Little-known Polish composers from 1945 on

[Maciek]

Just so no one says I'm giving you a one-sided view - here is another piece by Pawel Mykietyn. This here earned him the first prize in the UNESCO rostrum in 1995 (in the young composers category). I think this is one of his best pieces and enjoy it greatly BUT when I compare this to similar pieces by Szymanski (and you'll easily see that the similarities are striking, especially to Szymanski's quasi una sinfonietta) - well, Mykietyn pales a bit in comparison. Still, for anyone interested in postmodern music and polystylistic composers this piece here is a must!

The title of the piece is 3 for 13, meaning the piece has 3 movements and is written for 13 performers. It is performed by members of the Polish Radio Orchestra conducted by Jacek Rogala.

DownloadLink: http://www.mediafire.com/?jxwxsm2jq4u

File-Size: 21,81 MB

[Maciek]

Just a note on Cwojdziński:



Andrzej Cwojdziński - born January 25th 1928 in Jaworzno (Poland). He studied conducting and composition with Artur Malawski. He worked as assistant conductor in the Cracow and Łódź Philharmonics, then became musical director of the Lublin Philharmonic. In the years 1964-1979 he was musical director of the Koszalin Philharmonic. In the 50s he taught at an acting school in Cracow, in the 60s - at the Catholic University of Lublin, in the 90s at the Gdańsk Music Academy. He has received several prizes for his activities as a cultural animator.

[Maciek]

Another one in a series of 3 new DVDs PWA will be releasing this Saturday - Kronos Quartet's last year's Cracow concert:

Penderecki's 1st SQ
Pawel Mykietyn's microtonal 2nd SQ (this was the world premiere)
Lutoslawski's SQ
Gorecki's 3rd SQ

Finally PWA (which has released some excellent DVDs of Polish documentaries and animation) has ventured into the realm of music. I'd rather have these on CD but I'll take what they're giving...

[Maciek]

And here's the DVD cover:


A few more details if you click the picture - just don't expect a full track listing... (Who designs these web pages, I wonder?)

[Maciek]

I've mentioned Wlodzimierz Kotonski numerous times on this thread - probably around 3 out of 5 successfull Polish contemporary composers are his former students. You can find downloads of several of his works posted earlier (search for them here or in the Broadcast Corner). Here is another piece - his Violin Concerto (mp3@192):

http://www.mediafire.com/?bzl9nju0zu2
(Krzysztof Bąkowski, violin; Polish Radio Orchestra/Wojciech Michniewski)

If you don't know what to expect, here's a sample:
[mp3=200,20,0,left]http://www.fileden.com/files/2007/8/25/1381505/GMG%20sound%20samples/Kotonski%20VC%20sample.mp3[/mp3]

[Maciek]

Tadeusz Wielecki has only appeared in this new incarnation of the forum as the double bassist who plays Mykietyn's Capriccio. He is, however, an accomplished composer. I used to be quite critical of his music (check the old forum for details) but it seems I've finally found the right pieces for myself... It now seems to me he is a master at creating great orchestral tapestries with dense, minimalist-like textures which flow one into the other (therefore there's nothing really repetitive about his music). This "flowing" impression seems to me the main characteristic of his music. Here are 3 of his best pieces (IMO):

Tadeusz Wielecki - Id for orchestra (1996)
http://www.mediafire.com/?7no4dj3mbac
Polish Radio National Symphony Orchestra/Antoni Wit
Here's a sample:
[mp3=200,20,0,left]http://www.fileden.com/files/2007/8/25/1381505/GMG%20sound%20samples/Wielecki%20Tadeusz%20Id%20sample.mp3[/mp3]


Tadeusz Wielecki - Tafle for orchestra (2002)
http://www.mediafire.com/?6x0dbmcmfem
Polish Radio Orchestra/Jose Maria Florencio
Sample:
[mp3=200,20,0,left]http://www.fileden.com/files/2007/8/25/1381505/GMG%20sound%20samples/Wielecki%20Tadeusz%20Tafle%20sample.mp3[/mp3]


