11.02.2018 — 27.01. Warsaw

ITOLD LUTOSŁAWSKI FESTIVAL LUTOSŁAWSKI ITOLD W

15 CHAIN CHAIN 15 XV ŁAŃCUCH ŁAŃCUCH

ŁAŃCUCH XV FESTIWAL WITOLDA LUTOSŁAWSKIEGO Warszawa 27.01. — 11.02.2018 THE WITOLD LUTOSŁAWSKI FESTIVAL CHAIN 15 WARSAW JANUARY 27 – FEBRUARY 11 2018 Organizers: President of the Witold Lutosławski Society: The Witold Lutosławski Society Elżbieta Markowska Polish Radio 2 Festival co-ordinators: Thematic concept: Magdalena Dobrowolska CHAIN 15 Elżbieta Markowska Aleksandra Braumańska Marcin Krajewski Grażyna Teodorowicz Program book editors: Concert programming: Marcin Krajewski 27.01 Alexander Liebreich Maria Burchard Marcin Krajewski English translation and editing: 28.01 Andrzej Bauer Maksymilian Kapelański 03.02 Lutosławski Quartet Program notes: Marcin Krajewski Grażyna Teodorowicz 04.02 Michał Klauza Marcin Krajewski Marcin Krajewski 07.02 Jakub Jakowicz Design and layout: Bartosz Bednarczyk laventura Maciej Sawicki 11.02 Andrzej Boreyko Printed by SINDRUK Printers

Cover photo: www.lutoslawski.org.pl Bolesław Lutosławski

Projekt współfinansuje m.st. Warszawa

Financed by the Fundacja PZU

The Witold Lutosławski Festival is financed in part by funds from the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage, as well as the City of Warsaw CHAIN 15

The 15th ‘Chain’ Festival occurs on A concert program thus conceived the 100th-year anniversary of Polish is a work owing its shape largely Independence. In the program — not to the invited performers — solo- without influence from these celebra- ists, ensembles, and conductors with tions — a showcase of Polish music an affinity to Polish music of the last that weaves out counterpoints to Lu- hundred years. It is worthwhile to re- tosławski’s masterworks. ceive it while conscious of the difficult times in which it was created and its The Polish composer’s style, rooted in original intentions. Witold Lutosławski Impressionism, Neo-Classicism, and said once: “(…) I hope that all which sometimes drawing from folklore, orig- we now experience in our country, can- inates in conjunction with many other not be without effect on what issues styles and can be better understood from my pen (…). My bit of optimism as such. Hence, the festival presence (…) stems from the reality that some- of Karol Szymanowski and the com- one might sense in the music that its posers of Lutosławski’s generation: author (…) is a member of society, Grażyna Bacewicz, as well as the less who feels a strong and deep solidari- often remembered Zbigniew Turski, ty with it”. Thoughts in the same vein Artur Malawski, Stefan Kisielewski, were surely common among his peers. and Jerzy Fitelberg. Composers of this Their music was a voice of communi- time were shaped and began their ar- ty expressing the aspirations of a free tistic activity in Independent . individual. The 15th ‘Chain’ Festival The program’s inclusion of recently reveals this music in a modest pres- composed works by Zygmunt Krauze entation — but with the hope that it and symbolizes a con- will resound similarly today. tinuity of Polish artistic traditions, re- calling also the anniversaries of those The Organizers great masters, rightfully associated in our minds with the person and music of Lutosławski. Saturday, January 27, 2018 7 PM Witold Lutosławski Concert Studio of the Polish Radio 59 J. Kaczmarskiego Street (formerly: 59 Z. Modzelewskiego Street)

Witold Lutosławski (1913–1994) Chain III for orchestra (1986) 12’

Karol Szymanowski (1882–1937) Symphony No. 4 “Symphonie concertante” for and orchestra op. 60 (1932) 25’ Moderato (Tempo commodo) Andante molto sostenuto Allegro non troppo, ma agitato e ansioso

[Intermission]

Claude Debussy (1862–1918) Nocturnes. Symphonic Triptych for Orchestra and Women’s Chorus (1899) 25’ Nuages Fêtes Sirènes

Witold Lutosławski Mi-parti for orchestra (1976) 15’

Peter Jablonski – piano Camerata Silesia – The Katowice City Singers’ Ensemble National Polish Radio Symphony Orchestra Alexander Liebreich – conductor Anna Szostak – choirmaster

Supported by 27. I 5 The nature of Witold Lutosławski’s music nevertheless, the Symphony no. 4 initially is constant searching — its successive disappointed him. He received the opening stages mark out explorations in harmony, passage in F major, with a beautiful melo- rhythm, form, and texture. In the 1980s, dy, as an outright betrayal of his own ide- when he decided to have exhausted als. But later, he saw the timeless value of the possibilities that a grand bi-partite this masterwork, and considered the lack form gave him, he found another compo- of innovation as something unimportant. sitional solution: the chain form. He had been using it for a long time, employing Karol Szymanowski’s composition whose a dovetailed succession of phrases or sec- final shape is the Symphony no. 4 was tions (first use of such a method happens initially conceived as a piano concerto. already in the Passacaglia from Concerto The composer played some of its parts to for Orchestra). However, “because there’s his acquaintances as early as in the 1920s, more of it here, I called the work Chain”, but the work was ultimately abandoned. explained the composer in the commen- He returned to it in 1932, after several tary to Chain I. difficult years that followed his resignation from the post of dean at the Warsaw Con- Yet, something of bi-partite form was left servatory. New circumstances and a wors- in Chain III: the idea of a music that is ening of his financial situation changed initially “hesitant”, suspended, and only his approach to the envisaged concerto: then advancing straight to its goal. We he now wrote it with himself as soloist can set out three stages of development in mind (which he kept secret, not being in this instance. The first is a succession a virtuoso soloist). The decision entailed of colourful episodes, performed by small a simplification of the piano part, and groups of instruments. The second is com- compensatory expansion of the orchestra’s prised of sections in alternation conducted role. While working on the Symphony, and ad libitum; it leads to the third, which Szymanowski wrote to Zofia Kochańska: features a cantilena-like treatment of “(…) just as from the conservatory, I seem brass instruments. And after the climax, to have broken out of my shackles and I’m the music ends, surprisingly, with a waning writing this concerto with much ease and glissando of the cellos. eagerness (I again implore you to ‘keep mum’ that it’s a concerto — we can say The premiere of Chain III was given on it’s the Fourth Symphony) and N.B. I have December 10, 1986, by the San Francisco the sense that it’s going to be a first-class Symphony Orchestra under Witold Lu- trick (…)”. The compositional work lasted tosławski’s direction. from March to June.

