Polish Classical Music

Does anyone know about it? I am only familiar with Paderewski, Wieniawski and Baroque composer called Marcin and surname beginning with 'M' but I can't remember the name.

And Chopin of course!

Zbigniew Preisner wrote a lot of film music but not only.

Górecki was remarkable. He a poor of his life in London.

There were of course Penderecki and Kilar as well as Chopin's teacher Elsner.

One female one that stands out to. Perhaps could research her. Also a well known albeit slushy and romantic opera composer.

Of them all, Górecki was perhaps the best

Karol Szymanowski, Polish composer born in Ukraine.

Probably Mielczyński.

The only ones I really know well from that era are Pękiel and Starzyński. If you get a chance to come to the Early Music Festival in Warsaw you should.

Sir Andrzej Panufnik was also wonderful He was the one I meant when I mentioned London. Górecki was of course in Kato. Lutosławski was the other great modernist, rated by many as the best modern Polish composer.

I've remembered. The opera guy was Moniuszko. I always confuse him with Marschner who was similar but better if you like that high romantic period.

Thank you Jon, Alien.
@jon357
I found who it is. Marcin Mielczewski.

That's him. Mielczyński is someone I know, not a 400 yes old composer.

Henri aka Henryk Wieniawski was a virtuoso violinist during the 19th century and composer of still oft played potboilers. Jewish in origin, Polish by birth and nationality, he was the first in a long tradition of Polish-Jewish violinists up until the late 20th century, among them Henryk Szeryng.

We tend to measure all Polish musicians against the incomparable Chopin or Szopen. This though is unfair, as there were numerous other influential composers, not to least of whom the recently deceased Krzysztof Penderecki!

Just got finished listening to Rubinstein's rendition of Chopin's Etude in A-flat (La Tristesse). After wiping my eyes, one realizes why the latter remains the soul of Poland, despite a French father:-)

@Lyzko
Rubinstein playing Chopin really is perfection.

And how!!

And what about Władysław Szpilman?

@Alien
I don't think I've ever heard of him.

Haven't you seen "The Pianist" by Roman Polanski?

@Alien
No. I've heard of it but I was never interested.

The movie is difficult and boring but the story is true.

I never saw the movie.
However, Chopin as background music has graced more than a handful of Polish films, and very effectively.

@Lyzko
Chopin is just... Chopin. Perfection made into sound.

You said it!
Attended a function at the General Consulate of Poland quite a few years back and I almost got a rush when I entered the main reception hall: Elegantly appointed tables loaded with kanapki, several varieties of wodka and beer, a coffee urn....... and of course, a gentleman seated at the piano playing hours of Chopin amid all the requisite hand kissing and traditional European formality.

@Lyzko
That sounds like a wonderful experience! I only know one thing related to Chopin better than hearing, playing Chopin. There's even a ballet set to Chopin, Les Sylphides.

Yes, exactly!
And yet his piano music is what separates much of Chopin from the rest.
The late Harold C. Schonberg, erstwhile chief music critic for the NYT, once put it like this: "Mozart taught the piano to dance, Beethoven to feel, Schubert to emote and Chopin to sing."

Think that rather sums it up, don't you?

@Lyzko
Absolutely.
Chopin always had more popular contemporaries, for some reason, but he was always the best. He still is probably the best composer to ever live.

Ahemm, Brahms or Schumann devotees like yours truly might gently beg to differ on that one, RussianAntiPutin:-)

Chopin does though reflect a deep Polish desire for allowing the passion of the moment to speak loudest! His is not a cerebral utterance a la Beethoven or dramatic grandiloquence a la Wagner and so forth.

Chopin's always at his best spreading the perfumed reverie of personal reflection while strolling in his private garden.
The Italian lust for the in your face expression of opera isn't Chopin's cup of tea either.

Yet his music is often a call to arms, "guns buried in flowers" as Schumann put it, especially his mazurki, polonaise, above all his etudes and scherzi.

@Lyzko
I hate Schumann! Terrible composer.

😮. To the gulag with you! :)

RAP, you ever hear Penderecki's Threnody for Hisroshima Victims? Interesting piece, especially the microtonal aspect.

@AntV
I know it's a "bad opinion" , I just can't stand his awful music! It makes me feel physically sick! I'll be murdered for that!

I have, recently. I like it a lot, very interesting it is.

I can't stand classical music.....
The world has moved on......

@Miloslaw
It's the best kind of music though! You heathen!

LOL!!!
Heathen is about right!
I prefer Electric Blues, Hard Rock, Soul Music, Funk and even Heavy Metal!

@Miloslaw
To (indoctrinate) save your soul, you might like some pieces by Stravinsky and Mussorgsky. And I'd recommend to even people who hate classical Shchedrin Humoreske, just because it's perfection in music form.

Have you listened to any Steve Reich?



Too r*ssian, especially at the moment.

When you've got Chopin, why lower standards?