Tadeusz Wielecki - Lawice for orchestra (2005)
http://www.mediafire.com/?bgezxz995td
Polish Radio National Symphony Orchestra/Lukasz Borowicz
Sample:
[mp3=200,20,0,left]http://www.fileden.com/files/2007/8/25/1381505/GMG%20sound%20samples/Wielecki%20Tadeusz%20Lawice%20sample.mp3[/mp3]

I've left the titles untranslated. Except for Id, which doesn't need a translation, it's very difficult to render them in English adequately. "Tafle" means something like "large expanses of ice, of frozen water" - but then the water does not have to be frozen. It can also mean simply calm, flat surfaces of water (usually large surfaces, like lakes). "Ławice" means "schools", as in "schools of fish" - large groups of fish, with perhaps a suggestion of the shimmering effect of the millions of scales moving through water. At any hand - both titles are very evocative, and all three seem to have a strong spatial meaning (Id - something hidden below the surface, Tafle - a large flat surface, Ławice - a large mass of small, quickly moving shimmering things).

And some more information about the composer himself:

Born in 1954, studied the double bass with Alfred Wieczorek and Andrzej Mysinski, composition with Wlodzimierz Kotonski (see?). In 1986 Witold Lutoslawski gave him a scholarship - this allowed him to further his education as a composer with Isang Yun and Klaus Huber. His most famous piece is probably the Concerto à rebours for violin and orchestra (1998) - it involves an original new playing technique, and was one of the recommended pieces in the UNESCO Rostrum in 1999. He became artistic director of the Warsaw Autumn Festival that same year. In 2004 he was invited to lecture at Darmstadt. He is also a double bass virtuoso of renown (many Polish contemporary composers write solo pieces for him). He has  invested much energy into conducting various programs aimed at expanding the artistic education/sensibility of children.

[Lilas Pastia]

Thanks, Maciek! The Kotonski VC (and Tansman's) as well as the Wielicki ones are on the assembly line !

[lukeottevanger]

Don't know how relevant this is, but FWIW, a page from the fabulous Ubuweb

[Maciek]

Thanks, Luke. We've had that link on this thread some time ago but that site is so amazing, it's worth reminding people about it every now and then.

While we're on the subject of Polish electronic music - before the end of the year the Polish Radio is planning to release a 3-CD anthology of electronic music from the Polish Radio Experimental Studio (to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the studio this year) + 3 other CDs of electronic music (actually, the Elletrovoce CD has just been released a short while back):

CD I Experimental Studio of the Polish Radio 1959-1969
Włodzimierz Kotoński - Etiuda na jedno uderzenie w talerz
Włodzimierz Kotoński - Mikrostruktury
Andrzej Dobrowolski - Passacaglia
Andrzej Dobrowolski - Muzyka na taśmę magnetofonową i obój solo
Krzysztof Penderecki - Psalmus 1961
Eugeniusz Rudnik - Collage
Bogusław Schaeffer - Assemblage
Bogusław Schaeffer - E. S. Jazz

CD II Experimental Studio of the Polish Radio 1969-1973
Bohdan Mazurek - Epitafium na śmierć Jana Palacha
Bohdan Mazurek - Sinfonia rustica
Arne Nordheim - Solitaire
Włodzimierz Kotoński - AELA
Andrzej Dobrowolski - Muzyka na taśmę magnetofonową i fortepian solo
Eugeniusz Rudnik - Mobile
Elżbieta Sikora - Podróż druga na taśmę
Bernard Kawka/Eugeniusz Rudnik - Vocals – Wokale
Bohdan Mazurek - Epizody

CD III xperimental Studio of the Polish Radio 1973-1979
Krzysztof Knittel - Punkty / Linie
Bohdan Mazurek - Canti
Eugeniusz Rudnik - Ostinato
Adam Sławiński - Upamiętnienie do słów Wisławy Szymborskiej
Denis Eberhard - Ikona
Bogusław Schäffer - (no title given)
Paweł Szymański - La Folia

ElettroVoce Duo (Cezary Duchnowski - prepared piano/Agata Zubel - voice)
Cezary Duchnowski Monada 3 (got some sort of accolade at the UNESCO Rostrum, I think 3 years ago)
Agata Zubel Opowiadania
Cezary Duchnowski Trawy rozczochrane
Agata Zubel Parlando
Cezary Duchnowski/Agata Zubel Szymborskie Improwizacje
Cezary Duchnowski Monada 2

