On Friday November 11, the Łódź Philharmonic hosted a very special, all-Polish Independence Day concert. The program began with the world premiere of three movements of the orchestral version of Roman Ryterband’s Suite Polonaise: IV. Kołomyjka, V. Zbójnicki, X. Oberek. The program also included Ignacy Jan Paderewski’s Piano Concerto and Zygmunt Noskowski’s Symphony No. 2. The Łódź Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra was joined by piano soloist Julia Kociuban and conducted by Paweł Przytocki.
Although Ryterband and other contemporary pianists performed the original solo piano version of the Suite Polonaise quite often during his lifetime, the orchestral version–arranged by Tadeusz Dobrzański–was never before performed. Manuscript copies of the score and parts were provided by the Roman Ryterband Collection at the USC Polish Music Center, with the help and permission of the Ryterband family.
Watch an excerpt of the November 11 performance here: www.facebook.com/watch/?v=603240001576167.
On November 26, another concert honoring Ryterband will be held at the Museum of the City of Łódź, as part of the cycle “Muzyka Łodzi.” Roman Ryterband was born in Łódź and his family owned property there until they were forced into the ghetto during WWII. Thanks to efforts of the PMC and the Ryterband family, the last few years have seen a burgeoning interest in the life and music of this composer who had been previously all but forgotten in the city. The program and performers of this monographic chamber music concert are as follows.
Program:
– A Dream of Grenada
– Dances from Suite Polonaise: Polonez, Kujawiak
Marcin Kawczyński – piano
– “Three Hebrew Songs”
– “Forget this Grief”
– “Lullaby” from Two American Songs
– “Slavonic Romance”
Patrycja Krzeszowska-Kubit – soprano, Marcin Kawczyński – piano
– Two excerpts from the ballet Tableaux of Laguna: Eucalyptus Giants on Catalina Street, Interlude at Sea
Marcin Kawczyński – piano
– Trois Ballades hébraïques
– Songs of the Plains of Poland
Ludwika Maja Tomaszewska-Klimek – violin, Marcin Kawczyński – piano
The concert will be led by musicologist Aleksandra Bęben, a professor at the Łódź Music Academy. Bęben has written several articles on Roman Ryterband and curated the program.
Saturday, November 26, 2022 | 4:30 p.m.
Concert: “Roman Ryterband – a forgotten composer from Łódź”
Museum of the City of Łódź
ul. Ogrodowa 15, 91 – 065 Łódź
Info & tickets: muzeum-lodz.pl
[Sources: press release, muzeum-lodz.pl; Photo courtesy of the Łódź Philharmonic via: facebook.com]