Witold Lutosławski, Tadeusz Baird and Krzysztof Penderecki – Polish contemporary classics

★★★★

   After an anti-romantic turn in 20th century music, in the wake of great social changes, European composers constantly expanded the boundaries of musical language and forms. Between great wars many of them were building theories for avant-garde music, trying to exchange old tonality system and traditional attitude to constructing musical forms. This process was stopped in outburst of Second World War, but after it has end, many composers renew their hopes and were still experimenting with various, even more advanced ideas of creating music in alternative way. Many had applying different techniques, electronic or experimental sounds and extreme theoretical ideas. Some composers however, maintaining their radical approach, gave great pieces of symphonic music, entering the symphonic repertory.
   In Polish post-war music most famous composers were Witold Lutosławski, Tadeusz Baird and Krzysztof Penderecki. Witold Lutosławski (1913-1994) was one of most acclaimed composers in Polish history. Main features of his music were clear connection between ideas and means, the balance between the substance and a form and wide stylistic range of his musical output. He was merging different tendencies like folk music influences, twelve-note techniques and aleatoric ideas. In the period of his mature works he was searching for new constructive ideas. One was finished in 1976 Mi-Parti, composition based on duality, double division and difference between parts. It sounds like a kind of minimalistic idea of impressionism, focused on slight, subtle differences and contrasts. Tense orchestral textures are the base forming narration of this work.

Kasprzyk conducts Penderecki, Lutosławski and Baird (1980)

   Great personality of the newest history of Polish music was Tadeusz Baird (1928-1981), composer, teacher and organizer of Warsaw Autumn Festival. He was called the last Polish romantic, although his style was based on contemporary sound and modern orchestrations. Looking for historical background his style had more common with expressionism and was more neoclassical by his artistic program. He uses many elements of historic styles, from archaic sound to construction patterns, but still his music was lyrical, concentrate on melody. The example of such attitude is Elegeia. Composed in 1973, this orchestral piece sounds as a sequence of contrasting episodes where elegiac elements are separated by dramatic inclusions of deep emotional effect.
   Most successful composer of generation debuted after the 2nd World War was Krzysztof Penderecki (b. 1936). Shortly after his debut in late fifties and early sixties he became the face of Polish avant-garde movement. Original conceptions of sonoristic space, deep relation with various elements of tradition and fresh ideas of formal principles, were definition of his early style, evolving in seventies to postromantic tradition. The Awakening of Jacob composed in 1974, is orchestral miniature evoking strong emotions based on contrasts, clusters and string instruments glissandos. Its illustrative biblical context was used by Stanley Kubrick for soundtrack setting of the horror movie Shining.
   The closing piece of the album is Anaklasis for string orchestra and percussion by Krzysztof Penderecki. This composition written in 1959-1960 is one of crowning achievements of sonorism.  During three day session on January 1980, at Studio No. 1 of Prague Radio Polish conductor Jacek Kasprzyk with the Prague Radio Symphony Orchestra recorded this choice of orchestral works by leading Polish composers of this time. Very good program, relevant performances and recordings made this album a full blown contribution in phonographic picture of Polish music. Four stars for music and performance.

Bohuslav Martinů – Rhapsody-Concerto; Piano Sonata

   In autumn of one’s life the lack of inspiration may be cause of repeating some ideas and even autoplagiarism. Some composers in their last years finishing creative attempts and retire of active musical life. But sometimes the late creative period means the best quality of freely and innovative works. For Bohuslav Martinů, this was the time for more open and creative viewing of many achievements from various moments of the European tradition and his own history. His, so called „fantasia period” was the time for loosing neoclassical formal bounds and constructing his works in more natural way. In his late years, he composed a great quantity of works which in emotional shape were precisely following spiritual and intellectual temperature of its times.

