Besides his monumental ethnographic research, Oskar Kolberg also composed a number of vocal works, including an opera: Król Pasterzy [King of Shepherds]. It was shown in Kraków on June 3, 2014, 155 years after its premiere. This one-act work to a libretto by the romantic poet Teofil Lenartowicz depicts an idyllic setting in the rural…Continue Reading Kolberg’s Opera Revived
As a corollary to the Kolberg Year Celebrations, please see an English-language interview with Andrzej Bieńkowski, a painter, photographer, and ethnographer who answers Agnieszka Grzybowska’s questions about Kolberg’s legacy and the social isolation of individuals living in rural areas of Poland. The full interview is available at culture.pl. I was lucky enough to have met three…Continue Reading Bienkowski Interview
On May 16, the new website dedicated to composer Sir Andrzej Panufnik—www.panufnik.polmic.pl—was officially unveiled in the Chamber Hall of the Warsaw headquarters of Polish Music Publishers PWM. Created by the Polish Music Information Centre in Warsaw (POLMIC) to celebrate Panufnik’s centenary, the site features musical excerpts and detailed biographical information as well as an extensive…Continue Reading New Panufnik Site
Andzej Panufnik: Symphony No. 9 and Bassoon Concerto Panufnik (1914-1991): Symphony No. 9 ‘Sinfonia di Speranza’ and Bassoon Concerto Robert Thompson, bassoon; BBC Symphony Orchestra; Sir Andrzej Panufnik, cond. Heritage Records HTGCD266 (available for purchase at www.amazon.co.uk) To mark the centenary of the birth of Polish composer Sir Andrzej Panufnik, Heritage Records is proud to…Continue Reading New Legacy Recording Released
Every summer, the “LEOPOLDINUM” Chamber Orchestra in Wrocław hosts the week-long LEO Festival. This year, the concert held on June 1 will feature the music of Panufnik in celebration of his centenary. Entitled “Mentor & Student,” the program will be performed by students from the Lipiński Academy of Music in Wrocław as well as performers…Continue Reading Panufnik In Wrocław
Canzon de’baci by Andrzej Kwieciński (b. 1984) won a prize for the best work by a young composer and a recommendation in the general category at the 61st International Rostrum of Composers (IRC). As an additional prize, Kwieciński was awarded a commission for a new composition from the International Music Council and Radio France. The…Continue Reading Triple Hit For Kwiecinski
From June 8-14, the 26th edition of the International Festival of Kraków Composers will be held. The Festival is organized by the Kraków branch of the Polish Composers’ Union (ZKP), led by artistic director Marcel Chyrzyński. The program will include works by Marek Stachowski, Maciej Zieliński, Zbigniew Bujarski, Michał Jakub Papara, Witold Lutosławski, Mikołaj Górecki,…Continue Reading Kraków Composers’ Festival
Polish Day in L.A. Saturday, June 14, 2014 from 2:00 pm to 10:00 pm Linden Avenue between 1st Street & Broadway, Long Beach, CA 90802 On June 14, Polish Day in L.A. will celebrate Polish culture with music, crafts, delicious treats, good beer, and fun during the 2nd Saturday Art Walk in Long Beach, CA….Continue Reading Polish Festivals Around The US
Tempus Fantasy Fantasy on Sergei Prokofiev’s Violin Sonate F minor Op. 80 No. 1; Fantasy on Claude Debussy’s “Pour l’Egyptienne”; Fantasy on Gregorian chant “Dies Irae” & Franz Liszt’s “Totentanz”; Fantasy on Sergei Rachmaninov’s “Vocalise”; Fantasy on Sergei Rachmaninov’s Prelude C sharp minor Op.3 No.2; Fantasy on Frederic Chopin’s Prelude F sharp major Op. 28…Continue Reading Classical Piano Meets Electronica
Karol Szymanowski – Masques, Métopes & Études Szymanowski (1882-1937): 12 Études, Op. 33; Masques, Op. 34; 4 Études, Op. 4; Métopes ‘Trois Poèmes’, Op. 29; Cédric Tiberghien, piano Hyperion CDA67886 (Feb. 2014) In French pianist Cédric Tiberghien’s first solo recording for Hyperion he embraces the sensual, crepuscular sound-world of Szymanowski’s piano music. Tiberghien’s expressive, mercurial,…Continue Reading Szymanowski On Hyperion