Polish Classical Music

A composer's music goes far beyond their nationality.


Because Chopin, though my personal favourite composer, didn't compose infinite pieces, and there are other genius composers also. Of course, Chopin is still the best :).

Why does no one feel sorry for the others, who can never reach Chopin's level?

It really doesn't, unless it's one of the greats which Prokofiev very much is not.

And Stravinsky never intended his music to go beyond there


Getting there. His corpus is huge.

That's a weird statement considering he moved to Switzerland, France, and died in US.

@RussianAntiPutin

If you're going to recommend a humoresque, go with Dvorak's. :)

Not weird at all if you know his music.

Even his most famous/notorious premiere in Paris is as deliberately Slavonic as it gets.

Weird in that he lived outside Russia but didn't intend for his music to go beyond Russia.

Even his music at the end of his life became less Russian when he began writing serial music. Interesting stuff, although not the most beautiful stuff.

@Miloslaw

Here you go, you heathen:

youtube.com/watch?v=gBWH3OWfT2Y

Physically outside it, yet mentally always there.

Not weird at all; a classic emigre. The Firebird was the first thing of his that I saw, in another century another place; a relatively early piece. It still enchants but does need to be seen live


He lived to a good age. I've always found the requiem canticles challenging however they are of course meant to be.

Do you like early music?

Firebird is a nice piece. The only Stravinsky piece I've heard live is Rite of Spring. Hearing it, or, really, any piece, live is better, unless the orchestra/band isn't that good.

I think Stravinsky had some Polish lineage.

I like music-- early, middle, late; although, our contemporary music is pretty **** poor. How early you talking: monophonic greek theater music, plainchant, organum?

They did it in Warsaw a couple of years ago, a production that had been on there before.

It was a close copy of the original or nearly the original production with costumes and a lot of stomping, followed by a scene from a beautifully choreographed French early 60s production with tutus in the r*ssian style and then a scene from a smaller and newer Israeli production with a short of tango. it worked, though I much preferred the original.

The opening bars always send a (nice) chill down my spine.

Amazing that we're talking about r*ssian music.

Have you seen any Moniuszko? It isn't done much outside Poland. Like Marschner who his stuff reminds me of it's out of fashion and needs a huge orchestra to do it justice. Plus of course the Polish language doesn't lend itself well to singing.


Just before the beginning of the seventeenth century up to Purcell and a bit beyond. My late ex was a professional harpsichordist and specialised in it (but hated most twentieth century stuff and didn't much like nineteenth century romantic composers).

I love it. Especially in the ballet, preferably danced by Maria Bulanova.


Beautiful piece. More popular than Shchedrin's. I'd have to say think they're different but equal.

Jon, you know many Russian Soviet composers hated the Soviet times, don't you? You can't really criticise someone for being Russian. It's like criticising someone for being a woman or old or young, it isn't a choice.

Do you like the works of Sir Andrzej Panufnik? One of the best Polish diaspora composers?

Once heard some of Szymanowski's opera "Halina".
Not bad, I thought. At least I think that he's the composer of the one and only Polish opera.

There are a few more.

Moniuszko is the best known though mainly inside Poland.

Oops, I meant Moniuszko:-)
However, the early 20th century composer Karol Szymanowski wrote some touching piano pieces, quite affecting, I must say.

@jon357
I've only heard one. I liked it a lot.

Right? An underrated as well as under represented composer.

Me too. Reminds me of Rossini.


Big in Poland but expensive to stage well. Plus polish is an uncomfortable language to sing in, and rather than a translation of it, most opera companies are likely to do something that brings the crowds in.

When they do a lesser known piece in a season, it tends to be something that works with a smaller orchestra.

Point well taken, under represented perhaps here in the States.
Moniuszko's still admired in Poland and this I know for a fact because an acquaintance who claims to know the tenor Jan Beczala, told me that "Halina" is often performed once or so a year.