Witold Lutosławski said in conversation Symphony no. 4, “Symphonie concer- with Elżbieta Markowska that Szy- tante” op. 60 was created at a time when manowski stood as an idol for him and the composer sought to give his music his entire generation. Lutosławski lis- a national and also universal character, tened passionately to all his works, but yet without employment of folk melodies, 6 CHAIN 15 overused by his contemporaries. There reminisced Stefan Jarociński: “In my per- reigns in this work a largely conceived sonal life, Debussy also played a prominent primal atmosphere; Szymanowski thought role (…) If we are speaking about Jaro- that its “general character is very Le- ciński’s creative work, and especially that chitic” (i.e. relating to Poland, its people connected with Debussy, I must say that and culture). While no quotations from I was also its avid reader”. folk music are made, references to it are present, such as modal turns and Three Nocturnes is one of Debussy’s most the oberek-kujawiak (dance) rhythm unique works and perhaps the most revo- of the finale. What is most memora- lutionary. Its first version was destined for ble is the striking opening: a quasi-folk violin solo with orchestra; the composer theme, perhaps slightly orientalized, wrote it for the Belgian virtuoso Eugène played by the piano in double octaves on Ysaÿe, but never finished it. He could have the background of pianissimo pizzicatos used the original sketches in the new in the strings, coloured by timpani strikes. version, but this might remain uncertain. The first movement is in free sonata al- The Nocturnes, composed in the years legro form, the second in recapitulatory 1897-1899 for orchestra and women’s form, while the finale approaches a rondo. chorus (thus with the omission of the solo violin part), were most probably inspired The work’s premiere took place on October by James Whistler’s namesake series of 9, 1932, in Poznań (Poland), under the di- paintings made in the 1870s. Creating rection of Grzegorz Fitelberg. At the piano, nightly visions of River Thames, Whistler none other than Szymanowski. The brilliant used one dominant hue and its many sub- finale went into an encore, also at other tle shades that effaced the contours, which concerts, both at home and abroad. made a great impression of Debussy and influenced his search for similar effects was among the artists for in music. whom Witold Lutosławski had a special affinity. Their views on many composi- In the concert notes to the Nocturnes’ tional problems, such as the search for first performance, the composer explained new harmony, form, and timbre, despite the idea behind the title, betelling a paint- the composers’ temporal distance, have erly way of thinking: “The title Nocturnes many important similarities. Lutosławski is to be interpreted here in a general said that “From two traditions that and, more particularly, decorative sense. ushered in twentieth-century music, i.e. Therefore, it is not meant to designate the Schoenbergian and Debussian, the lat- the usual form of the Nocturne, but rather ter is the one whose preponderance I feel all the various impressions and the special in my own compositional work”. This effects of light that the word suggests. revelation might be a surprising one, if we ‘Nuages’ renders the immutable aspect remember the great importance he gave of the sky and the slow, solemn motion to twelve-tone structures. In conversa- of the clouds, fading away in grey tones tion with Elżbie­ta Markowska, Lutosławski lightly tinged with white. ‘Fêtes’ gives us 27. I 7 the vibrating, dancing rhythm of the at- performances of French music. The cir- mosphere with sudden flashes of light. cumstances influenced the composition’s There is also the episode of the procession sound and the title choice, drawn from (a dazzling fantastic vision), which passes the French language. through the festive scene and becomes merged in it. But the background remains The sense of the expression “mi-parti” resistantly the same: the festival with its is not an obvious one here. Lutosławski, blending of music and luminous dust par- quoting Quillet’s dictionary (“Mi-parti — ticipating in the cosmic rhythm. ‘Sirènes’ consisting of two equal, but varied parts”), depicts the sea and its countless rhythms emphasized that the title refers not to and presently, amongst the waves silvered “the compositional form, but rather to by the moonlight, is heard the mysterious the manner of musical idea development. song of the Sirens as they laugh and pass Musical phrases often consist of two sec- on”. tions, where the second, at the repetition, occurs in connection with a new element”. To render the song of sirens, Debussy Thus the title refers to a specific compo- introduced a woman’s chorus in the final sitional procedure, which we can perceive section, which even today poses an or- as the introductory stage of the chain form ganizational challenge for performance. developed in the following decade. The fact And to facilitate an appropriate recep- that the Dutch orchestra is world-known tion, the composer brought in a number for performances of French music is prob- of references to the shine, vagueness, and ably also the reason why also Lutosławski’s mystery of night. He attempted to transmit composition features a ‘French’ concept of everything sonically with the aid of new, sound: rich in subtle dynamic shadings and exquisitely subtle effects. Notation became timbral nuances. so complicated, that Debussy could not force upon his publisher the placing of In Mi-parti, Lutosławski departs from all necessary markings. The author’s full, the previously used bi-partite form; corrected proofs were considered only the work is divided into three sections. in 1999, nearly a century after the first The first, comprised of three episodes edition! with capricious, superimposed melodic lines, is rather calm, and — as usual in At the premiere in 1900, the final Noc- Lutosławski — ‘hesitant’. The second is turne was omitted due to the lack of a livening of events, leading to a climax. a women’s chorus. The full cycle of pieces In the third section the motion gradu- was performed on October 27, 1901, in ally wanes, and a violin cantilena, with Paris. superimposed, ever sparser interventions by the brass and percussion instruments, The work known today as Mi-parti was gradually vanishes into silence. commissioned from Witold Lutosławski by Amsterdam’s Royal Grażyna Teodorowicz Orchestra, renowned for its splendid 8 CHAIN 15 PETER Jablonski had a number of works composed JABLONSKI for and dedicated to him, including Wojciech Award-winning Swedish-Polish Pe- Kilar’s Piano Concerto, which won him the Or- ter Jablonski is internationally acclaimed for pheus award for the world premiere performance a natural fluency of playing, which coupled with at the Warsaw Autumn Festival. an extraordinarily deep knowledge of piano rep- His continuous passion for chamber music ertoire, makes his performances timeless and lead him to establish, as a founding director, captivating. He has performed and recorded all what is now a well-known musical event in Swed- piano concertos by Beethoven, Tchaikovsky, Ra- ish musical calendar—the Karlskrona Chamber chmaninoff, and Bartók, and Prokofiev’s complete Music Festival. In 2007, he recorded the cello so- piano sonatas. He also has a deep appreciation for natas of Prokofiev and Shostakovich with Ralph lesser-explored corners of piano repertoire, such Kirshbaum for Altara label. as Barber, Gershwin, Szymanowski, Lutosławski, Jablonski’s extensive discography includes and Copland. recordings for Decca, Deutsche Grammophon, He is also an accomplished jazz drummer, Philips, and Altara labels for over twenty years. classical percussionist, and conductor, and main- They have received numerous awards, which tains the rare position of having received recog- include the Edison award for best concerto re- nition from such heavyweights of jazz as Miles cording of Shostakovich’s First Piano Concerto, Davis, and having performed with such legendary Rachmaninov’s Rhapsody on a Theme of Pa- names as Buddy Rich and Thad Jones in the his- ganini, and Lutoslawski’s Paganini Rhapsody with toric jazz club Village Vanguard in New York. This Ashkenazy and RPO for Decca. He also received makes Jablonski a versatile and unique artist with the Grammophone Classical Music Award for his an extraordinary breadth of understanding and Deutsche Grammophone recording of works by insight into the masterpieces of piano repertoire Cécile Chaminade with Anne Sofie von Otter and he has performed on major world stages for over Bengt Forsberg. twenty-five years. Jablonski’s achievements have been recog- Jablonski’s path to professional musical nised by the King of Sweden, who awarded him career included studying drums and percussion at the Litteris et Artibus medal in 2005. In 2017, Malmö Academy of Music, and composition as well he has joined the keyboard faculty of the Royal as conducting at the Royal College of Music. He College of Music as professor of piano. inherited a rich and distinguished piano perfor- He is Executive Director of the Jablonski mance tradition that harks back to Ravel, Gilels, Piano Academy and Artistic Advisor for the Tokyo and Neuhaus, through his professors Michał International Piano Association. Wesołowski at Malmö (who studied with Ravel’s student Vlado Perlemuter), and Irina Zaritskaya at CAMERATA the RCM (a student of Jakov Flier, and , SILESIA – who studied with Heinrich Neuhaus). THE KATOWICE In demand around the globe as one CITY of the major interpreters of an eclectic list of SINGERS’ works, Jablonski has performed with the world’s ENSEMBLE leading orchestras that include the BBC Sym- One of Poland’s leading chamber vocal phony Orchestra, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, groups, Camerata Silesia Katowice City Singers’ Leipzig Gewandhaus, Kirov, Philharmonic, Ensemble was established in 1990 by the wide- Tonhalle Zurich, Orchestre Nationale de France, ly acclaimed and charismatic conductor Anna NHK Tokyo, DSO Berlin, Warsaw Philharmon- Szostak, who has led the ensemble since then. ic, Philadelphia, , and The Camerata is famous above all for its excel- . lent renditions of contemporary music, but they He worked with such composers as Witold also feel at home in the sphere of early music. Lutosławski and Arvo Pärt, and collaborated During its 25-year-long career, Camerata extensively with such conductors as Vladimir Silesia has gained international fame, promoting Ashkenazy, , , Kurt Poland and the City of Katowice at performances Sanderling, Esa-Pekka Salonen, Riccardo Chailly, in ’s most prestigious concert halls, tak- Daniele Gatti, and Myung-Whun Chung. ing part in numerous international festivals, and 27. I 9 performing not only a cappella chamber works, composers. Anna Szostak is a recipient of many but also oratorio and cantata repertoire in an ex- prestigious prizes and awards for her performing panded setup. and recording achievements. Maintaining close relationships with leading representatives of contemporary music, Came­ NATIONAL rata Silesia has premiered numerous new works, POLISH many of which were composed especially for RADIO the ensemble. Just as the Camerata’s concert SYMPHONY performances, its CD recordings have found in- ORCHESTRA ternational critical acclaim, and presently count The Polish National Radio Symphony Or- several dozen. chestra in Katowice fulfills the role of an am- Camerata Silesia’s artistic mastery has bassador of Polish culture on the international been highly praised by , artistic scene. The ensemble has performed in whose St. Luke Passion, Polish Requiem, and Sev- Brussels (Europalia), Vienna (opening of the Pol- en Gates of Jerusalem were frequently performed ish Year in Austria), Madrid (gala concert of by the ensemble under the baton of the conduc- the Polish Year in Spain), Rome (celebration of tor himself in such cities as Münster, Cracow, the 70th anniversary of Henryk Mikołaj Górecki’s and Hamburg. The Camerata has also performed birthday), Kiev (inauguration of the Polish Year Maestro Penderecki’s Canticum Canticorum at in Ukraine), Paris (gala concert of the New Po- the Warsaw Autumn Festival. In 2012, Camerata land Year in France), and in London (inauguration Silesia was invited to take part in performances of the Polish Year in Great Britain). The Or- and DVD recordings of the stage version of Pen- chestra has collaborated with the greatest com- derecki’s Passion, directed by Grzegorz Jarzyna. posers of the second half of the 20th century: The same work was performed in London last Witold Lutosławski, Henryk Mikołaj Górecki, and year, with the London Philharmonic Orchestra Krzysztof Penderecki, delivering the first perfor- under the baton of Vladimir Jurowski. mances of their works. The Camerata’s recent highlights also The orchestra was founded in 1935 in War- include concerts with the London Baroque Or- saw by Grzegorz Fitelberg, who led the ensemble chestra, the premiere of Marcel Peres’ Missa ex until the outbreak of World War II. In 1945, it tempore, and the cooperation with top jazz art- was given a new lease on life in Katowice by ists Leszek Możdżer and Anders Jormin. Witold Rowicki. In 1947, Grzegorz Fitelberg Since 2014, Camerata Silesia has realized returned to Poland from abroad and assumed its own series at the new seat of the Polish Na- the post of artistic director. After his death tional Radio Symphony Orchestra, regularily per- in 1953, the orchestra was headed by some of forming a variety of works ranging from classical the best Polish conductors: Jan Krenz, Bohdan music to jazz and popular music. Wodiczko, Kazimierz Kord, Tadeusz Strugała, Jerzy Maksymiuk, Stanisław Wisłocki, Jacek ANNA Kaspszyk, Antoni Wit, Gabriel Chmura, and again SZOSTAK Jacek Kaspszyk. In September 2000, Joanna Anna Szostak is a leading Polish choir con- Wnuk-Nazarowa was appointed the orchestra’s ductor known as an excellent interpreter of cho- general and programme director. Jan Krenz is ral music both in the concert and the recording the orchestra’s honorary conductor. To begin environment. A founder of the Katowice-based the 2012/2013 season, Alexander Liebreich took ensemble Camerata Silesia, her leadership con- over the position of the orchestra’s artistic di- tributed to the high performance skills that have rector and principal conductor. won the Camerata recognition in Europe. She has Apart from making archival recordings shaped the ensemble’s performing style, reper- for the Polish Radio, the Orchestra has recorded toire, and artistic profile. Since its foundation in more than 200 CDs for many renowned record 1990, the Camerata Silesia has been recognized companies (including Decca, EMI, Philips, as an ensemble committed to early and contem- Naxos, and Chandos). The NOSPR was honoured porary music performance. Its decisive rendering with numerous awards for its recording achieve- of the latter is often a result of her good working ments, including the Diapason d’Or, Grand Prix relationship and collaboration with contemporary du Disque de la Nouvelle Académie du Disque, 10 CHAIN 15 Cannes Classical Award, and Midem Classical which Liebreich led from 2011 to 2014, has also Award. benefitted greatly from this spirit of renewal. He Many renowned conductors and soloists was also entrusted with the artistic directorship have performed with the NOSPR, including Mar- of the festival Katowice Kultura Natura, which tha Argerich, Boris Belkin, , was celebrated for the third time in May 2017. Rudolf Buchbinder, James Conlon, Placido Do- Alexander Liebreich has led many prominent mingo, Pierre Fournier, Nicolai Gedda, Barbara orchestras, appearing in world-famous concert Hendricks, Julius Katchen, Leonidas Kavakos, halls, including the Musikverein, Suntory Hall, Wilhelm Kempff, Paweł Klecki, Kirill Kondrash- and Cité de la Musique. Liebreich continually in, Marguerite Long, Witold Lutosławski, Charles unearths new perspectives through his intuitive, Mackerras, , Neville Marriner, Kurt proficient, and distinct approach. He is equal- Masur, Shlomo Mintz, Ivan Monighetti, Garrick ly aware of the historical, political and social Ohlsson, Kun Woo Paik, Krzysztof Penderecki, dimensions of music. As he himself has said, Maurizio Pollini, Hermann Prey, Ruggiero Ricci, it is one’s responsibility towards the future to Mstislav Rostropovich, Artur Rubinstein, Jerzy portray the present. Vocal music has always Semkow, Stanisław Skrowaczewski, Leonard played a prominent role in his career. Born in Slatkin, , Henryk Szeryng, Yan Pascal Regensburg, Liebreich was steeped in the choral Tortelier, Pieter Wispelwey, Krystian Zimerman, tradition of his hometown at an early age. In and Nicolai Znaider. addition to conducting, he studied voice with The Orchestra has performed in nearly all the goal of focussing on both Romance philology European countries, in the Americas, and in Ja- and music history. pan, Hong Kong, China, Australia, New Zealand, In January 2017, the recording Szy- Korea, and Taiwan, as well as the Persian Gulf manowski, Lutosławski – made by the NOSPR countries. In recent years, the NOSPR has imple- under the baton of Alexander Liebreich, with mented some spectacular projects, which have the participation of Gautier Capuçon – was been very well received by audiences and review- honoured with the International Classical Music ers alike (The Marathon of Górecki’s Works, two Award; it is also the third album in the series of presentations of the Musical Sea Voyage, and twentieth-century Polish music classics. the Górecki•Penderecki Festival – in celebration of the 75th anniversary of the composers’ birth). Since 2005, the NOSPR has been organizer of the biennial event called The Festival of World Premieres Polish Modern Music, whose 7th pres- entation was nominated for the Koryfeusz Muzyki Polskiej 2017 award in the Musical Event of the Year category. ALEXANDER LIEBREICH Alexander Liebreich has proven himself to be one of the most active conductors of his gen- eration. Having assumed the position of Principal Conductor of the National Polish Radio Sympho- ny Orchestra in Katowice in 2012, he has already achieved widespread recognition in Poland for reinventing the sound and programming of this tradition-steeped orchestra. From 2006 to 2016, Liebreich also served as Chief Conductor of the Munich Chamber Orchestra. Under his leadership, the orchestra made tremendous strides through development of new concert formats. Similarily, South Korea’s Tongyeong International Music Festival (TIMF), Sunday, January 28, 2018 6 PM Witold Lutosławski Concert Studio of the Polish Radio

Witold Lutosławski (1913–1994) String Overture (1949) 5’

Trio for oboe, clarinet and bassoon (1945) 12’ Allegro moderato Poco adagio Allegro giocoso

Paroles tissées for tenor and chamber orchestra after poems by Jean-François Chabrun (1965) 16’30’’

[Intermission]

Grave. Metamorphoses for cello and 13 string instruments (1981) 7’

Musique funèbre for string orchestra (1958) 13’30’’ Prologue Metamorphoses Apogee Epilogue

Karol Kozłowski – tenor Maria Kamila Leszczyńska – cello Chain Ensemble Andrzej Bauer – artistic director, conductor

Financed by the Fundacja PZU CHAIN 15 CHAIN ENSEMBLE

It is with joy, but also a growing sense of responsibility that we present another concert dedicated to Witold Lutosławski’s music prepared by the Chain Ensemble, a chamber ensemble founded and always more active under the auspices of the Wi- told Lutosławski Society.

Chain Ensemble is a good mixture of experienced musicians, often prominent soloists and chamber musicians, as well as student youth making their first steps in professional activity and sometimes expe- riencing their first encounters with twenti- eth and twenty-first century music.

Witold Lutosławski’s ingenious work, through its inner discipline and notational precision, is a very cherished treasure for us that combines the highest artistic value with important educational qualities.

