We present to you another CD with the music of the First Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, featuring the works of Mikołaj Zieleński, his Offertoria and Communiones published in Venice in 1611. I had to make a choice among Zieleński’s 113 surviving works, so I adopted a narrative based on the history of salvation, or more precisely – the fulfilment of the Scripture in the coming of Jesus Christ – the Messiah. (…) At the same time, I tried to show the diversity of line-ups and styles of Zieleński’s works from the 12-part Magnificat and the double choir (eight-part and six-part) works to works for solo voice, while also differentiating the instrumental line-ups, and especially the basso continuo, which is performed by two theorboes, organ, harpsichord, harp, viola da gamba, violone and dulcian in various configurations. In the vocal parts, the highest are performed by female sopranos, probably contrary to the practice of the turn of the 16th and 17th centuries. We denied the doubtful St Thomas his voice in Mitte manum tuam by performing this duo only on instruments, believing without words in the Resurrection. The featured works by Zieleński are masterpieces of musical art of the early 17th century, withstanding comparisons with compositions of the greatest masters of the era.

Andrzej Kosendiak
transl. Anna Kaspszyk