572031 bk Penderecki 4/2/09 16:15 Page 8 Stanisław Skrowaczewski, and in 1958 Witold Rowicki was again appointed artistic director and principal conductor, a post he held until 1977, when he was succeeded by Kazimierz Kord, serving until the end of the centenary celebrations in 2001. In 2002 Antoni Wit became general and artistic director of the Warsaw PENDERECKI Philharmonic – The National Orchestra and Choir of Poland. The orchestra has toured widely abroad, in addition to its busy schedule at home in symphony concerts, chamber concerts, educational work and other activities. It now has a complement of 110 players. Utrenja Antoni Wit Hossa • Rehlis • Kusiewicz • Nowacki • Bezzubenkov Antoni Wit, one of the most highly regarded Polish conductors, studied conducting with Henryk Czyz and composition with Krzysztof Penderecki Warsaw Boys’ Choir at the Academy of Music in Kraków, subsequently continuing his studies with Nadia Boulanger in Paris. He also graduated in law at the Jagellonian University in Kraków. Immediately after completing his studies he was Warsaw Philharmonic Choir and Orchestra engaged as an assistant at the Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra by Witold Rowicki and was later appointed conductor of the Poznan Philharmonic, Antoni Wit collaborated with the Warsaw Grand Theatre, and from 1974 to 1977 was artistic director of the Pomeranian Philharmonic, before his appointment as director of the Polish Radio and Television Orchestra and Chorus in Kraków, from 1977 to 1983. From 1983 to 2000 he was the director of the National Polish Radio Symphony Orchestra in Katowice, and from 1987 to 1992 he was the chief conductor and then first guest conductor of Orquesta Filarmónica de Gran Canaria. In 2002 he became General and Artistic Director of the Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra. His international career has brought engagements with major orchestras throughout Europe, the Americas and the Near and Far East. He has made nearly a hundred records, including an acclaimed release for Naxos of the piano concertos of Prokofiev, awarded the Diapason d’Or and Grand Prix du Disque de la Nouvelle Académie du Disque. In January 2002 his recording of the Turangalîla Symphony by Olivier Messiaen (8.554478-79) was awarded the Cannes Classical Award in Midem Classic 2002. In 2004 he received the Classical Internet Award and was nominated for a Grammy for his Naxos recording of Penderecki’s St Luke Passion (8.557149), with a further nomination in 2005 for Penderecki’s Polish Requiem (8.557386-87). Antoni Wit is a professor at the F. Chopin Academy of Music in Warsaw. This recording was sponsored by PZU 8.572031 8 572031 bk Penderecki 4/2/09 16:15 Page 2 Krzysztof Warsaw National Philharmonic Choir PENDERECKI The Warsaw National Philharmonic Choir was founded in 1952 by Zbigniew Soja and gave its first concert in May (b. 1933) 1953, under the then artistic director of the Warsaw Philharmonic Witold Rowicki. The present chorus-master Henryk Wojnarowski has held this position since 1978. In its wide repertoire the choir has more than 150 oratorios and choral works ranging from the medieval to the contemporary. Each year the choir collaborates in some ten Utrenja (1970-71) symphony and oratorio concerts with the Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra, the most important part of its artistic . activity. The choir also performs regularly at the Warsaw Autumn Festival and in Wrocław at the Wratislavia Part I: Zlozenie Chrystusa do grobu Cantans Festival. Many of these concerts have been recorded. Polish music, in particular works of Krzysztof (The Entombment of Christ) 40:13 Penderecki, Henryk Mikolaj Górecki and Wojciech Kilar, is a very important part of the choir’s repertoire. The choir has performed all Penderecki’s oratorios and a cappella works, as well as his opera Paradise Lost. The 1 I. Troparion 6:13 Warsaw Philharmonic Choir is also very active internationally, appearing throughout Europe and beyond. There have been collaborations with the most renowned orchestras, and participation in operas at La Scala, Milan, La (incipit: “Blaniy s dresnyem s dreva prechistoye…”) Fenice, and in other major houses. In 1988 and 1990 the choir was invited to the Vatican to take part in celebrations 2 II. Pies´ni pochwalne (Songs of Praise) 16:38 of the successive anniversaries of Pope John Paul II’s pontificate, concerts that were televised and broadcast (incipit: “Blagosloven yesi Hospodi…”) throughout Europe. In December 2001 the choir, together with the Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra, performed for 3 III. Irmos 6:36 John Paul II once again in a special concert commemorating the centenary of the Warsaw Philharmonic, this time presenting the Missa pro pace by Wojciech Kilar. Among the conductors who have performed with the Warsaw (incipit: “Bogoyavleniya Tvoyego, Hristye…”) Philharmonic Choir have been Witold Rowicki, Jerzy Semkow, Kazimierz Kord, Jerzy Maksymiuk, Krzysztof 4 IV. Kanon Wielkiej Soboty, Pies´n´ 9 Penderecki, Stanisław Skrowaczewski, Leopold Stokowski, Gary Bertini, Sergiu Comissiona, Lorin Maazel, Seiji (Canon of Holy Saturday, Song 9) 2:13 Ozawa, Giuseppe Sinopoli and Igor Stravinsky and, of course, Antoni Wit, who is the Artistic Director of the (incipit: “Slava otsu i Sinu i Svyatomu…”) Warsaw Philharmonic, the National Orchestra and Choir of Poland. 