (305) 868-0624, www.chopin.org/memberevents.html, info@chopin.org.
JAN 22: Roman Markowicz, piano & the Cassatt String Quartet perform Zarębski’s Piano Quintet in G min. Kosciuszko Foundation House, NYC, NY. 3:00 pm. Artist reception to follow. More info above.
JAN 28: Concert – lecture “Chopin and His Influences” with Paul Posnak, piano. Broward County Main Library, Fort Lauderdale, FL. 7:00 pm. www.chopin.org.
JAN 29: Concert – lecture “Chopin and His Influences” with Paul Posnak, piano. Granada Presbyterian Church, Coral Gables, FL. 3:00 pm. www.chopin.org.
JAN 29: Lyn Garland & Alison Moncrieff Kelly Concert at the Sikorski Museum. Program: Hummel, Mendelssohn, Chopin, Beethoven, Schumann. London, U.K.3:30 pm. Phone: 020 8960 4027. < a href=http://www.chopin-society.org.uk/>www.chopin-society.org.uk.
Anniversaries
Born This Month
- 1 January 1927 – Juliusz ŁUCIUK, composer, musicologist
- 1 January 1872 – Tadeusz JARECKI, conductor (d. 1955)
- 2 January 1894 – Artur RODZIŃSKI, conductor, music director (d. 1958)
- 2 January 1907 – Henryk GADOMSKI, composer and conductor (d. 1941, Auschwitz)
- 3 January 1885 – Raoul KOCZALSKI (d. 1948), pianist and composer
- 13 January 1921 – Wanda WILK, founder of the Polish Music Center
- 17 January 1898 – Jerzy LEFELD, pianist and piano professor
- 22 January 1944 – Vincent SKOWRONSKI, violinist
- 23 January 1888 – Jerzy GABLENZ, composer (d. 1937)
- 25 January 1913 – Witold LUTOSŁAWSKI, composer (d. 1994)
- 25 January 1928 – Andrzej CWOJDZINSKI, composer and conductor
- 28 January 1717 – Just Franciszek KASPER, priest, composer, conductor (d. 1760)
- 26 January 1886 – Artur RUBINSTEIN, pianist (d. 1981)
- 31 January 1926 – Stanisław PRÓSZYŃSKI, composer
Died This Month
- 1 January 1953 – Ludomir RÓŻYCKI (b. 1884), composer, pianist, member of the group Young Poland
- 9 January 1842 – Józef KROGULSKI (b. 1815), pianist, conductor, voice teacher
- 9 January 1981 – Kazimierz SEROCKI(b. 1922), composer, co-founder of the Warsaw Autumn Festival
- 11 January 1935 – Marcellina SEMBRICH-KOCHAŃSKA (b. 1858), singer – coloratura soprano
- 12 January 1934 – Paweł KOCHAŃSKI (b. 1878), virtuoso violinist, Szymanowski’s collaborator
- 17 January 1969 – Grażyna BACEWICZ(b. 1909), composer, violinist, pianist
- 19 January 1951 – Stanisław GOLACHOWSKI (b. 1907), musicologist
- 21 January 1618 – Krzystof KRAIŃSKI [Crainscius], preacher, author of a song collection (b. 1556)
- 23 January 1946 – Feliks NOWOWIEJSKI (b. 1877), composer, conductor, organist
- 23 January 1921- Władysław ŻELENSKI, composer (b. 1837)
- 26 January 1946 – Ignacy FRIEDMAN, composer and virtuoso pianist (b. 1882)
Obituary
Ryszard Sielicki
Ryszard Sielicki, a pianist and composer, died in Warsaw on December 21, 2005 at the age of 89. Born in Warsaw in 1916, he made his debut as composer in the 1930s. He studied at the Warsaw Conservatory before World War II, and continued his musical education at the Tchaikovski Conservatory in Moscow from 1943 until 1948, under the tutelage of Dmitri Shostakovich and Yuri Shaporin. He wrote symphonic, chamber and solo music and also was a talented songwriter, writing for such pop artists as Violetta Villas and Anna German. Ryszard Sielecki was a member of the Polish Composers’ Union since 1956.