We shall continue the project of perform- ing at the Chain festival, and including into the ensemble’s repertoire, all music composed by Lutosławski. We will at- tempt a reading of the Master’s work that is always fresh, full of creative energy and enthusiasm.

This year, in addition to the excellent tenor Karol Kozłowski, who will perform the solo part of Paroles tissées, Maria Leszczyńska will appear as soloist in Grave, being the youngest Polish candi- date in the Witold Lutosławski Internatio­ nal Cello Competition.

Andrzej Bauer 28. I 13 Lutosławski’s compositions from The first — a sonata Allegro moderato — the 1940s have only a small amount of features two themes: a driving idea (in marked individuality. Nevertheless, they the oboe) and a cantilena (in the bassoon). are testimony to a great imagination and An accompanying motto signalizes the be- steadfast work on style, i.e. developing its ginning and end of this movement, also possibilities and removing stock elements. initiating the recapitulation. The second Most prominent here is the tendency to movement (Poco adagio) is kept in simple abandon the tonal system in favour of ABA form. What draws attention is primar- alternate sonic orders. Major-minor tonal- ily the content of the outermost sections: ity — obviously rather extended or even an austere, two-voice counterpoint of distorted — still encompasses the Lacri- the oboe and bassoon, set off by the clari- mosa (1937) and Symphonic Variations net’s ornamental melody. The final Allegro (1938), although it yields under interaction giocoso is in rondo form. A lively melody with procedures drawn from Stravinsky, in the oboe constitutes the refrain, while Prokofiev, and Bartók. TheTrio (1945) and the episodes feature the oboe’s cantilena Overture for Strings (1949) presented and a tightly-knit fugato. today reveal such a tendency. They are exercises in atonal harmony that regulate Work on stylistic matters led quite rap- selected musical scales and interval mod- idly to great results. In the mid-50s, els. Linked with such an order is a clear Lutosławski included the most recogniz- contrapuntal texture and classically appro- able factor in the music: harmony based priate form. on the 12 tones. The earliest examples of this rather developed style include the Ap- The Overture is shaped into sonata form. ogee from Musique funèbre (1958); one Its beginning introduces a four-note mot- of the most mature ones is the Paroles to, which returns frequently, becoming tissées (1965). Lutosławski’s Grave from the work’s leading idea. The first theme is 1981 — added to these compositions in presented by solo cello, while the second today’s program — presents a later idiom, — demarcated by a lengthy link — by where 12-tone sonorities play a less prom- a group of violins; both are maintained in inent role, with a dominant atonal melody scales counting eight notes each. The de- flanked by accompaniment in an exquisite- velopment is based mainly on material ly original and refined manner. from the motto and the link, with con- stantly changing scale material. Finally, Paroles tissées (Weaved Words in Eng- the recapitulation is in mirror form: both lish) were written in 1965 on a commis- main ideas return in reverse order, with sion by the great British tenor Peter Pears. the climax occurring at the reappearance Lutosławski set a lyric by Jean-François of the second theme. Chabrun (1920–1997), in which ambig- uous, allusive pictures weave a story of Equally straightforward in terms of form love and death issuing from the Mediae- and sonority are the three movements val romance Chastelaine de Vergi (and of Trio for oboe, clarinet and bassoon. perhaps also the story of Tristan and 14 CHAIN 15 Isolde). The composition owes its exquisite Lutosławski’s music is based here on softness of sound to the employment of a twelve-tone row, restricted intervalically configurations in thirds, transparent tex- to tritones and minor seconds, which are ture, and tasteful orchestration. The work’s decisive in the sonority and expression of dramaturgy is easily grasped and consists the entirety. The first movement (Prologue) of four phases: introduction, initiation of and fourth movement (Epilogue) present action, tragic adventure, and contempla- a canonic imitation of the row; the third tive epilogue. movement (Apogee) is a sequence of twelve-tone chords. In the second move- The ‘hero’ of Grave is Stefan Jarociński ment (Metamorphoses), the series grad- (1912–1980), a friend of Lutosławski ually turns into a succession of diatonic and connoisseur of Debussy’s music. formations, with the simultaneous thicken- The composition was written soon after ing of texture and increase in voice motion. the scholar’s death and was dedicated to his memory. Here, the life and work The composition garnered an immense of Jarociński find their place through international success in 1959, receiv- prominent quotation of the motive d–a– ing the highest recommendation of g–a from Debussy’s Pelléas et Mélisande, the UNESCO Rostrum of Composers (tied which appears at the beginning of Grave with Tadeusz Baird’s Four Essays). From and returns frequently in the cello, as this time, it is among the most often per- a component of a 12-tone row subject- formed and known works by Lutosławski. ed to transposition in the circle of fifths. The row always occurs in the solo part, Marcin Krajewski accompanied by two opposing musical strands: the chordal and the melodic. With the approaching climax, the rhythm be- comes fragmented and the texture thick- ens. Similar solutions in construction and equally deep expression occur in the sec- ond movement of Musique funèbre. This shared quality is emphasized by the word ‘metamorphoses’, used in both scores.

Musique funèbre was written in the years 1955-1958 on a commission by Jan Krenz for the tenth anniversary of Béla Bartók’s death, which came in September 1955. Besides the dedication “à la mémoire de Béla Bartók”, the score features many allusions to the master’s work, particular- ly to his Music for Strings, Percussion and Celesta (1936). 28. I 15 KAROL Passion and St. Matthew Passion. He has worked KOZŁOWSKI with such directors as Fabio Bonizzoni, Andreas Karol Kozłowski graduated from the Acad- Spering, Andrew Parrott, Konrad Junghänel, Kai emy of Music in Gdańsk (Master of Music Wessel, Christophe Rousset, and Jan Tomasz degree in Voice and Drama with distinction in Adamus. He participated in concert performanc- 2007), where he studied under Prof. Stanisław es of Handel’s operas, where he sang Bajazet Daniel Kotliński. He also holds a Master’s from in Tamerlano and Lurcanio in Ariodante. He has the Department of Sculpture at the Academy of collaborated with major Polish Baroque music Fine Arts in Warsaw. He participated in master ensembles, performing on period instruments: classes by Ryszard Karczykowski, Rolando Pan- the Wrocław Baroque Orchestra, The {oh!} erai, Salvatore Fisichella, Sylvia Geszty, Helena Orkies­tra Historyczna, Musicae Antiquae Colle- Łazarska, and Claudio Desderi. Karol Kozłowski gium Varsoviense, Il Giardino d’Amore, and Arte was awarded Second Prize at the Hariclea Dar- dei Suonatori, among others. clèe International Voice Competition (Romania, His voice’s exceptional timbre and ver- 2005), and was nominated for Polityka Weekly’s sality has inspired living composers. Since 2013 Passport Award for classical music, as 2012 Kozłowski has regularly participated in well as together with pianist Jolanta Pawlik for the Kissinger Sommer Festival in Bad Kissingen, the 2013 Fryderyk Award in the category of where in counterpart to the masterpieces of Ro- chamber music for a recording of Schubert’s mantic and 20th-century art song and accompa- song cycle Die schöne Müllerin (DUX, 2012). nied by such outstanding as Melvyn Tan, In 2007–2009, he was soloist at Axel Bauni, and Jan Philip Schulze, he has given the Wrocław Opera, where he debuted as Alfred world premieres of voice and piano works written in Johann Strauss’ Die Fledermaus (The Bat), and specially for him by Oliver Schneller, Manfred sang the part of Tamino in Mozart’s The Magic Trojahn, and Bernd Redmann, among others. In Flute, Count Almaviva in Rossini’s The Barber of 2014, Andrzej Kwieciński’s composition Canzon Seville, Cassio in Verdi’s Otello, and Archangel de’baci for tenor and orchestra (performed in Penderecki’s Paradise Lost. Karol Kozłowski for the first time in Katowice a year earlier at performed on the stages of the Théâtre Montan- the 6th Festival of Premieres by Karol Kozłowski sier in Versailles (Oebalus in Mozart’s Apollo et with the AUKSO Chamber Orchestra of the City Hyacinthus), the Latvian National Opera in Riga of Tychy under the baton of Marek Moś) won (Count Almaviva in Rossini’s The Barber of Se- the 61st International Rostrum of Composers in ville), Staatstheater am Gärtnerplatz in Munich Helsinki. The artist’s tenor voice inspired Paweł (Lindoro in Rossini’s L’Italiana in Algeri), and Mykietyn — an eminent contemporary music the Opera (Edrisi in Szymanowski’s King composer – to cast Karol Kozłowski as Settem- Roger). Since 2009, he has collaborated with brini in his new opera . Its the Grand Theatre – Polish National Opera, where world premiere, directed by Andrzej Chyras took he has has been featured as Vitellozzo in Doni- place at the 2015 Malta Festival in Poznań. zetti’s Lucrezia Borgia, Misail in Musorgski’s Bo- www.karolkozlowski.eu ris Godunov, Damazy in Moniuszko’s The Haunted Manor, Young Servant in Richard Strauss’ Elek- MARIA tra, Kudryash in Janaček’s Katya Kabanova, Edrisi KAMILA in Szymanowski’s King Roger, Goro in Puccini’s LESZCZYŃSKA Madame Butterfly, Dancing Master and Lamp- Maria Kamila Leszczyńska was born in lighter in Puccini’s Manon Lescaut, and Father 1998 in Warsaw. At five years old, she began Mignon in Penderecki’s The Devils of Loudun. instruction on the piano, and three years later on Since 2010, Kozłowski has been a soloist in the cello, first with Michał Nyżnyk and later with the Capella Cracoviensis early music ensem- Marcin Zdunik. She currently studies in the class ble. Together with Capella Cracoviensis, he has of Andrzej Bauer at the Frederic Chopin Univer- performed Monteverdi’s music (in the m.m.m.bar. sity of Music in Warsaw. She participated in cello okowa uczta project), Haydn’s Stabat Mater and and chamber competitions, receiving awards that Requiem, as well as Mozart’s Great Mass in C include: the First Award at the Polish Cello Con- minor. He also performed J. S. Bach’s Magnificat, test in Warsaw (2009), First Award at the ‘Young and the Evangelist’s part in both the St. John Polish Cellist’, 5th Polish Cello Competition in 16 CHAIN 15 Bochnia (2013), Second Award at the 11th In- the National Philharmonic, with the partici- ternational Cello Competition in Liezen (2014), pation of Agata Zubel and Leszek Możdżer. He First Award and Special Award for the perfor- collaborates with prominent creators, inspiring mance of a 20th and 21st century composer’s new works for cello solo and electronic media work at the 18th Bohdan Warchal International (‘Cellotronicum’). In the years 2012-2015, Bauer String Competition in Dolny Kubin (2014), and created a concert series titled Trans-Fusion, Third Award at the CEA Polish Cello Competition combining various performing and improviational in Warsaw (2016). She participated in music styles with computer technology. workshops led by Arto Noras, Danjulo Ishizaka, Andrzej Bauer is founder and artistic di- Kazimierz Michalik, Andrzej Bauer, Marcin Zdu­ rector of the Chain Ensemble, which specializes nik, Bartosz Koziak, Magdalena Bojanowicz, and in the performance of newest music. In 2017, Tomasz Strahl. She is scholarship recipient of together with Chain Ensemble he inaugurated the Minister of Culture and National Heritage, the New Music Scene, a three-year concert series as well as the Sinfonia Varsovia Foundation. in Warsaw’s New Theatre. From 2013, together with Ewa Pobłocka and Ewa As professor of the musical arts, he directs Leszczyńska, she forms the Multi Trio, appearing cello classes at the Fryderyk Chopin Music in many concert halls throughout Poland and University in Warsaw and the Bydgoszcz Music the United States. Academy. In recent years, he devotes an in- creasing amount of time to composition and ANDRZEJ improvisation. BAUER Andrzej Bauer is winner of the First Prize at the ARD International Competition in Munich, a prize at the International ‘Prague Spring’ Competition, awards of the European Parliament and the Council of Europe, and prizes of the Pol- ish Composers’ Union as well as the Minister of Culture for his contribution to the populari- zation of new music. He completed his musical studies under Kazimierz Michalik at the Music Academy in Łódź, and continued his education at masterclasses with André Navarra, Miloš Sadlo, and Daniel Szafran. Owing to a Witold Lutosławski grant, he also underwent two-year studies program in London under the guidance of Prof. William Pleeth. Andrzej Bauer has made recordings for many radio and television networks in Poland and abroad, and has taken part in prestigious international festivals. He has given recitals and appeared as soloist with symphony and chamber orchestras in most European countries, the Unit- ed States, and Japan. His recordings have won several awards, including the Fryderyk Award, and an award of the German Record Critics. Bauer’s extensive repertoire features many contemporary works, including those written specially for him. A presentation of his Cellotron- icum project won the Orpheus Critics’ Prize at the 2006 Warsaw Autumn Festival. He is also founder of the Warsaw Cellonet Group, an ensemble that has recentry celebrated its tenth-year anniversary of concert activity in Saturday, February 3, 2018 7 PM Witold Lutosławski Concert Studio of the Polish Radio