REJ 2005 (compositions inspired by the oeuvre Mikołaj Rej on the 500th anniversary of his birth)
Sławomir Kupczak Figliki
Magdalena Długosz Nemini Molestus
Wojciech Kałamarz Modlitwa zawierzenia
Cezary Duchnowski Apoftegmata
Katarzyna Taborowska A toć była cała sprawa
Lidia Zielińska Obiadki w Rejowcu

Cellotronicum - pieces for cello and tape (Andrzej Bauer - cello)
Michał Talma-Sutt - Cellotronicum
Jacek Grudzień - Ad Naan
Marcin Wierzbicki - Interferencje retroaktywne
Sławomir Kupczak - Anafora V
Paweł Mykietyn - Kartka z albumu
Stanisław Krupowicz - Partita
Cezary Duchnowski - Broda

More details (in Polish) here.

I've heard some of the pieces from the REJ CD, and must say I was not impressed. OTOH, I've deliberately underlined the Cellotronicum CD - not only does it feature Andrzej Bauer, probably the best cellist in Poland today, but it has him play some truly excellent music. Including a piece that is a perfect contender in the "kick butt" category (in fact, a definite winner on Polish soil): Grudzien's Ad Naan.

[Maciek]

Oh, and something I forgot earlier. A photo I found on the PWA site from the DVD of the Kronos Quartet concert mentioned above:

[Maciek]

Admirers of both little- and better-known Polish composers will certainly be happy to learn that DUX, one of the leading Polish labels, have opened a new site! This is a great improvement in comparison to the what the old one offered (which, frankly, amounted to nothing: a couple of phone numbers and an e-mail address, with absolutely no information about actual CDs, recordings etc.). Of especial value on the new site is a subpage devoted to prizes awarded to DUX CDs (everything from Diapason, Gramophone and Midem awards to our local Fryderyks): http://www.dux.pl/nagrody/.

Just so you don't think everything is perfect: the site is in Polish only!!!!!!

Hopefully it's just a passing thing...

[btpaul674]

Maciek,

Know any works by Jan Radzynski?

[Maciek]

Nope, never heard of him before. 0:)

[btpaul674]

The only pieces of Radzynski that I know are his String Quartet and his Sonata for Cello and Piano, but I do know he has written a cello concerto that I am not familiar with and recently a Serenade for Strings

[johanlevine]

oh damn! i've discovered this board too late, almost all rapidshare links are down.

and the links on that polish radio website are down too. what a bummer.

could you please re-up ANY kotonski, maciek? i've got the violin concerto and it's amazing.

[Maciek]

I'll try to re-upload the symphony (one of his best pieces, IMO) when I finally have access to my old computer - but that may take another month or two...

For the time being, here's some stuff that I've posted (somewhere else?) before:

The Compass Rose (probably his most famous orchestral piece)

Zatarty ślad

Sirocco

I'm not sure of the sound quality, don't remember anymore...

Also, check out the link Symphonien posted. You'll find one of Kotonski's earlier pieces there, and a very important one for Polish music (the first Polish electronic piece ever).

It's really about time someone released a CD of Kotonski's music...

[stress.in.jaw]

great thread. i too have been trying to find kotonski's works but it's pretty hard =/

[Maciek]

If you're really, really desperate, you could also try searching out the work of the classic Polish animator Jan Lenica - Kotonski wrote the music to some of his stuff.

[Maciek]

Bryce, you'll be happy to hear that Eugeniusz Rudnik is getting a lot of attention here these days! He has been composing electronic music for 50 years now (he is 75) and to commemorate the anniversary the Polish Radio will be releasing a 4 CD (!) overview of his work at the end of next month.

[snyprrr]

wow, this thread is dizzying!!

there are 2 excellent cds by the DAFO string quartet on the DUX label featuring

Baird
Penderecki (no2)
Knapik
Zielinski
Meyer (no8)
Bacewicz (no4)
Lukaszewski
Bujarski
Lason
Gorecki (no1)

being particularly taken by the first movement of Zielinski's qrt.

also, is there an audio link to Bacewicz's 4th qrt? i've NEVER heard it. i love that old Olympia cd of concertante works.

thanks