Little-known Polish composers before 1945

[Maciek]

Polish music resides in spirit, and in a common humanity, irrespective of any geographical existence .........

How very true! In fact, I'd go so far as to say that anyone who calls himself a human being can also call himself a true Pole. I'm a Pole and nothing human is alien to me.

Of the famous Polish composers in the broad sense of the term, I'd single out Beethoven and Brahms. How about you, D Minor?

[BachQ]

Of the famous Polish composers in the broad sense of the term, I'd single out Beethoven and Brahms. How about you, D Minor?

YES!

[Maciek]

But let's not forget the other duo: Elgar and Dittersdorf. 0:) Or were they actually Polish? I don't think so.

[Tancata]

No pressure, but if you have a chance why not upload one or two Polish pieces from the 16-17th centuries...

[Maciek]

I haven't got anything that old in decent sound (what I have sounds as if it was actually recorded back then!).

I do have these 2 Jan Engel Symphonies:

Symphony in B Minor played by the Cappela Czestochoviensis
I don't remember the conductor but it may have been Marek Toporowski
movements: Allegro, Andante, Allegro

DownloadLink: http://rapidshare.com/files/44072453/Engel_Jan_Sinfonia_B-moll_Cappella_Czestochoviensis_Allegro-Andante-Allegro.mp3
File-Size: 17,60 MB

Symphony in F Major played by Concerto Avenna, conducted by Andrzej Mysinski
movements: Presto, Andante, Presto

DownloadLink: http://rapidshare.com/files/44075545/Engel_Jan_Sinfonia_F-Dur_Concerto_Avenna_Andrzej_Mysi_ski_Presto-Andante-Presto.mp3
File-Size: 20,37 MB


Jan Engel died in 1788. I can't find his birth date. Who knows? Maybe he was a 16th-17th century composer as well?

[Maciek]

Symphony in B Minor played by the Cappela Czestochoviensis
I don't remember the conductor but it may have been Marek Toporowski

Might also be Tomasz Wabnic - he's their "artistic director".

[Maciek]

I'm wondering if this new thread title does not imply that the composers in question were little-known only until 1945?

[J.Z. Herrenberg]

Maciek - many thanks for the Karlowicz Violin Concerto! A wonderful work. It was this that made me join this forum in the first place.

There was a program about Karlowicz on Dutch radio some five years ago (or more, can't remember). It took Wightman's study as its basis. I'd never heard a note of Karlowicz', but as soon as the music started (the Lithuanian Rhapsody), it gripped me immediately and I decided to seek him out. There is a great library in Rotterdam with Europe's greatest collection of CDs. I borrowed Salwarowski's recording of K.'s symphonic poems. Since then these six works are among my all-time favourite orchestral pieces. A pity I didn't tape them - the Noseda recordings are less idiomatic in my view, though the sound and the orchestra are better. But the typical Karlowicz atmosphere is better captured in the earlier recordings.

(The tender lyrical section of the Violin Concerto is now playing through my head-phones - I'm so glad I got to know this piece!)

Jez

[Maciek]

Jezetha, I was delighted by your post, thank you! It makes me believe what I'm doing here is worthwhile!

Actually, I've been meaning to upload a non-commercial recording of the Lithuanian Rhapsody for quite a while, and now you've made me do it. I've added it to my upload queue, and shall post it here within a day or two. The Silesian Philharmonic under Karol Stryja (that has never been released, at least not to my knowledge??).

I'm afraid I don't know Noseda's recordings but I'm quite certain I must have heard Salwarowski's and Kaspszyk's on the radio a few times. Though I don't own them. The ones I have are conducted by Stanislaw Wislocki.

Actually, you've made me realize that I also have a CD release of some of Grzegorz Fitelberg's recordings from the early 1950s - these are labeled as "historical recordings (without sound reconstruction)" so I suppose they must be out of copyright (the 50 year term has passed, they haven't been remastered). I could post a lossless rip (FLAC files) of those, if you or anyone else would like that...?

[J.Z. Herrenberg]

Maciek - ANY new (to me) performances of Karlowicz are very very welcome!! I'm looking forward to your uploads(s)! I seem to remember that those Fitelberg readings are very good!

Do you know, btw, that you can order his Karlowicz recordings from Salwarowski himself? You living in Poland, it should be easy to get hold of them, I think. You can send him money through a postal order, I believe (but these have been phased out here in Holland, so - not possible for me).

I wish he would rip his recordings and that you could download them (after paying for them, of course, preferably by PayPal). But that's too much work for a conductor, I think. He'll have other things on his mind (like learning scores and conducting...)

I'm waiting for your riches with bated breath...

Jez

[Maciek]

A conductor personally selling his own recordings - that's amazing! Could only happen in these parts of the world...

On the page of the Polish internet store Gigant (www.gigant.pl) it says those recordings are available ("availability: 5 days on average"). But they don't update their page very often so that might not be true. OTOH, the official distributor also seems to have them. But again, they've misinformed me in the past so I wouldn't trust them. Especially since www.merlin.pl shows the CDs as out of print.

I've ripped the Fitelberg CD and will upload it probably tomorrow. I think I'll start a new Karlowicz thread for that (I'm sure it'll be massively popular ).

Fitelberg, BTW, was probably the best Polish conductor of his times, a close friend of many composers (Szymanowski, Prokofiev), and a composer himself.

[Maciek]

Here's the new thread:
http://www.good-music-guide.com/community/index.php/topic,2319.html

[Maciek]

Tancata, if you go to this page:

http://www.choruw.uw.edu.pl/angielski/posluchaj_a.htm
(Warsaw University Choir)

you will be able to download from there pieces by Wacław z Szamotuł (Waclaw from Szamotuly) and Mikołaj Gomółka - two 16th c. Polish composers. One piece by Gomółka and two pieces by Wacław z Szamotuł - not much but it's a start. And there's lots of other stuff to download from there too!

[Maciek]

As for recordings and performances, Nowowiejski remains known today only for his organ works.

Yesterday marked the 131st anniversary of the man's birth but the Polish Radio which usually observes anniversaries of that kind did not live up... And I'm sure they have one or two things in their immense archives. However, it appears DUX has 2 new Nowowiejski discs in their catalogue:

Sea Songs op. 42 for chorus a cappella


25 Folk Songs from Warmia and Mazury op. 21 no. 8 for soprano and piano

I find the spelling they adopted ("Felix") fascinating...

[bhodges]

Maciek, both look interesting, but that choral CD especially so.  Will you be getting it?  I would love to know how it is.

--Bruce

[Maciek]

Well, I've added both to my "upcoming purchases" list (and yes, the choral one comes first for me too ). So whenever I make my next DUX purchase, I think I'll include at least one. But I don't know when that will be...

[Maciek]

Noticed some interesting new additions to the DUX catalog.

A recording of Mikołaj Zieleński's Offertoria et Communiones Totius Anni (early 17th century piece) with Emma Kirkby:



And even more exciting (since all the Moniuszko choral works recordings that I am aware of are currently out of print), three of Moniuszko's masses:


(I wouldn't stake my life on it but this looks like a re-release.)



AFAIK, Offertoria et Communiones Totius Anni is still available in an earlier Camerata Silesia recording (on Musicon; and I see no reason to believe the new one is better ):


Which reminds me that I've yet to buy the Camerata Silesia CD with Kirkby:


Why am I posting this? To revive an old thread and to vent some of the frustration at not being able to purchase everything I need want. (Those Nowowiejski discs are still on the wishlist... Hmph! )

[Maciek]

I notice that DUX covers have greatly improved over the last couple of months/year or two...