In my Requiem, I have consciously omitted the section known as Dies irae. As its title (‘Day of Wrath’) suggests, this sequence is filled with pain and suffering that accompany a bloody, apocalyptic vision of the Last Judgment.
The composers of the works on this album are distinguished and highly regarded Polish composers: Paweł Szymański, Aleksander Nowak, Rafał Augustyn, Krzysztof Meyer, Zbigniew Bargielski, and Elżbieta Sikora.
Works of art always function in contexts: of their own genre, its tradition, the composer’s work or the accepted aesthetics of the time. In the case of these three compositions, also in the context of the Kwartesencja festival, where they were first performed.
For the composer, who belongs to the generation of Mr Kleks’ ‘pupils’, the songs recorded on this album and arranged in the form of a suite are a kind of orchestral fantasy, into which well-known melodies sung by a children’s choir and an ‘adult’ mixed choir are only woven.
The latest Warsaw Philharmonic release, Szymanowski Reimagined, takes listeners on a fascinating journey through the musical landscapes of Karol Szymanowski, rendered in a new orchestral guise.
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart has been one of the pillars of music, its alpha and omega for many a generation of artists. His works reflect what is noble in humankind and testify to his personal genius. (…)
The album you are holding in your hands includes transcriptions of works by a composer close to our hearts.
The CD opens with music dedicated to Count Hans Heinrich XI von Hochberg, Prince of Pless, such a colourful character that he deserves a separate account.
Mikołaj Piotr Górecki, who now lives in the United States, is an esteemed composer of contemporary Polish music. His works not only refer to the musical legacy of his father, Henryk Mikołaj, but also reflect a unique artistic path, displaying a wealth of aesthetic influences.
It contains archive recordings made at the Warsaw Philharmonic Concert Hall during two concerts given by the Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra under Skrowaczewski’s baton – on 11 February and 22 June 1956.