Stanisław Moniuszko (1819–1872) String Quartet no. 2 in F major (1840) 18’ Allegro moderato Andante Scherzo: Allegretto (Baccanale monacale) Finale: Allegro

Grażyna Bacewicz (1909–1969) String Quartet no. 4 (1949) 22’ Andante. Allegro molto Andante Allegro giocoso

[Intermission]

Witold Lutosławski (1913–1994) String Quartet (1964) 26’ Introductory Movement Main Movement

Lutosławski Quartet Bartosz Woroch – first violin Marcin Markowicz – second violin Artur Rozmysłowicz – viola Maciej Młodawski – cello CHAIN 15 The three quartets in today’s program have Music for violin (solo or ensemble) — so- their respective weight in music history natas, concertos, solo and chamber works and differing meanings in their composer’s — form a large part of Grażyna Bace- oeuvre. wicz’s body of work. In it, the composer (and concert violinist) knew how to link her Stanisław Moniuszko composed his String vision with a deep knowledge of issues in Quartets in D minor and F major while performance. She would return to quartet studying in Berlin, most probably at the end composition as a rule, leaving us seven of 1839. Yet, they are more than studies by works in the genre, written between 1938 a 20-year-old with musical abilities. Both and 1965. The corpus of five mature quar- compositions are rather contained, keeping tets by Grażyna Bacewicz (counting from to a Classical four-movement architec- the third) finds no match in the twentieth ture and stylistically tying into Classical century, and after Bartók’s quartets consti- models, although sometimes entertaining tutes, as Adrian Thomas emphasized, one of bolder harmonic ideas. They turn our at- the highest achievements in the genre. tention with melodic invention and almost entirely vocal character, betraying the true In String Quartet no. 4, Bacewicz finds interests of the young musician. Moniuszko a captivating way to link her own invention sought to introduce something into each with folk or quasi-folk material. The intro- to obtain a less conventional identity, and duction (Andante), is followed by free sona- in both cases these were Polish elements. ta form (Allegro molto), whose main theme The Scherzo in the String Quartet no. 1 brings to mind a kujawiak dance, while has a mazurkan stylization, while the point- the secondary idea — played by the cello edly characteristic Finale, rhythmically — is a kind of lamentation. Themes weave a spirited folk dance (most probably Lith- themselves into polytonal and polymodal uanian) was given the humorous subtitle successions, which enriches the harmony Un ballo campestre e sue consequen- without abolishing the sense of tonal cen- ze (A Country Ball and its Aftermath). tre. Arising from a lullaby theme is a med- The String Quartet no. 2 in F major has itative Andante: the second and most emo- less Polish elements, and only the Scherzo tionally charged movement of the Quartet; features a rakish mazurka characterization, the work ends with a Finale assembled into while its humorous subtitle — Baccana- rondo form with a dominant oberek dance le monacale (Monkish Bacchanalia) — is rhythm, intertwined with a reflective note perhaps a surprise effect of reading Ignacy in the episodes. Krasicki’s known literary work Mona- chomachia. Despite a successful attempt The String Quartet no. 4 was commis- at trying his hand at the quartet genre, Mo- sioned in 1951 by the Polish Composers’ niuszko never returned to it. In the history Union, with the intention of representing of Polish chamber music, both quartets Polish music at the International Com- nevertheless secured an important place, position Competition in Liège. It received a testimony to how the future creator of the First Award and was premiered on De- national opera developed his talent. cember 5, 1951, by the Quatuor Municipal 03. II 19 de Liège, an ensemble famed in Europe for the particular musicians be pushed, while this instrumentation. The work has won retaining control over the coexistence of a permanent place in world repertoire and various instrumental parts? The perform- is Grażyna Bacewicz’s most readily per- ers’ freedom is much greater than in any formed quartet. other work by Lutosławski. To ensure it, the composer decided in favour of publish- Witold Lutosławski’s interest in the quartet ing only the instrumental parts, without came at the simple opportunity of working the full score. He believed that a typical on the concept of large symphonic form score notation of one voice over another taking into account the psychology of mu- would suggest their traditional coordina- sical perception, and the decision to test tion, unwelcome in this instance. However, his idea on a “small ensemble” — a quar- he placed verbal indications in the voices, tet of string instruments. In conversation defining the the manner of communication with Tadeusz Kaczyński, he emphasized: amongst the musicians. Only at their re- “This is a very tough exam, because all quest and thanks to an idea by Danuta Lu- the characteristics of your composition- tosławska, an atypical score was created, al technique are visible to the naked eye. with whole sections — instead of particu- The possibilities in colour and dynamics lar sounds — placed in frames to suggest are limited, the number of sounds available and demonstrate their full independence. for simultaneous sonorities is reduced, so everything must be weighed and well- Lutosławski himself saw the String Quar- placed, even more so than in an orchestral tet’s significance mainly in the model work”. The large form in Lutosławski’s worked out for use in a number of sub- concept is comprised of two movements: sequent works, including the Symphony the first containing music of attenuat- no. 2 and the Cello Concerto. Each time, ed importance and playing a preparatory however, he applied it loosely, introducing and ‘engagement’ role, and not ‘filling in at each level — both the large-scale and the blanks’. It is composed of a “series the micro-scale — always newer compo- of episodes divided by a repeated ele- sitional solutions. Looking at the entirety ment in a number of variants. The second of Lutosławski’s achievements, the String movement — more essential and aimed Quartet must be considered a successful at ‘achievement’ or ‘attainment’ — is experiment in compositional technique, dominant and does away with the short, but even more so, a great artistic achieve- ‘miniature’ sections. The first time I used ment. It was received as such by the world this particular form — said Lutosławski premiere audience on March 12, 1965, in — was in none other than the Quartet, and Stockholm, in a performance by the La- I consider it to be a result of several years Salle Quartet. Lutosławski’s work, popu- of meditation on the large form”. larized by the American ensemble, quickly won a lasting place as one of the greatest The String Quartet also became a field twentieth-century masterpieces. for the experiment: to which degree can the aleatoric independence of Grażyna Teodorowicz 20 CHAIN 15 LUTOSŁAWSKI He performs worldwide at venues that in- QUARTET clude Wigmore Hall, the Barbican, Royal Albert Named after the great 20th century Polish Hall, Palais des Beaux-Arts (Brussels), and such composer Witold Lutosławski, the ensemble was festivals as the Radio France Festival (Montpel- founded in 2007 and is now one of the leading lier), Edinburgh Fringe, Verbier, and West Cork. Polish string quartets. He has recorded for BBC Radio 3, Radio France, The Lutosławski Quartet has quickly es- and the Polish Radio. In 2011, he was selected tablished itself on the Polish and international for representation by the Young Classical Artists classical music scene, appearing at numerous Trust (YCAT) in 2011. prestigious festivals: the Warsaw Autumn, Wrati- Bartosz Woroch studied at the Paderewski slavia Cantans, Klarafestival in Brussels, Ankara Academy of Music in Poznań, the Hochschule Music Festival in Turkey, the Hong Kong Arts der Kuenste Berne, and Guildhall School of Music Festival, Tongyegong International Music Festival and Drama, where he received instruction from in South Korea, World Music Days, and Jazztopad. Marcin Baranowski, Monika Urbaniak-Lisik, and The Lutosławski Quartet has performed in con- Louise Hopkins. He is currently violin professor cert halls Kioi Hall in Tokyo, YST Conservatory at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. of Music in Singapore, the Hangzhou Theatre, Forbidden City Concert Hall in Beijing, Megaron MARCIN in Athens, Konzerthaus in Berlin, Bozar and MARKOWICZ Brussels Opera, as well as SESC in São Paulo, is concertmaster of the NFM Wrocław the Warsaw Philharmonic, and Witold Lutosławski Philharmonic. He studied in Lübeck (Christiane Concert Studio of the Polish Radio in Warsaw. Edinger), Warsaw (Krzysztof Jakowicz, Roman The Lutosławski Quartet has enjoyed col- Lasocki), and in Boston (Roman Totenberg). He laboration with Garric Ohlsson, Piotr Andersze- has participated in numerous master classes, wski, Kevin Kenner, Bruno Canino, Michel Lethic, working with such artists as Ida Haendel, Grigori T. Akasaka, Eugen Indjic, Ryszard Groblewski, Zhislin, and members of the Julliard String Quar- Andrzej Bauer, and with outstanding jazz musi- tet, Cleveland String Quartet, and Szymanowski cians Kenny Wheeler, John Taylor Uri Caine, and Quartet. As soloist, he has collaborated with Benoit Delbecq. The ensemble has cooperated the NFM Symphony Orchestra and the Polish Na- with IRCAM in Paris. tional Radio Symphony Orchestra in Katowice. Their recording catalogue includes the la- In the years 2009-2010 and 2013-2014, he bels Naxos, CD Accord, DUX, and the National Fo- was faculty member at the Katowice Music Acad- rum of Music. The Lutosławski Quartet performs emy. He continues to lead violin and chamber mainly music of the 20th and 21st centuries, workshops in Poland, Italy, Greece, and teaches with a focus on Polish music, including works by in Singapore, Turkey, and South Korea. Lutosławski, Szymanowski, Mykietyn, and Marcin His recordings include releases by Naxos, Markowicz, the quartet’s second violinist. CD Accord, DUX, NFM, and the Polish Radio. The Lutosławski Quartet is a resident Marcin Markiewicz is also a composer. ensemble of the National Forum of Music in In 1999, he received an award at the Andrzej Wrocław. Panufnik Composing Competition in Cracow. His works have been performed at festivals in BARTOSZ many European and Asian countries, as well as WOROCH the United States and Brazil. Marcin Markowicz’s Bartosz Woroch is prizewinner at major in- works have been commissioned by the Inter- ternational competitions, such as the Pablo Sara- national Festival Wratislavia Cantans, Silesian sate in Spain and Michael Hill in New Zealand. String Quartet, Lutosławski Quartet, and Agata As soloist, Bartosz has appeared with orchestras Szymczewska. across the world, including the Royal Philhar- monic Orchestra, Auckland Philharmonic, Bern ARTUR Symphony Orchestra, Bournemouth Symphony, ROZMYSŁOWICZ and the Polish Radio Orchestra with such con- was born in Warsaw, where he studied viola ductors as Michael Tilson Thomas, Libor Pešek, at the Fryderyk Chopin Univeristy of Music un- Łukasz Borowicz, and Henk Guittart. der Prof. Błazej Sroczynski. In 2004-2006, he 03. II received a grant of the Guildall School of Music and Drama in London in Jack Glickman’s master class. He is viola section leader with the NFM Wrocław Philharmonic. He has taken part in numerous mas- ter classes including those in Łancut, Pueblo (Mexico), London, Ottawa, and the Ksiąz Castle. He mastered his skills with such artists as Pin- chas Zukerman, Michael Tree, Stefan Kamasa, Stanislav Popov, members of the Guarneri Quar- tet, Takács Quartet, Heine Quartet, and . Artur Rozmysłowicz has received invitations to festivals that include the Warsaw Autumn Festival, Pacific Music Festival (Sapporo, Japan), Paxos International Music Festival (Greece), Cho- pin and his Europe, and Klara Festival in Brussels. He has worked with the London Symphony Orchestra, National Basque Orchestra, Sinfonia Juventus, Polish Radio Orchestra, and World Orchestra For Peace. He has given concerts with distinguished conductors, including Jacek Kaspszyk, Gabriel Chmura, Michael Tilson Thom- as, Valery Gergiev, sir Colin Davis and Yakov Kreizberg. He has appeared in most European countries, as well as in Asia and both Americas. MACIEJ MŁODAWSKI is first cellist of the NFM Wrocław Philhar- monic. He studied cello at the Fryderyk Chopin University of Music under Prof. Tomasz Strahl and Prof. Andrzej Bauer, receiving a Master’s with distinction. He was also guest student at the Hochschule fur Musik Augsburg with Julius Berg and Sebastian Hess. Maciej Młodawski has developed his skills at numerous master classes by artists such as Miloš Sadlo, Victoria Yagling, Claus Reichardt, Kazimierz Michalik, Johannes Goritzki, and as chamber musician with Roman Totenberg, Christiane Edinger, Jerzy Marchwinski, Maja Nosowska, Krystyna Borucinska, and Paul Gulda. He is prize-winner of the Dezyderiusz Danczowski Cello Competition in Poznan and the Chamber Music Competition in Łodz. As soloist, he appeared chiefly with the Wrocław Philharmonic Orchestra, opening the 2008-2009 season, and as one of two solo- ists flanking Garrick Olsohn on the orchestra’s tour across the United States in 2012. He gives concerts in Poland and abroad, as a member of the Lutosławski Quartet, and in duo with Agniesz- ka Przemyk-Bryła. Sunday, February 4, 2018 6 PM Witold Lutosławski Concert Studio of the Polish Radio

