INAUGURATION OF THE 2020/2021 ARTISTIC SEASON

baner informujacy o koncercie 5 września 2020

5 September 2020, 7:00 p.m.
Witold Lutosławski Polish Radio Concert Studio, Warsaw

Repetition of the preview performance of Zygmunt Krauze’s piece Copernicus – our Planet!

Programme:
Igor Stravinsky – Symphonies of Wind Instruments
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart – Piano Concerto No. 23 in A major, K. 488
interval
Dmitri Shostakovich – Piano Concerto No. 1, op. 35
Zygmunt Krauze – Copernicus – our Planet (Commissioned by ARTE Fundacja Kultury i Edukacji for CODES Festival)

Performers:
Paweł Kowalski | piano (Mozart)
Piotr Sałajczyk | piano (Shostakovich)
Sebastian Portka | trumpet (Shostakovich)

proMODERN – vocal sextet
Marta Czarkowska | soprano
Ewa Puchalska | mezzo-soprano
Ewelina Rzezińska | mezzo-soprano
Aleksander Rewiński | tenor
Krzysztof Chalimoniuk | baritone
Piotr Pieron | bass

Jerzy Semkow Polish Sinfonia Iuventus Orchestra
Marek Wroniszewski | conductor

The colourful and varied concert will be a true feast for amateurs of orchestra virtuosity, piano artistry and ensemble singing of the highest quality – three exquisite soloists will be accompanied by Poland’s unprecedented proMODERN vocal sextet specialising in ambitious contemporary music, frequently composed (as in this case) specially for the group.

Mozart’s Piano Concerto in A major was composed in the same time as The Wedding of Figaro and, similarly to this legendary opera, it radiates with cheerfulness and joy, although the middle, minor part, the siciliana-type Adagio, bears traces of nostalgia. This masterpiece of Classicist music will be performed by Paweł Kowalski, one of the most versatile Polish pianists with extensive repertoire, who performed in 40 countries on 4 continents, in all philharmonics in Poland and in the most prestigious concert halls in the world.

It is said that Dmitri Shostakovich initially intended to write a concerto for trumpet and orchestra. Later, however, he decided to add the piano part (for himself as the soloist), and, as a result, in 1933 he composed a double concerto with such an extraordinary set of soloists. The parts of both instruments are exposed, the piano part characterised by its virtuosity with the trumpet part often serving as a witty comment. The internally-contrasting, impressive and accessible piece abounds in elements of humour and grotesque, at the same time remaining serious, particularly in the expressive Lento part. The piano part will be performed by Piotr Sałajczyk, a valued soloist and chamber musician, who, apart from canonical piano pieces, successfully performs contemporary music as well; the trumpet part will be performed by Sebastian Portka, musician of the Polish Sinfonia Iuventus Orchestra.

The Orchestra’s entire wind section will perform Igor Stravinsky’s extraordinary piece titled Symphonies d’instruments à vent. Although the title is sometimes translated as “Symphony of Wind Instruments”, the author deliberately used the plural form, pointing not to the “symphonic” assumption, but to the archetypical meaning of the Greek word συμφωνία, namely a harmony or a harmonic combination of varied elements. The reflective, quasi-choral miniature is dedicated to the memory of Claude Debussy, who died in 1918.

As the final performance of the evening, the splendid proMODERN sextet, which in its several years’ history won numerous awards, distinctions and was an object of admiration of all critics and audiences, will, together with Polish Sinfonia Iuventus Orchestra conducted by Marek Wroniszewski, perform Copernicus – our Planet by one of the most eminent contemporary Polish composers, Zygmunt Krauze. The piece is inspired by the great astronomer’s words (from his letter to Pope Paul III), unconventionally translated into a musical piece. The piece also features fragments of the Paris Agreement within the Convention on Climate Change. The author wrote: “Most of my recent works have expressed an idea or a message. It is a Romantic, sometimes idealistic attitude introduced by Ludwig van Beethoven. When I was composing Copernicus – our Planet, I wanted to express my personal attitude to the present, to the times we live in. I also emphasize my refusal to accept thoughtless actions that destroy our planet, disregarding its future and the future of humans.” The piece conveying the profound humanitarian and ecological message was composed on commission from KODY Festival and the Foundation of Culture and Education ARTE. [Piotr Maculewicz]

Media patronage: Polskie Wydawnictwo Muzyczne, TVP Kultura, Presto, Polskie Centrum Informacji Muzycznej

Concert will be broadcasted online

Organiser: Jerzy Semkow Polish Sinfonia Iuventus Orchestra
The organiser reserves the right to change the programme or the performers of the concert.