Recently I have been experiencing a renewed fascination with the works of 17th and 18th century composers with whom I first became acquainted on the outset of my artistic path. (…)
During preparations for this recording I was torn between the availability of knowledge about the works in question and the sensibilities of a performer living in the second decade of the 21st century. The idea of performing Mielczewski’s vespers (Vesperae dominicales) in the way they were performed in larger and richer centres like Gdańsk or Wrocław in the second half of the 17th century seemed highly appealing. (…)
In the double choir works I was particularly mindful of the ensembles’ spatial arrangement (placed opposite each other) and that it be reflected in the sound of the recording. For space plays an exceptionally vital role in Mielczewski’a works written in the spirit of the Venetian polychoral tradition.(…) The acoustics of the NFM offer fantastic opportunities of realising the composer’s spatial concepts.(…)
For this recording I invited a group of artists with whom I work regularly. We all share a fascination for early Polish music and an understanding of its repertoire, which allows us to be mutually inspired in the preparation and performance of these musical works.
Andrzej Kosendiak
Translation – Anna Kaspszyk