Witold Lutosławski (1913–1994) Little Suite for orchestra (1951) 11’ Fife Hurra-Polka Song Dance

Witold Lutosławski Silesian Triptych for soprano and orchestra to folk lyrics (1951) 9’ “Oh, My Oats are Spilling” “In This Well a Spring Gushes” “The Cuckoo Calls”

Zygmunt Krauze (*1938) Witold Lutosławski Preludes to Bukoliks Bukoliks for orchestra (2016) 15’ for piano (1952) 5’ Prelude I Allegro vivace Prelude II Allegro sostenuto, poco rubato Prelude III Allegro molto Prelude IV Andantino Prelude V Allegro marciale

[Intermission]

Zbigniew Turski (1908–1979) Little Overture for orchestra (1955) 5’

Stefan Kisielewski (1911–1991) Symphony in a Square for orchestra (1978) 22’ Allegro energico Allegretto veloce Andante cantabile Allegro molto energico

Ewa Tracz – soprano Zygmunt Krauze – piano Polish Radio Orchestra Michał Klauza – conductor 04. II 23 A common denominator for a most of the central episode in the sprightly, final the music in today’s program are folklor- lasowiak (dance) movement. The folk melo- istic inspirations in the work of Witold Lu- dies are supported by a tasteful, predom- tosławski and his generation of composers. inantly bitonal harmony, while the refined instrumentation already foreshadows The Łagów Convention in 1949 saw the so- the Concerto for Orchestra. cial realist aesthetic decisively imposed on Polish composers, and one of its chief In the same year, Witold Lutosławski postulates was the use of motherland folk- also composed two other pieces inspired lore. Witold Lutosławski availed himself of by folklore: the Silesian Triptych and folk themes already before the war (e.g. 10 Polish Dances. In both, he availed in the unfinished Kurpie Suite), finding in himself of Silesian melodies. The three them appropriate material for the develop- movements of Triptych are settings of love ment of his own compositional technique. songs. In comparison with the Little Suite, But his statements testify that his aim the instrumentation is more refined, and was not to set folk melodies, but to build many details, including those involved with his own musical language with the means form and agogics, bring strong associations available at the time. In an important with the Concerto for Orchestra. moment of his evolution, after composing the Concerto for Orchestra as a conclu- The Silesian Triptych, inspired by Grzegorz sion to the ‘folkloristic period’, he aban- Fitelberg, was performed under his baton doned this source of inspiration. on December 2, 1951, in Warsaw as part of the Polish Music Festival by the Great In 1950, Lutosławski composed the Little Symphony Orchestra of the Polish Radio. Suite on a commission from the Polish The solo part was sung by Maria Drewni- Radio, destined for use by the Polish Radio akówna. Two weeks later, the composition Orchestra directed by Jerzy Kołaczkowski. received the festival’s First Award. He used melodies originating in Machów in the Rzeszów region. Soon, at Grzegorz Witold Lutosławski’s group of works Fitelberg’s request, he made an orchestral inspired by folk music also includes setting of the work, the one most com- the Bucolics for piano (1952), written monly performed today. Its world premiere for pedagogical reasons and dedicated to under Fitelberg’s direction was given on Zbigniew Drzewiecki. Their melodic mate- April 20, 1951, in Warsaw at the Polish rial was drawn from Father Skierkowski’s Music Festival. well-known collection The Kurpie Forest in Song. It was not his first time attempt- The first two movements —Fife and ing it: in 1937, he based his Kurpie Suite Hurra-Polka — can give the impression on the same work, but left it incomplete. of an impressive but also very light piece; The Bucolics are five miniatures of uncom- however, the third movement — Song — plicated texture, where a prominent role is surprises with emotions rising to an un- played by polyphony, which strikes us with expected level. Similar in seriousness is an original, ‘rough’ sonority, characteristic 24 CHAIN 15 of Lutosławski’s works written in this Both Zbigniew Turski and Stefan Kisie­ period. It is not difficult to hear parallels lewski are almost Witold Lutosławski’s­ with passages in Béla Bartók’s Mikrokos- peers; the musical world which shaped mos. The Bucolics were premiered by them was also his world. All three are the composer himself, who in the 1950s graduates of the Warsaw Conserva- still appeared as pianist. In 1962, also for tory. Music by Turski and Kisielewski, pedagogical reasons, Lutosławski prepared as in the case of many composers of a setting of the work for viola and cello. their generation, bears the earmarks of Neoclassicism. The Bucolics continue to inspire, which is testified by a recent project by Zygmunt Zbigniew Turski is today a composer who Krauze. On a commission by the Szczecin is almost completely absent from musical Philharmonic, he composed the Preludes life. A graduate of the Warsaw Conserv- to ‘Bucolics’, performed by the Luto­ atory (composition under Piotr Rytel, sławski Youth Orchestra under the di- conducting with Walerian Bierdiajew), in rection of Ewa Strusińska on September the post-war years he served as Director 17 last year in the Szczecin Philharmonic. of the Baltic Philharmonic, and subse- quently chairman of the Polish Compos- Zygmunt Krauze comments his work as ers’ Union, among others. He became follows: known as author of the Symphony no. 2 ‘Olympic’, which was awarded the Gold These four orchestral Preludes refer Medal at the Art Competition in the 1948 not only to Lutosławski’s Bucolics, but Olympics in London. His most loved works also to his other compositions where he also include the excellent Violin Concer- used quotations from Polish folk music. to. The Olympic Symphony was however The Preludes can be performed as an in- condemned as ‘formalist’ at the conven- dividual piece as well as in a combination with the Bucolics, or even played inter- tion in Łagów, and the composer himself changeably: Bucolic – Prelude – Buco­ was the first victim of the new cultural lic – Prelude, and so on. politics of the authorities in the Polish People’s Republic. Subsequently, he con- I have in my music collection a copy of cetrated on music for theatre, radio and Lutosławski’s Bucolics. On the cover film. I wrote the year 1957. This is when I played this – initially in school concerts, Little Overture for orchestra by Zbigniew and then in concerts for the public. Even Turski is a light and cheerful, energetic today I perform his Folk Melodies. This and brilliantly instrumentated piece, set is why, when I composed the Preludes, in compact sonata allegro form. Serving I naturally used other folk music com- as material were, similarly to the case posed by Lutosławski, at the same time as I was careful not to resign from my own of Lutosławski in the Little Suite, folk musical language. By doing this I wanted melodies from the Rzeszów region, but to show my respect for the composer, the instrumentation blurs their primary who means so much in Polish music. character. 04. II 25 In 1978, Stefan Kisielewski completed his new symphony begun four years earlier. He had returned to this genre after a hiatus: Symphony no. 2 was written in 1951, and the next Symphony for 15 Performers saw its creation in 1961 as a chamber work. He did not give it a number, but distinguished it with a title: Symphony in a Square. This quizzical appellation has a probable, although perhaps flippant explanation, as usual with ‘Kisiel’ (his nickname, the word also means kissel), who just loved to make fun of things. We can guess: four movements can — after all — fit into a square, and the compos- er does not strive to enrich the themat- ic material, instead presenting a single theme in each, simple as a children’s song and always recognizable, although transformed melodically and harmonical- ly. The Symphony proves that after many years, the composer is still true to himself and his anti-Romantic aesthetic, known from his other works. In this driving, and sometimes bruitistic music, we hear ech- oes of Stravinsky, Bartók, and Prokofiev (the one from the Scythian Suite). We have the characteristic orchestration, op- erating with contrasting hues of particular instrumental groups, with an emphasis on brass and percussion. The third movement takes us into another sonic universe, which reveals an interest in sonorism.

Symphony in a Square received its pre- miere at the inaugural concert of the 1981 Poznań Musical Spring festival given by the Poznań Philharmonic Orchestra under the direction of Renard Czajkowski.