   It’s important to keep in mind Martinů was already well known composer when he wrote two major works of his last years – Rhapsody-Concerto and Piano Sonata. The Rhapsody-Concerto for viola and orchestra has been composed in 1952 – the last year of composer’s residency in United States. This is not typical set of concerto cycle. After five years of following the neoclassic formulas, Martinů submitted work in form of the double-part construction with lyric Moderato and more concertante in style second part Molto adagio ended in elegiac mood. It was sudden turn out of both neoclassic stylistics and traditional concerto form. Viola’s parts are warmth and fervour – lyric than firm. And whole concerto is about to be the reverse of baroque form, with its sequence of slow and fast movements ended by slow episode. Also Sonata for piano is one of most popular works by Martinů. The work has been composed for Rudolf Serkin in 1954 when after return from America composer and his wife were staying in Nice, France.

Martinů – Viola Rhapsody-Concerto, Piano Sonata (1979)

   Sonata for piano is more radical in expression, harmonics and in musical style than Rhapsody-Concerto. Based on dynamic and texture contrasts Sonata can be seen as a some kind of a test for technical and musical maturity. In Panton five recording series of Bohuslav Martinů legacy under the head ŽIVOT, DÍLO, MYŠLENKY, the performer of Sonata is pianist František Malý. On the same record (Panton 8110 0024) in Rhapsody-Concerto one can hear viola player Lubomír Malý and Prague Symphony Orchestra conducted by Václav Smetáček. This recording was also published on the monographic album of viola player Lubomír Malý. The record cover exposes the portrait of Paganini painted by František Tichý.

Bohuslav Martinů – Symphony No. 4, Sonata for Flute and Piano

Bohuslav Martinů is a composer of 6 symphonies, which he became to create in his fifties. Five of his six symphonies come into being in the time of composer’s exile during 2nd world war and in first years after the war – First in 1942 to Fifth in 1946. There is no doubt, this set is crowning of Martinů’s neoclassical period. Last symphony, Sixth, written 1953 and premiered in 1955, was titled Symfonické fantazie (Symphonic Fantasies) and its construction was rather free fantasy than typical symphonic form. The most  popular, clear in its idea and fresh in formal invention is Symphony No 4. This work is exceptional for its positive impact – Martinů completed his Fourth the 14th day of June, 1945.

This was most joyous time in whole history of his wartime exile. Nazi Germany were defeated, war was almost ended and his professional life was on the best way to success. Unsure how the future will look like, as many exiles, he was enthusiastic about upcoming months. This spirit predominate in the whole composition. Scherzo is the second part (Allegro vivo) and it is stormy hence intensive in emotional pressure. The dreamy trio makes impression of outward parts more catchy. Largo is masterpiece of dramatically marked stopping of narration. After the moment of reflection, final Poco allegro gives listener diverse communication content.

Next day after finishing his 4th Symphony, on June 15th 1945 Martinů begin to compose Sonata for flute and piano, one of most popular Sonatas in XX-century music. During spring of 1945 Bohuslav Martinů and his wife Charlotte were living in South Orleans on Cape Cod. One day they found in the garden injured bird. The bird appeared to be whippoorwill and after Martinů took care, cure, feed and thought him to fly, the bird stayed in the garden and was singing before the composers windows. This melody taken from the whippoorwill has been quoted by composer in his Flute Sonata.

Bohuslav Martinů – IV Symphony, Flute Sonata (1979)

These two compositions were recorded and published in 1979 (Panton 8110 0023) – Symphony No. 4 performed by Prague Symphony Orchestra and conducted by Jiři Bělohlávek and Sonata for Flute and Piano played by flutist Jiři Válek and pianist Josef Hála. On the cover editors used fragment of picturesque vision of The Desert painted by Alén Diviš who was close friends with Martinů when they were living in Paris before the war and later in New York. Friendship between artists is always important but that doesn’t mean their works are enough close to put them together. For two joyous and hopeful compositions set together on one record, probably any other picture would be more relevant than waste desert land. It's clear, this is a kind of cognitive counterpoint to show how deserted was the European continent in 1945. And there are indications some shadows of  this war will survive even our grief.