The album VERNISSAGE presents four works by Zbigniew Bargielski, one of the most original contemporary Polish composers, whose music is distinguished by a vivid sonic imagination, a fondness for contrasts, and the construction of form from clearly defined, often sectional segments. The recording includes compositions representing different facets of his output: Schizofonia (2012), Epitaphium (1982), Klavertett (2020–2021), and Fonoplasticon (2016).

In Schizofonia, the composer develops two parallel musical strands: a lyrical, modal theme with an almost chant-like character and an agitated, shimmering texture. As the piece unfolds, the two gradually intertwine, blurring the boundaries of perception. Epitaphium, written in response to the events of Martial Law in Poland, is a deeply moving musical meditation in the form of a lament, based on the expressive figure of a semitone motif. Klavertett presents Bargielski’s idea of the so-called “New Form” — a work constructed from recurring segments and episodes of varying character, creating a narrative with an almost theatrical course. Fonoplasticon, in turn, reveals a lighter side of the composer’s language: a colourful musical mosaic full of humour and stylistic references, inspired by the idea of “classical light music.”

Programme:

ZBIGNIEW BARGIELSKI (b. 1937)

VERNISSAGE

[1] Klavertett * (2020―2021) 13:52
for harpsichord and string quartet
Gośka Isphording (harpsichord), DAFÔ String Quartet

[2] Epitaphium (1982) 10:15
for two violins
Justyna Duda-Krane and Danuta Augustyn

[3] Fonoplasticon (2016) 14:02
for wind quintet and piano
Cracow Wind Quintet and Beata Bilińska (piano)

[4] Schizofonia (2012) 19:29
for string quartet and piano
Silesian Quartet and Piotr Sałajczyk (piano)

Total time: 57:49

* World premiere recording