Grażyna Teodorowicz 26 CHAIN 15 EWA the 15th International Tchaikovsky Competition TRACZ in St. Petersburg–Moscow. Ewa Tracz is a participant of the trainee She perfected her skills at numerous cours- program for young singers at the Accademia es and workshops led by such distinguished Teatro Alla Scala and the Young Artist Program teachers and vocalists as Izabela Kłosińska, Mat- – Opera Academy – National Opera in Warsaw – thias Rexroth, Eytan Pessen, Niel Schicoff, Anita ENOA. She is a graduate of the Academy of Music Garanca, Doris Yarick-Cross, Wiesław Ochman, in Katowice from the vocal class of Ewa Biegas. Helena Łazarska, Luciana D’Intino, George Kunde, She has received the First Award and a Spe- and Eva Mei. cial Award in the International Vocal Contest Ewa Tracz has worked with many conduc- Iuventus Canti, 2011 (Vrable, Slovakia), Second tors, including Michał Klauza, Nello Santi, Marc Award at the 1st International Andrzej Hiolski Albrecht, Joseph Swensen, David Coleman, Alex- Singer Competition, 2012 (Kudowa Zdrój, Po- ander Liebreich, Marco Guidarini, Pietro Mianiti, land), First Prize at the 3rd J. E. J. Reszke Vocal Michele Gamba, Wincenty Hawel, Adam Klocek, Competition, 2013 (Czestochowa, Poland), First Andriy Yurkevych, Massimiliano Caldi, Warcisław Prize at the 15th Ada Sari International Vocal Kunc, Ewa Michnik, Maciej Tomasiewicz, Tadeusz Artistry Competition, 2013 (Poland), 2nd Prize at Zathey, Tomasz Tokarczyk, José Ferreira Lobo, the 9th Klaudia Taev International Competition Marek Toporowski, and Robert Kabara. for Young Opera Singers 2015 (Estonia), Second Prize at the 5th Ignacy Jan Paderewski Vocal ZYGMUNT Competition, 2015 (Poland), Second Prize at KRAUZE the 9th Moniuszko International Vocal Competi- Is an important artist of his generation. His tion, 2016 (Poland). artistic achievements and efforts in the promo- Ewa Tracz performed at the Formal Inaugu- tion of music have been recognised with many ration Concert of the new Concert Hall of Polish awards and distinctions, including the French National Radio Symphony Orchestra in Katowice National Order of the Legion of Honour (2007) (2015), singing Lutosławski’s Silesian Triptych and the Chevalier dans l’Ordre des Arts et des for soprano and orchestra, directed by Alexan- Lettres (1984). In 1987 he was elected President der Liebreich. At the inauguration of the 2017 of the International Society for Contemporary National Forum of Music season in Wrocław, she Music and has been an honorary member of sang Shostakovich’s Symphony no. 14 in G minor the organization since 1999. for soprano, bass, chamber orchestra and per- Krauze’s composition studies were complet- cussion op. 135, directed by Joseph Swensen. ed under the supervision of Ewa Tracz made her debut as Sour Angelica and his piano studies were supervised by Maria in Puccini’s opera by the same name (2011) Wiłkomirska. Than, in Paris he worked under and Donna Anna in Mozart’s Don Giovanni at the supervision of . Soon after, the Silesian Opera in Bytom (2013). She per- he began teaching young students of compo- formed the role of Giovanna in Verdi’s Giovanna sition. He has been conducting seminars and D’Arco, Contessa in Mozart’s Le Nozze di Figaro composition courses in Darmstadt, Basel, Paris, (2014), Fiordiligi in Così fan tutte and First Lady Tokyo, Stockholm, Jerusalem, Beijing, Hong in (2015), Stella in Giacomo Kong and at universities in the USA: Columbia Orefice’s Chopin (2014), Marianna in R. Strauss’ University, Yale University, Indiana University Der Rosenkavalier (2015), and Ksenia in Musorg- at Bloomington and the University of California ski’s Boris Godunov (2016) at the Wrocław Op- in Santa Barbara. In 2002, he was appointed as era. Tracz debiuted on the Teatro alla Scala stage a Professor of Composition at the Academy of in the role of Kostanze in Mozart’s Die Entführung Music in Łódź. aus dem Serail (2016), followed by First Fairy Krauze’s compositions include six operas, in Mendelssohn’s ballet A Midsummer Night’s instrumental forms, from miniatures to sym- Dream (2017), and Gertrud in Humperdinck’s phonic works engaging hundreds of musicians, Hänsel und Gretel (2017). music for theatre and film, choral pieces and In 2011, Ewa Tracz participated in space compositions. Many of his compositions the Neue Stimmen competition in Gutersloh have been recorded and released on records of (Germany). In 2015, she was semi-finalist at Polskie Nagrania, DUX, ORF, Nonesuch, Thesis, 04. II 27 Musical Observations (CP2), Collins Classics, won the Fryderyk Prize of the Polish recording Warner Classics, Recommended Records, Bôłt industry in 2007. During the 2007/08 season, Records and EMI. the orchestra gave concert performances of Exceptionally important in the list of Verdi’s Falstaff and Cherubini’s Lodoïska (staged Krauze’s work is unitary music, which theoretical under the artistic supervision of Christa Ludwig base comes from the paintings of Władysław at the Easter Festival in Strzemiński. In his compositions, piano is the in- Warsaw). Both works were released on CD by strument given the highest priority. As an active- the Polish Radio, and the Lodoïska album was ly performing pianist, Krauze not only composes nominated for the Midem Classical Awards and for this instrument, but also performs his own the Fryderyk Prize. It has become a tradition compositions. In 1966 Zygmunt Krauze received for the Polish Radio SO to inaugurate its suc- First Prize at the Gaudeamus International In- cessive seasons with concert performances of terpreters Competititon (in the Netherlands) for lesser-known and forgotten operas by Polish performers of contemporary music. In 1967, he composers. These have included Roman Stat- founded his ensemble Warsztat Muzyczny (Mu- kowski’s Maria (2008/2009 season), Stanisław sic Workshop), which he directed for 25 years. Moniuszko’s Flis (to mark the 190th anniversary The ensemble commissioned over 100 composi- of the composer’s birth in 2009), Ignacy Feliks tions that were created by renowned composers Dobrzyński’s Monbar or the Filibusters (the first from around the world. presentation of this opera in 150 years), Fe- Krauze's activity as an organizer of musical liks Nowowiejski’s The Legend of the Baltic events began in 1970 when he became a member (2011/2012), Zygmunt Noskowski’s Revenge of the Repertoire Committee of the Warsaw Au- for the Boundary Wall, with a libretto based on tumn Festival. At the invitation of Aleksander Fredro’s comedy (2013/2014), and in 1982, he became an artistic advisor at the In- Moniuszko’s Verbum nobile (2014/2015). Maria stitut de Recherche de Coordination Acoustique/ and Monbar or the Filibusters have been released Musique (IRCAM). He was one of the founding on CD by the Polish Radio. The orchestra’s recent members of the Witold Lutosławski Society and recordings also include Grażyna Bacewicz’s violin for one term held the position of its president. concertos (with Joanna Kurkowicz as soloist) He is regularly invited to be a judge in inter- and Overture (for Chandos), and her radio opera national composition competitions throughout The Adventures of King Arthur (for the Polish the world. Radio), to mark the centenary of the composer’s www.zygmuntkrauze.com birth and the 40th anniversary of her death in 2009. The orchestra also gave concert perfor- POLISH mances of Szymon Laks’s opera L’Hirondelle in- RADIO attendue (first Polish performance in the original SYMPHONY French version) and Karol Rathaus’s ballet Le lion ORCHESTRA amoureux, also released on CD. In collabora- The Polish Radio Symphony Orchestra has tion with the Beethoven Festival, the orchestra a history dating back to the pre-war years. It has continued its exploration of lesser-known was re-activated in 1945 by violinist and con- operatic repertoire with Spohr’s Der Berggeist ductor Stefan Rachoń, whose successors have (2009), Weber’s Euryanthe (2010), Donizetti’s included Włodzimierz Kamirski, Jan Pruszak and Maria Padilla (2011), Italo Montemezzi’s L’amore Mieczysław Nowakowski. During the director- dei tre re (2012), Verdi’s Simon Boccanegra ship of Tadeusz Strugała (1990-1993), the en- (2013) and Gluck’s Iphigenia in Tauris (2014), semble was given its present name and moved all subsequently released on CD. The orchestra’s to the brand-new Polish Radio Concert Studio, discography also includes a 4-CD-set with An- soon to be named after Witold Lutosławski. In drzej Panufnik’s symphonic music for CPO, which 1993-2006, the orchestra worked with Wojciech in January 2015 won an International Classical Rajski as Artistic Director. In March 2007, he Music Award (ICMA) in the Special Achievement was succeeded by Łukasz Borowicz, who led category. the ensemble until the end of January 2015. In February 2015, Michał Klauza was ap- The CD featuring Schumann’s works (conduct- pointed Artistic Director of the Polish Radio ed by Borowicz, with cellist Dominik Połoński) Symphony Orchestra. 28 CHAIN 15 MICHAŁ recording of Szymanowski’s operetta Lottery for KLAUZA a Husband (with the National Polish Radio SO) Michał Klauza is Artistic Director of the Pol- and King Roger (with Warsaw’s National Opera). ish Radio Symphony Orchestra. In 2013-2015, he Michał Klauza is a graduate of the Fryderyk served as Music Director of the Podlasie Opera Chopin Music Academy in Warsaw, where he and Philharmonic in Białystok, where in addition studied conducting with Ryszard Dudek. He de- to regular symphony concerts he worked on sev- veloped his skills as a postgraduate student of eral opera productions (Verdi’s La Traviata, Mo- Ilya Musin at the Rimski-Korsakov Conservatory zart’s The Magic Flute, Bizet’s Carmen). He also in St. Petersburg and at international courses held the post of Associate Conductor of the Na- for conductors given by Kurt Redel (Rome, 1996) tional Polish Radio Symphony Orchestra in and Valery Gergiev (Rotterdam, 1997). Katowice from 2009 to 2015. In 2004-2008, he served as Associate Conductor and Deputy Music Director of the Welsh National Opera in Cardiff, where he worked on a wide range of productions such as Carmen, Verdi’s , Il Trovatore, Aida, Otello, and Falstaff (with Brian Terfel as main character), as well as Mozart’s Don Giovan- ni, Puccini’s La Boheme, and Lehar’s The Merry Widow (recorded for the BBC). Since 2016, he is guest conductor of Bolshoy Theater in Moscow, where he pre- sents Donizetti’s Don Pasquale and Weinberg’s The Idiot. In December 2011, he conducted Szyma­ nowski’s King Roger, performed in concert ver- sion with the National Ukrainian Opera in Kiev as the closing event of the cultural programme of Poland’s presidency in the European Council. He has worked as guest conductor with numer- ous orchestras in Poland and abroad, including the Warsaw Philharmonic, Sinfonia Varsovia, most of Polish symphony orchestras, Beethoven Academy Orchestra, Orchestre National Capi- tole de Toulouse, State Symphony Orchestra of the Russian Federation and the Moscow Phil- harmonic. Foreign tours have also taken him to France, Germany, Switzerland (gala concert tribute to Mstislav Rostropovich, with Ivan Monighetti, Sol Gabetta, and Misha Maisky), as well as Great Britain, Italy, Armenia, South Korea, and the Persian Gulf countries. He has worked closely with the Baltic Opera in Gdańsk (Strauss’s Salome and Mozart’s The Magic Flute, Shostakovich’s The Gamblers, Fleischman’s Rothschild’s Violin), and the Opera Nova in Bydgoszcz (Berlioz’s La Damnation de Faust), Poznań Opera (Verdi’s Aïda, Johann Strauss II’s Die Fledermaus). Earlier in his career (1998 to 2003), Michał Klauza held positions at the National Opera in Warsaw. He has made numerous recordings for radio and television, including the very first Wednesday, February 7, 2018 7 PM Witold Lutosławski Concert Studio of the Polish Radio

Artur Malawski (1904–1957) Andante e Allegro for violin and piano (1949) 6’

Grażyna Bacewicz (1909–1969) Sonata no. 4 for violin and piano (1949) 20’ Moderato Andante ma non troppo Scherzo: Molto vivace Finale: Con passione

Witold Lutosławski (1913–1994) Partita for violin and piano (1984) 18’ Allegro giusto Ad libitum Largo Ad libitum Presto

[Intermission]

Karol Szymanowski (1882–1937) Myths. Three Poems for Violin and Piano op. 30 (1915) 20’ Fountain of Arethusa Narcissus Dryads and Pan

Alfred Schnittke (1934–1988) Sonata no. 1 for violin and piano (1963) 17’ Andante Allegretto Largo Allegretto scherzando

Jakub Jakowicz – violin Bartosz Bednarczyk – piano CHAIN 15 The program of this recital can be read a driving, virtuosic Allegro, where both as an invitation to travel through various instruments lead a relation in dialogue. aesthetics that moulded twentieth-century The Andante e Allegro was performed violin music by prominent composers with for the first time by Eugenia Umińska with one exception: Polish ones. pianist Zbigniew Jeżewski at a concert de- voted exclusively to Malawski’s oeuvre on The group of prominent absentees in March 30, 1955, in Cracow. contemporary concert life includes Ar- tur Malawski, a leading Polish artist of Grażyna Bacewicz’s Sonata no. 4 sets the previous century. Initially, he studied itself off from the remainder of her output violin in Cracow, and until his hand injury with its powerful expression; in this sense in 1933, he appeared as concert violinist. we can perceive its clear nod to Romanti- Later, in the years 1936-1939, he studied cism. The Moderato that opens the Sonata composition under Kazimierz Sikorski from its first introductory measures cre- and conducting with Walerian Bierdiajew ates an atmosphere of gravitas, which is at the Warsaw Conservatory. He decid- not annihilated by the very energetic, driv- ed to destroy many of his early works, ing main theme. The reference to Romanti- which he deemed unsatisfactory. Only in cism reveals itself especially in the second the post-war years did he gain recognition movement that carries a deep emotion- with a number of compositions, especial- al charge. A brilliant Scherzo precedes ly orchestral ones. They include, among the Finale, with its contrasting lyric and others, the Orchestral Etudes for piano virtuosic episodes. with orchestra, the ballet-pantomime The Peaks, Symphony no. 2 ‘Dramatic’, The Sonata no. 4 is among Grażyna Bace- and Hungaria 1956. wicz’s most important works, whose dedi- catee is her brother Kiejstut. At the Polish It might be surprising that violin music Music Festival in 1951, the composer was finds itself in the borderland of his oeuvre. honoured by the First Award for “the over- There are only a few works for the instru- all shape of music in the festival and espe- ment. Those where he speaks with his own, cially for the Sonata no. 4 for violin”. mature language, are the Burlesca from 1940, and the Andante e Allegro as well Witold Lutosławki’s Partita was composed as Mazurka written after the war (both in in 1984 on a commission by the Saint Paul 1950), not counting two pieces based on Chamber Orchestra for the violinist Pin- themes by Feliks Janiewicz. Artur Malawski chas Zukerman and pianist Marc Neikrug planned to write a violin concerto, but his who performed it on January 18 the follow- untimely death did not allow it. ing year.