5 V. Irmologion (Stichira) 8:33 Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra (incipit: “Tyebye odyeyushchagosya…”) The National Philharmonic of Poland Part II: Zmartwychwstanie Pan´skie The first performance of the Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra took place on 5th November 1901 in the (The Resurrection of Christ) 34:38 newly opened Philharmonic Hall under the artistic 6 I. Ewangelia (The Gospel) 2:35 director and principal conductor, Emil Młynarski. The 7 II. Stichira 6:39 soloist was the world-renowned pianist, composer and future statesman Ignacy Jan Paderewski, and the 8 III. Psalm z Troparionem (Psalm with Troparion) 8:22 programme included Paderewski’s Piano Concerto in 9 IV. Kanon Paschy, Pies´ni 1, 3 A minor and works of other Polish composers, Chopin, (Passover Canon, Songs 1 and 3) 3:43 Moniuszko, Noskowski, Stojowski and Z˙elen´ski. In 0 V. Kanon Paschy, Pies´n´ 8 (Passover Canon, Song 8) 2:50 the succeeding years the orchestra won a high reputation, collaborating with leading conductors and ! VI. Kontakion 2:41 soloists, until the outbreak of war in 1939, the @ VII. Ikos 1:43 destruction of the Philharmonic Hall and the loss of 39 of its 71 players. Resuming activity after the war, the # VIII. Kanon Paschy, Fragmenty orchestra was conducted by Straszyński and Panufnik, and in January 1950 Witold Rowicki was appointed director (Passover Canon, Fragments) 6:04 and principal conductor, organizing a new ensemble under difficult conditions. In 1955 the rebuilt Philharmonic Hall was re-opened, with a large hall of over a thousand seats and a 433-seat hall for chamber music, recognised as the National Philharmonic of Poland. Subsequent conductors included Bohdan Wodiczko, Arnold Rezler and 8.572031 2 7 8.572031 572031 bk Penderecki 4/2/09 16:15 Page 6 Piotr Kusiewicz Krzysztof Penderecki (b. 1933) Utrenja Piotr Kusiewicz enjoys a considerable reputation as a singer in oratorio. He studied piano and voice at the Gdan´sk Conservatory and in 1978 received first prize and two distinctions in the 13th Surprising though it may now seem, the appearance in usage. Part One, Entombment (which is dedicated to the International Antonin Dvořák Vocal Competition in Karlovy Vary. He has appeared in concerts 1962 of the Stabat Mater by Krysztof Penderecki conductor Eugene Ormandy), was again commissioned and operas both in Poland and abroad, and has sung in major venues throughout Poland and caused something of a furore in avant-garde music by West German Radio. Its première took place in abroad, collaborating with leading conductors. Piotr Kusiewicz is much sought after for his circles. Coming soon after his radical orchestral works, Altenberg on 8th April 1970 under Andrzej Markowski, interpretations of contemporary music. He performs works by Krzysztof Penderecki, Witold the stark simplicity and emotional directness of the short followed by the Polish première in Kraków on 26th June Lutosławski, Krzysztof Baculewski, Edward Pałłasz, Juliusz Łuciuk, PawełŁukaszewski and choral piece led – not for the last time in the composer’s 1971. The work is for three male voices, tenor, bass and Zbigniew Preisner, and has been entrusted with the premières of their works. Festival career – to accusations of his being reactionary and basso profondo, which correspond, respectively, to the appearances include the Warsaw Autumn, the Gaude Mater (Człstochowa) and the Krzysztof turning his back on musical progress. Over four decades rôles of chaplain, deacon and lector, and for two female Penderecki Festival. He is head and professor of the Vocal Department at the Gdan´sk Musical on, however, the Stabat Mater can clearly be seen as voices, soprano and mezzo-soprano, who fulfil purely Academy and also teaches solo singing at the Musical Academy in Bydgoszcz. His thirty varied recordings include a having initiated that consolidation and synthesis which musical rôles. The soloists are supported by two choirs release of Witold Lutosławski’s Paroles tissées for Naxos. In March 2008 Piotr Kusiewicz was awarded the Holy Cross. Penderecki was to pursue, to varying degrees and on along with an orchestra rich in brass and percussion. different levels, in both the choral and instrumental After the première, West German Radio promptly Piotr Nowacki domains. commissioned Penderecki to compose the second part Equally worth bearing in mind is the composer’s of Utrenja. Thus Part Two, Resurrection, had its n The Polish bass Piotr Nowacki graduated from the Łódz´ Academy of Music in 1985. He has stance, whether as a progressive composer within the première on 28th May 1971 in Münster, again under won prizes at vocal competitions in Warsaw, Kudowa, Bytom and Krynica, and took part in the conformist environment of post-Stalinist Poland or as a Markowski.