The final concert of this season in the “Nowa Miodowa. Sinfonia Iuventus”
Symphonic concert
The final concert of this season in the “Nowa Miodowa. Sinfonia Iuventus” series, conducted by Wojciech Rodek, presents a fascinating juxtaposition of late 19th-century Czech programmatic symphonism with 20th-century British modernism and contemporary French percussion music. In keeping with the concept of this series, young, talented soloists with already impressive achievements are given the opportunity to perform with an equally young, professional orchestra, refining the demanding yet exceptionally beautiful and valuable skills of ensemble performance.
The evening opens with the symphonic poem The Golden Spinning Wheel, Op. 109 (1896), by Czech neo-Romantic composer Antonín Dvořák. The work was composed after the composer’s return from several years in the United States and is one of four pieces based on ballads by the poet Karel J. Erben—here, an exceptionally dark and bloody tale, reminiscent of the Polish Balladyna, about a sister murdering her sister to take her place by the king’s side, and the revelation of this grim secret by a singing spinning wheel. The rhythm of the vivid, colorfully orchestrated musical themes imitates—without words—the prosody of Czech poetry. The premiere took place in London in 1896 under the baton of the renowned conductor Hans Richter.
William Walton (1902–1983) was one of the most important British composers of the 20th century, whose style combines neoclassical discipline with a distinctive lyricism. His Viola Concerto from 1929 marked a turning point in his career. The premiere, featuring Paul Hindemith (today remembered primarily as a great composer, but also an accomplished performing violist), was a major success. The work is characterized by an unusual movement structure (it begins with a slow Andante comodo, the middle movement takes the form of a lively scherzo, and the expansive, contrasting finale is written in a flexible sonata form), as well as a mood of particular nostalgia often regarded as a “viola idiom.” It quickly entered the core repertoire for the instrument. The solo part will be performed by Ewa Lubowicz, who is also a violinist (a student of Agata Szymczewska and Karolina Mikołajczyk). In 2023, she began studying the viola as part of an elective course in the class of Professor Michał Styczyński. She is currently in her final year and continues to refine her skills under the guidance of Tomasz Rosiński.
The program concludes with the brilliant and virtuosic Double Concerto for Marimba and Vibraphone (2012) by Emmanuel Séjourné (b. 1961). A French composer, percussionist, and respected pedagogue associated with the Strasbourg Conservatory, he specializes in keyboard percussion instruments such as the xylophone, marimba, and vibraphone. The Double Concerto, written for Bulgarian percussionist Tatiana Koleva, features a clear, classically inspired form and creative use of elements from jazz and popular music. Across its three movements, the composer masterfully explores the timbral contrasts between the marimba, with its wooden (now often also synthetic) bars, and the metal vibraphone, placing high technical and rhythmic demands on the soloists. These will be met by Wiktor Nalewajka (vibraphone) and Piotr Styczyński (marimba), both young musicians and students of Professor Katarzyna Bojaryn-South.
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