The diptych’s first movement —Andan - The work’s title itself brings to mind as- te — allows the violinists to present sociations with Baroque music, although a cantilena, and at times demands playing obviously it has nothing of stylization. polyphonically. The second movement is The Partita is comprised of three main 07. II 31 sections, interspersed with episodes of sought new means of expression. An ex- “secondary importance” that fill the role ceptionally strong creative impulse were of links and are played aleatorically (ad for him the experiences from his recent libitum), independently by both instru- trips to Italy, particularly to Sicily, and ments. The composer admits: “The very the Middle East. They brought his discov- beginning, the inception of the Largo, and ery of Antique culture and fascination even the last movement, a kind of gigue, with the exoticism of the Orient, as it was is a sort of flirtation with the Baroque, of called. A simultaneous, also very powerful course in my own personal language”. Al- creative impulse was his encounter with lusions to the genre of partita or suite may Stravinsky’s ballets. Together, everything only be perceived in the rhythmic forma- allowed him to forge a new style, repre- tion of the outermost movements, which sented among others by the Myths: Three make reference to Baroque dances, and in Poems for Violin and Piano, written the lyrically suffusedLargo , a counterpart in the spring and summer of 1915 in to instrumental ‘arias’. Zarudzie, a property of Józef Jaroszyński. Szymanowski was not intimately acquaint- The Partita has revealed itself to be a par- ed with the violin, and the work could not ticularly important work in Lutosławski’s have been created without close collab- creative development. Before it was fin- oration with Paweł Kochański, a guest ished, he took up work on Chain II, for at Zarudzie at the same time. The Myths which it became a formal model. In both dazzle with an array of violinistic and pia- compositions, he returned after a sever- nistic means, employed unconventionally: al-year hiatus to the violin, which was also both parts intertwine, creating capricious once his instrument. Both works are asso- passages with a changeable, shimmering ciated by similar expression, with a mostly texture and surprising timbral effects; light mood. When in 1988 Lutosławski also harmonic means depart here from made an orchestral setting of the Parti- their traditional role, contributing much to ta with Anne-Sophie Mutter in mind, he an extraordinary, almost fairy-like sonic wished to connect it with Chain II into palette. This fantastical sonority enchants a larger whole. Due to the close relation- the listener especially in the first Myth, ship of both works, it became necessary to which calls on the story of nymph Are- compose an additional one, which would thusa who transformed into a source, and play the role of a contrasting link between in the last one, which paints a picture of them, the Interlude. The entirety took on frolicking dryads and the mournful tones the size of a violin concerto. Lutosławski of Pan’s flute. In the middle piece — ti- did not live to realize his plans of writing tled Narcissus — a passionate cantilena a ‘real’ concerto. is dominant, conveying the feelings of the young man enamoured with his own During WWI, Karol Szymanowski’s creative reflection. work underwent a deep transformation. He wished to leave behind the worn-out, Szymanowski explained his musical idea in Neo-Romantic style, and simultaneously a letter: “It is not supposed to be a drama 32 CHAIN 15 that develops in the successive scenes (…), compositions. The Sonata closes with but rather, a complex musical expres- a fiery and metro-rhythmically adventur- sion of the Myth’s enrapturing beauty”. ous Allegretto scherzando. The Myths were premiered on May 10, 1916, in Humanie, by Paweł Kochański; Schnittke’s Sonata no. 1 was premiered the virtuoso was accompanied on the piano by Mark Lubotsky at the Gnesin Insti- by the composer himself. tute in Moscow in April 1964. Five years later, the composer prepared a version of In Alfred Schnittke’s oeuvre, the violin the work for violin, harpsichord, and string appears as a solo instrument quite often, orchestra. including the three sonatas, to which can be aded a fourth one, a youth work Grażyna Teodorowicz from 1955, discovered quite late. All three ‘official’ sonatas were dedicated to the superb violinist Mark Lubotsky, with whom the composer became friends after the world premiere of the Violin Concerto no. 1, and also the dedicatee of the Violin Concerto no. 2 (the two subsequent con- certos were written for Gidon Kremer).

In 1962, the first composer of the Western European avant-garde arrived in the . It was Luigi Nono. The visit became for Alfred Schnittke a threshold moment. This is when he began studying scores and recordings of modern composers, such as Ligeti, Stockhausen, and Pousseur. One of the first pieces written under the impres- sion of those experiences was the Sonata for Violin no. 1. In it, Schnittke employs the twelve-tone technique, but treats it freely in combination with harmonic major-minor structures, while frequent- ly basing the horizontal musical level on successions of thirds. The opening Andante is a type of introduction to the Allegretto, in scherzo character. What surprises with its tonal harmony is the Largo, the central movement cast in passacaglia form, where Schnittke first introduced theb -a-c-h motive that frequently appears in his later 07. II 33 JAKUB Hall, Wigmore Hall in London, Santory Hall in To- JAKOWICZ kyo, Gulbenkian Center in Lisbon, Konzerthaus Jakub Jakowicz studied violin at the Fry- in Vienna, as well as several music festivals in deryk Chopin University of Music under the guid- Schleswig-Holstein, Salzburg, Lucerne, Alde- ance of his father Krzysztof Jakowicz. He was burgh, Edinburgh, and many others. In 2014, also the last student of Tadeusz Wroński, one of the ensemble was honoured with the prestigious the Polish legendary violinists. Paul Hindemith Award of the City of Hanau. The artist made his stage debut at the age Jakub Jakowicz is first-prize winner of of 11. He has played with all leading Polish or- the violin competitions in Lublin (1993), Wattre- chestras. In 1998, Krzysztof Penderecki invited los (1995), and Takasaki (1999). In 2001, he him to play at the Penderecki Festival in Cracow, was among the three winners of the Internation- where he performed Capriccio per violino e or- al Rostrum for Young Performers in Bratislava, chestra under Jerzy Maksymiuk. In 2001, Jakub organized by the European Broadcasting Union Jakowicz made his debut with Munich Philhar- and the International Music Council UNESCO. He monic Orchestra under the direction of Pinchas received the Polish-Japanese Foundation award Steinberg, performing Karol Szymanowski’s for the most promising violinist of the young Violin Concerto No. 1. Since then, he has made generation (2002), the Passport Award of Poli­ solo appearances with several renowned orches- tyka magazine (2003), and the Orpheus Prize tras, such as the Czech Philharmonic in Prague, at the Warsaw Autumn International Festival of Orchestra di Santa Cecilia in Rome, Drezden Contemporary Music (2007). Philharmonic, Orchestre de la Suisse Roman- The artist obtained his PhD at the Fryderyk de in Geneva and Concerto Köln. He has worked Chopin University of Music, where he lectures with many conductors, including Jerzy Semkow, since 2004. He plays an instrument which be- Antoni Wit, Jacek Kasprzyk, Kazimierz Kord, longed to the legendary Polish violinist Piotr Jan Krenz, Yan Pascal Tortrllier, Eiji Oue, Marek Janowski (courtesy of the Janowski family). Pijarowski, Krzysztof Penderecki, Agnieszka Duczmal, Kirill Karabits, Michail Jurovski, Marc Minkowski and Stefan Solyom. In 2009 and 2011, BARTOSZ he was invited by Antoni Wit as guest soloist to BEDNARCZYK the Warsaw Philharmonic’s tour in Great Britain. Bartosz Bednarczyk is a graduate of As chamber musician, Jakub Jakowicz per- the Fryderyk Chopin Academy of Music in War- forms on a regular basis with his father. Since saw in the piano performance class of Bronisła- 2000, he played with pianist Bartosz Bednarczyk, wa Kawalla. He also trained in the postgraduate with whom he recorded four albums: Subito diploma studies in chamber music under the di- (Polskie Radio), Beethoven Violin Sonatas (Subito rection of Krystyna Borucińska. Records), Lutosławski’s Partita (CD Accord), and He is laureate of known competitions Schubert’s Chamber Music (Polskie Radio). He in Konin (Second Award, 1987; Third Award, has also worked with many other musicians, who 1993), Olsztyn (Second Award, 1989), and include Heinz Holliger, Paul Gulda, Jan Krzysztof Warsaw (First Award in chamber music). He Broja, Michel Lethiec, Anna Maria Staśkiewicz, was three-time recipient (1992, 1993, and Ruth Kilius, Katarzyna Budnik-Gałązka, Ryszard 1996) of the Fryderyk Chopin Society Artistic Groblewski, Avri Levitan, Ursula Smith, Daniel Scholarship, and in 1998, the Ministry of Art Müller-Schott, Andrzej Bauer, Rafał Kwiatkow­ and Culture Scholarship. He also held a schol- ski, Marcin Zdunik, Karol Marianowski, and Zvi arship from the National Children’s Fund. He Plesser. has appeared as soloist and chamber musician He has collaborated with two strings at home (National Philharmonic, Concert Stu- quartets: from 2008 to 2014 he was primari- dio of the Polish Radio, and the Royal Castle) us of the Lutosławski Quartet, and since 2006, and abroad (England, Germany, Spain, Russia, member of the Zehetmair Quartet. The quartet’s Ukraine, Sweden, Finland, Switzerland, Japan, album of music by Bartók and Hindemith (ECM) Indonesia, Slovenia, and Austria). In 2001 and received the Diapason d’Or award in 2007. 2002, he gave concerts while participating in Jakowicz has played with the ensemble at numer- the Witold Lutosławski Forum festival at the Na- ous venues, including the tional Philharmonic. 34 CHAIN 15 From 2010, he is assistant in the Depart- ment of Piano Chamber Music at the Fryderyk Chopin Music University in Warsaw in the class of Katarzyna Jankowska, Maja Nosowska, and Kry­styna Borucińska. For more than a dozen years, he plays in a duo with violinist Jakub Jakowicz, with whom he recorded Subito, a disc released by the Polish Radio, nominated to the Fryderyk Award in 2003. In 2007, the duo recorded Beethoven’s Kreutzer and Spring Sonatas (for Subito Records), as well as Wi- told Lutosławski’s works including the Partita (a CD Accord recording nominated to the Fry- deryk Award in 2009). In 2017, Bednarczyk and Jakub Jakowicz recorded music by Franz Schu- bert, released by the Polish Radio. Sunday, February 11, 2018 6 PM Witold Lutosławski Concert Studio of the Polish Radio

Jerzy Fitelberg (1903–1951) Nocturne for orchestra (1944) 16’30’’

Karol Szymanowski (1882–1937) Concerto no. 1 for violin and orchestra op. 35 (1916) 24’

[Intermission]

Krzysztof Meyer (*1943) Musique de la lumière et de la pénombre for chamber orchestra op. 118 (2012) 15’

Witold Lutosławski (1913–1994) Concerto for Orchestra (1954) 30’ Intrada Cappriccio notturno e Arioso Passacaglia, Toccata e Corale