As far as Polish being an awkward language to sing in, the same might well go for English, especially in a non-Rock venue, save naturally, for G & S!!

Personally, I find certain Polish songs tear-jerkingly beautiful, for instance "Warszawianka" etc.

I haven't. I vaguely familiar with his music. Frankly, my knowledge of Polish composers is pathetic.


Understandable, as 19th and 20th cent. music virtually leaves a harpsichordist unemployed. :)

Personally, I like the romantic era very much--might be my favorite. Mahler blows me away, my local orchestra (who are very good, sound more european than Amercian) are performing Mahler's 2nd and 7th this upcoming season--looking forward to it.


Yeah, I like the Baroque era very much. I'm not crazy about Purcell, though. The usual suspects are irreplaceable: Bach (a gift to mankind), Handel, Vivaldi, Monetverdi. I really like Pergolesi. And, Torelli is nice.

Among the Polish "moderns", I never much cared for the little Penderecki I've heard.

Penderecki isn't the most beautiful of composers, but I find some of his stuff very interesting.

At best.
For my money, I'll take Chopin any day of the week..
a pity it's only seven days long!

Yeah, give me choice and I choose Chopin 6 days, 23 hours, 56 minutes, and 58 seconds of the week.

Feeling distinctly uncultured while reading through this thread. You people and your erudite takes on music are inspiring to observe!

:D

You've got one of the best symphony orchestras in the world just a public transit ride or walk away from your apartment in NYC, get your distinctly uncultured Russian ass down to the Lincoln Center and catch you some concerts.

If you have time and some dollars you don't mind parting with, check this out:

thegreatcourses.com/courses/how-to-listen-to-and-understand-great-music-3rd-edition

I just realized that the link I sent is to purchase the series at a price that makes my eyes hurt. Instead, get a subscription to wondrium.com, same thing but MUCH cheaper and gives you access to many more courses.

@AntV

I went to the NY Philharmonic once or twice. Now they call me twenty times a year asking for an "urgently needed donation" to keep the Philharmonic going. I hate the Philharmonic.

We got three things there, all in one place. The Met Opera, the Philharmonic, and the Ballet. I've been to all three at different points (it's 7 blocks away from my apt). I hated the ballet (went to see Spartacus, expecting some badassery with swords, saw instead a powdered man in tights jumping around). Opera was actually nice, but only because they had LCD screens built into the seat in front with English subtitles. Otherwise I would have fallen asleep. Philharmonic I went to see some German lady play the Bach Cello Suites. Was for a class. Was ok.

:D :D :D Freaking hilarious!

Yeah, once they get you on a list, they call incessantly.

I went to see a concert at the Cleveland Symphony when I was there on business...I do not live in Cleveland.

They call me, at least, 6 times a year. Even though, I've pointed out to them that my address--the one they have on file--is not anywhere near Cleveland. They're vultures.

But, the concert and concert hall were very good.

@Bobko
That's ABT or NYCB the ballet? I think that's in Lincoln Square, but I've never been to the USA, so I'm not sure of the place. There are better ballets than Spartacus. Actually, in New York you can see all the Balanchine ballets at NYCB, that many of them can't be seen elsewhere.

Both come - I believe... though God knows I'm no specialist in this discipline of sports or arts, or whatever the hell it is. When I went it was NYCB.

There's plenty of it.

Like Mozart, it takes a long time to hear it all.

@Bobko
NYCB is the Balanchine company. ABT is more classical. I think Spartacus is more of a Russian thing than American. If you ever want to see it again, you'd be seeing it better in Moscow at the Bolshoi. NYCB, from what I've seen online, has an excellent performance of Balanchine's Jewels. ABT mainly does generic ballets, Swan Lake, Giselle, etc, but not the best productions after Baryshnikov left, because it's run by Kevin McKenzie, a worse director than even the infamous Fateyev. Actually, ABT is getting a new director I think next year or this, Susan Jaffe.