Agata Szymczewska – violin Sinfonia Varsovia Andrzej Boreyko – conductor

Supported by CHAIN 15 Jerzy Fitelberg is still today — despite spo- the theme in the cellos, basses and bas- radic performances — almost an unknown soons, has the character of a scherzando. composer in Poland. The son of Grzegorz In Variation II – Andante – there is a fur- Fitelberg, he first received his education ther transformation of the theme. Variation from his father and was subsequently III – Tempo giusto alla marcia – is again trained at the Warsaw Conservatory. In closer to the theme. Variation IV – Adagio the years 1922-1926, he studied com- – brings still further harmonic transfor- position under Franz Schreker in Berlin, mations. Finally, after a brief reminder of where he stayed afterwards. In 1933, after the theme, the Nocturne ends as gently as Hitler’s seizure of power, he left for Paris, it began. only to emigrate again in 1940, this time to America. He died suddenly in 1951. One of the work’s motives is a clear refer- As an artist he was highly valued on both ence to the oberek (dance) finale of Karol sides of the Atlantic, and his compositions Szymanowski’s Symphonie concertante, were performed regularly at the festivals of which can be read as an hommage to the International Society for Contemporary the earlier master. Music. His list of works includes two violin concertos, two piano concertos, and cham- The Nocturne’s premiere was given on ber as well as piano solo works. In 1928, he March 28, 1946, by Artur Rodziński with received the First Award at the composers’ the . The Polish con- competition of the Society of Young Polish ductor, very impressed by the music, wrote Musicians in Paris for his Quartet no. 2, in in a letter to Dimitri Mitropoulos, then di- 1936 also an award of the United States’ rector of the Minneapolis orchestra: “When Library of Congress for the Quartet no. 4, I say that I truly don’t remember the last and finally in 1945, an Award of the Amer- time I was in such awe of a contemporary ican Academy of Arts and Letters for his work, I wish to express my utmost admira- overall output. He wrote of his music thus: tion for Fitelberg’s Nocturne. I am certain “It has the energy and power of Stravin- that if you decide to perform it in the next sky, the linear and harmonic complexity of season, you will share my enthusiasm for Hindemith, and the colour of contemporary this work.” French music, as in Milhaud”. Karol Szymanowski’s compositions writ- The Nocturne for orchestra, completed ten during WWI represent a new style in in December 1944, is structurally rather his music that is somewhat imprecisely developed, its size equalling that of a sym- called ‘impressionist’. Staying at the time phonic poem. But, according to the com- in Ukraine as guest of Józef Jaroszyński in poser, it lacks any literary program. Its Zarudzie, the composer wrote a series of vi- form is a theme with variations, con- olin works, for example the Myths in 1915 trasting in terms of tempo and character. and the Violin Concerto no. 1 in the fol- A four-measure introduction is followed by lowing year. Thanks to a collaboration the theme, played by the violin – Andante. with Paweł Kochański, both works employ Variation I, Allegretto, which begins with an entirely novel array of violin technique 11. II 37 that unveils a surprisingly rich palette of was the orchestra’s concertmaster, Józef effects in colour. In theConcerto , it further Ozimiński. Paweł Kochański performed expands through the use of orchestra. Szy- the music two years later in New York un- manowski did not conceal a sense of pride der the direction of Leopold Stokowski, to stemming from his achievements: “(…) much acclaim. together with Paul we created in the Myths and the Concerto a new style, a new ex- Around 2009, Krzysztof Meyer discovered pression of violin playing, something that is two possibilities offered by the chamber or- outright historic”, he wrote years later to chestra with single voicing of instruments. Zofia Kochańska. He decided it was a “gracious instrumental configuration allowing to obtain pure tim- The Concerto astonishes with its inno- bres and highlight the specificity of sound vation in every field — harmony, colour, from every single instrument”. Meyer’s form, and instrumentation. Szymanowski first works for this scoring wasMusique realizes here a kind of vision for vio- scintillante, in which — as the composer lin with orchestra, breaking completely emphasized — the basic factor was mo- with the traditional concerto form and its tion, a changeful and elemental one”. typical concept of a virtuoso piece. There consequently arose a single-movement Composing the next work for the same composition, free of any formula, with instrumentation, Meyer concentrated on an extraordinary, even magical imagina- another element, which is timbre. A com- tive power, drawing us in like a drug with bination of woodwinds and brass with changes in timbre, harmony, and mood, a variegated set of percussion instruments striking us with unexpected successions and strings creates a richness of sonic of musical events. The solo part is a mine- possibilities, that allows to produce — as field of ‘special effects’ and poses a great the composer wrote — “pure and mixed technical challenge, but it has no trace of colours in various degrees of brightness, virtuosic play ‘for effect’: everything is kept and drawing nourishment from the various at the service of music. Szymanowski wrote traits of those instruments, lets us en- to Stefan Spiess after completing the Con- dow the musical motives with an origi- certo in September, 1916: “(…) I am very nal shape”. With this picture in mind, he happy with the whole work — again var- created the Musique de la lumière et ious new little notes — and also a bit of de la pénombre (Music of Light and Half- a return to old stuff. The entirety is terribly Shade), while the variety of the sonorities fantastic and striking”. forms — as the composers termed it — a certain ‘dramaturgy’, ‘choreography’, or Performance of the work during the war, ‘animation’ — the exact word choice was and later the Russian Revolution, was not left to the audience. He suggests: “Perhaps a feasible task. Szymanowski’s Concer- someone will deem the music to actually to was played as late as November 1, begin in sonic half-shade (which should not 1922, at the Warsaw Philharmonic under be identified with dynamics, such asmez - the baton of Emil Młynarski. The soloist zopiano or mezzoforte), and to gradually 38 CHAIN 15 brighten up, revealing always new colours This is untrue. Folklore has its own deep and shapes”. traditions in Polish music — in Chopin and Szymanowski, and in their successors”. Music of Light and Half-Shade was pre- miered on January 31, 2014, in Düsseldorf. Very interestingly, originally folk mate- The NOTABU ensemble was directed by its rial is used here in forms making refer- founder and artistic director Mark-Andreas ence to the Baroque period, but without Schlingensiepen. archaization.

It should be remarked that Krzysztof Me­ The main theme of the first movement, in yer continued to explore the possibilities the character of a developed introduction of such scoring: in 2016, he wrote his third or Intrada, is the melody “And Whose Hors- piece for chamber orchestra — Metamor- ies Are These?”. In the second movement, phoses — where the field of his artistic Cappriccio notturno e Arioso, the first sec- explorations were the two previously em- tion is an aerial scherzo, while the Arioso phasized elements: colour and motion. filling the role of a trio gives voice to brass instruments. The mysteriously sounding Witold Lutosławski’s Concerto for Or- theme in pizzicato basses initiates the fi- chestra was written on a commission by nal Passacaglia, where characteristically, Witold Rowicki in 1950, for the benefit of the beginning and ending of individual vari- the newly created Warsaw Philharmon- ations are shifted in relation to the theme’s ic, still bearing this name. The work, not successive appearances. One perceives intended to be overdeveloped, grew to here an announcement of the chain form considerable size; work on it lasted as long developed later. The Passacaglia passes di- as four years. The Concerto is a summing rectly into an impressive Toccata — inter- up of Lutosławski’s experiences from his rupted twice by chant — the entire finale creative work until then, where he often closing with a virtuosic coda. employed material drawn from folklore (to mention only the Kurpie Suite from 1937, The Concerto for Orchestra has a quick the Little Suite, and the Silesian Trip- narrative, clear dramaturgy, impressive tych). It is worth emphasizing that the folk changes in texture, richness of harmo- material was only a point of departure: in ny, timbre and orchestral virtuosity, thus the Concerto, Lutosławski weaves folk aptly being considered an unparalleled melodies (from Kolberg’s Mazovian vol- work in the entirety of Polish symphonic ume) into intricate polyphonic strands and literature. Its world premiere was given developed formal constructions, the result by the Warsaw Philharmonic, directed by being strongly marked by his original style. Witold Rowicki on November 26, 1954. It It is worth reminding the composer’s re- began the illustrious career of the Concerto action to (especially Western) commenta- for Orchestra, which continues to be Witold tors’ statements, who said that “‘he wrote Lutosławski’s most often performed work. works on folkloristic themes, because that’s what the “authorities” wanted’. (…) Grażyna Teodorowicz 11. II 39 AGATA Orchestra, National Symphony Orchestra, Pol- SZYMCZEWSKA ish Radio National Symphony Orchestra, Lahti Agata Szymczewska is a Polish violinist and Symphony Orchestra, Istambul State Symphony chamber musician, winner of the 13th Henryk Orchestra, China National Symphony Orchestra, Wieniawski International Violin Competition in Konzerthausorchester Berlin, Sinfonieorchester Poznań, currently assistant in the Department St. Gallen, and others, including many philhar- of String Instruments at the Fryderyk Chopin monics throughout Poland. She has collaborated University in Warsaw. with prominent conductors: Andrey Boreyko, She studied the violin at the Poznań Acade- Maxim Wengerow, Neville Marriner, John Axelord, my of Music in the class of Bartosz Bryła and at Okko Kamu, Jerzy Maksymiuk, Tadeusz Stru- the Hochschule für Musik und Theater in Hano- gała, Marek Moś, Tadeusz Wojciechowski, Jacek verin the class of Krzysztof Węgrzyn. She later Kasprzyk, Jan Krenz, and Krzysztof Urbański. She perfected her skills at master classes given by had the opportunity to appear with such artists Pamela Frank, Koichiro Harada, Nobuko Imai, as Anne-Sophie Mutter, Martha Arfwrich, Yuri Nam Yun Kim, Yu Lin, Sadao Harada, Robert Bashmet, Kristian Zimmerman, Gidon Kremer, Mann, Wolfgang Marschner, PetruMunteanu, Seji Frans Helmerson, And Kaja Danczowska. Ozawa, Wanda Wiłkomirska and Grigori Zhyslin. Beginning with the 2014/2015 season, she In October 2010, she began work as assistant is member of the Szymanowski Quartet. at the Poznań Academy of Music. Agata Szymczewska has played on a violin Apart from the First Award, Gold Medal, and by Antonio Stradivarius (Cremona, ca. 1680) Public’s Award of Polish Culture Television at from the German Instrument Collection made the 13th International Henryk Wieniawski Com- available by the Deutsche Stiftung Musikleben, petition, she was also honoured with the Lon- and presently plays on a violin by Nicolò Gagliano don Music Mater’s Award in 2009, First Award from 1755, courtesy of Anne-Sophie Mutter. at the Internationaler Violinwettbewerb ‘Zell an der Pram’ in Austria, Gundlach Musikpreis in SINFONIA Hanover, and Concerto Competition in Calgary. VARSOVIA She was scholarship recipient of the National Sinfonia Varsovia was founded in 1984. Its Children’s Fund and the President of the Minis- beginnings can be traced to the Polish Chamber ters’ Council in the program ‘Young Poland’. She Orchestra. In April 1984, its director Franciszek was recognized with Polityka Weekly’s Passport Wybrańczyk, together with Waldemar Dąbrowski, Award, the Transatlantyk Chopin Award (2011), director of the Stanisław Ignacy Witkiewicz Stu- Polish Culture Television Award in the category dio Arts Center, invited the legendary violinist of Classical Music, and four Fryderyk Awards. Yehudi Menuhin to Poland to perform as soloist After obtaining the London Music Masters and conductor. In order to meet the necessities Award in 2009, she was invited to participate of the repertoire, the orchestra was expanded by in a concert at Royal Festival Hall in London outstanding young talent from throughout Po- with the London Philharmonic Orchestra under land. The ensemble’s first concerts, conducted by the baton of Osmo Vänskä in the fall of 2010, Yehudi Menuhin, were an overwhelming popular performing Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto. Fol- and critical success, and Sir Yehudi accepted lowing the concert, London’s The Times wrote the invitation to become principal guest conduc- about her: “She plays with a poise, authority and tor of the newly established Sinfonia Varsovia. musical intelligence beyond her years, sounding Since then, the orchestra has performed at times like a fiery young Ida Haendel”. at the world’s most prestigious venues and Agata Szymczeska appeared in world festivals, working closely with many renowned famous European concert halls (including conductors and soloists. It has made numerous the Théatre des Champs-Élysées in Paris, Victo- recordings for radio and television, as well as ria Hall in Geneva, Concertgebouw in Amster- over 270 CDs, many of which have received pres- dam, Konzerthaus in Berlin, Berwaldhallen in tigious awards. Stockholm, Wigmore Hall in London, and Bolshoi In 1997, Krzysztof Penderecki, who had Theatre in Moscow), as well as in China, Japan, been associated with Sinfonia Varsovia for many Korea, the United States, Canada, and Israel. years, became its Musical Director, and in July She has toured with the ‘Sinfonia Varsovia’ 2003, also its Artistic Director. 40 CHAIN 15 Sinfonia Varsovia is a cultural institution of the City of Warsaw. In 2015, a contract was signed by the Mayor of Warsaw Hanna Gronkiew- icz-Waltz, architect Thomas Pucher, and Janusz Marynowski, director of Sinfonia Varsovia, for a design of the orchestra’s new concert hall, and development of the property at 272 Grochowska Street, Sinfonia Varsovia’s new official seat. ANDRZEJ BOREYKO Andrzej Boreyko is one of the most exciting and dynamic conductors to emerge from East- ern Europe in recent years. In addition to his post as Music Director of Orchestre National de Belgique, in 2014 he began his tenure as Music Director of the Naples Philharmonic in Florida. Additionally, he holds the position of Principal Guest Conductor of the Orquesta Sinfónica de Euskadi. A passionate advocate for less widely-known works, Boreyko conducted the much antici- pated world premiere of Górecki’s Symphony No.4 with the London Philharmonic Orchestra and the United States premiere with the Los Angeles Philharmonic. Current and future Eu- ropean highlights include appearances with the Konzerthausorchester Berlin, Gothenburg Symphony, Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Or- chestra, Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin, Bamberger Symphoniker, Orchestra del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France and the Netherlands as well as Warsaw philharmonic orchestras. Also in Europe he has conducted orchestras such as the Berlin- er Philharmoniker, Münchner Philharmoniker, Staatskapelle Dresden, Gewandhausorchester Leipzig, Wiener Symphoniker, Filharmonica della Scala, Royal Concertgebouw, Orchestre de Paris, Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich, London Symphony, the Philharmonia, and Rotterdam Philharmonic. Equally in demand in North America, he has worked with the New York Philharmonic, Los Angeles Philharmonic, The Cleveland and Philadelphia orchestras, Orchestre symphonique de Montréal, and the Toronto, Chicago, Boston, San Francisco and Pittsburgh symphony or- chestras. 2016/2017 included re-invitations to the Toronto and Detroit Symphony orchestras and appearances at both the Aspen and Ravinia Festivals – the latter with the Chicago Symphony.