POZNAN PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA NOMINATED FOR FRYDERYK AWARD
Traditionally another album of Poznan Philharmonic Orchestra was nominated for the Fryderyk award. This time it’s Faniska by Luigi Cherubini, nominated for the Fryderyk 2022 award in the category Album of the Year – Oratorio and Opera Music.
Poznan Philharmonic Orchestra recorded it along with Natalia Rubiś (soprano), Krystian Adam Krzeszowiak (tenor), Katarzyna Belkius (soprano), Robert Gierlach (bass-baritone), Tomasz Rak (baritone), Justyna Ołów (mezzosoprano), Piotr Kalina (tenor) and Poznan Chamber Choir prepared by Bartosz Michałowski. The performance was led by Łukasz Borowicz.
Cherubini’s opera (with the libretto by Joseph Sonnleithner) was commissioned by the management of the Viennese Hofoper in spring 1805. The premiere performance took place in Kärntnertortheater in Vien-na on the 25th of February 1806 in the presence of the Emperor Franz II. The work fascinated Ludwig van Beethoven so much that he decided to create an opera too, and he did write one – Fidelio.
The opera is set in Poland, in one of the magnate castles near Sandomierz. Two main characters – Zamoski and Rasinski – are divided rulers of neighbouring provinces and the main theme concerns the attempt to release Faniska, Rasinski’s wife, who is held in custody by Zamoski in his castle’s dungeons. Everything leads to a happy ending.
The double album, which is a world phonographic premiere in the discography of Poznan Philharmonic Orchestra, was released in December 2020 by the DUX label. In October 2020 the concert version of the Faniska opera was performed in the Warsaw Philharmonic, at the 24. Ludwig van Beethoven Easter Festival, which was had been put off to autumn due to pandemic.
Łukasz Borowicz, Music Director and Chief Conductor of Poznan Philharmonic Orchestra, prepared the latest premiere in the Strasburg opera. The concert presented under his baton met with an enthusiastic audience’s and French critics reception. Next performances are scheduled until 3rd of April, also in Mulhouse. We invite you to read the excerpts of the first reviews:
forumopera.com
Yvan Beuvard
Strasbourg, 17th of March 2022
(…) Conductor Łukasz Borowicz demonstrated particular vigilance to the addition of loose improvisation which also infected the musicians from Mulhouse; apparently he exceeds in this type of demanding expression. Besides the ravishing choreography we will surely memorize the amazing orchestration of the second work. The presented original version dates back to 1915 and was written for a small orchestra (the theatre didn’t have an orchestra pit). While listening to it you forget all the symphonic version, even the most brilliant ones. The coarse sensuality, strong rhythm, enhanced by masterful zapateado of seven dancers in two tableaux was simply amazing and surely worth preserving. Even the popular Fire Dance picked up an accent of unusual authenticity, the whole fascinating score completely enchanted the audience. (…) An unforgettable, exceptional evening.
ResMusica musique classique et danse
Michel Thomé
Strasburg, 17th of March 2022
(…) The new orchestration of the cycle prepared by Arthur Lavandier let the Symphonic Orchestra of Mulhouse, downsized to a chamber version and conducted by Łukasz Borowicz, flash with a thousand of fireworks and display its instrumental mastery. (…)
Opera Online
Laurent Vilarem
Strasburg, 15th of March 2022
(…) You can immediately notice the excellence of Orchestre symphonique de Mulhouse, particularly the refined leadership of Łukasz Borowicz, devotedly watching over the dramaturgy of the evening. (…)
The premiere led by Maestro Łukasz Borowicz features two works seemingly unrelated to each other: “Zápisník zmizelého” by Leoš Janáček and “El amor brujo” by Manuel de Falla.
They are both united by same themes: an obsessive love leading the characters to extreme life choices, a gypsy motif (Gypsies from Moravia and Andalusia) and a unique chamber cast of instruments characteristic for the second decade of the 20th century.
The work of de Falla was performed in the original 1915 version, while the song cycle by Janáček, which had its premiere in Strasbourg, resounded for the first time in the new orchestration by Arthur Levandier. De Falla masterpiece is accompanied by a flamenco star Esperanza Fernández and a team of flamenco dancers led by Manuel Liñan.
At the last week’s concert “Spring Serenade” (11th of March) Poznan Philharmonic Orchestra played for Ukraine.
The program of the concert included the works of Edward Elgar, Ralph Vaughan Williams and Robert Schumann. Poznan Philharmonic Orchestra was led by Paul McCreesh, the prominent English conductor, and the soloist of the evening was Marcin Suszycki (violin), the concertmaster of Poznan Philharmonic Orchestra.
Before and after the concert the funds were collected to help the Ukraine. For this purpose our listeners paid PLN 6054.33 into account of Siepomaga Foundation. We sincerely thank everyone who supported the collection.
Everything he did, he did with a remarkable passion. As a scholar and an educator, as a rector or a minister, as a singer and a long-standing president of the Academic Choir of Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznan. On Tuesday (15th of March) we got a message that Prof. dr hab. Stefan Jurga died last night.
He was an unusual person in the Poznan scientific community. A physicist valued in numerous prestigious research and academic centers, tutor and mentor for a large group of scholars. For most of his professional life he held a variety responsible functions at ”his” university, the culmination being the AMU rector position in the years 1996-2002.
He loved science, but also… music, which had fascinated him since childhood. He used to say that if he hadn’t be-come a physicist, he would have done everything to become… a conductor. It was his unfulfilled dream, he added. He was a good friend of Poznan Philharmonic, a regular listener of our concerts, not only those held in Poznan or even in Poland. He was deeply interested in the functioning of our institution. Although he was proud of AMU Con-cert Hall, he was worried that Poznan Philharmonic had no residence on its own.
Your Magnificence, Professor, Dear Stefan, thank you for your kindness, friendship and for being our informal am-basador.
Wojciech Nentwig and Łukasz Borowicz along with the ensembles and staff of Poznan Philharmonic
She was a doctor by profession. Pediatrician. Medicine was her passion. Her life’s mission, ho-wever, after the death of her husband Ryszard Kapuściński – the most brilliant writer among repor-ters and the most brilliant reporter among writers, as they used to say of him – was to keep his memory alive. Alicja Kapuścińska supported various projects, took part in the events reminiscenting the output of the author of The Emperor, organized competitions for young journalists.
She was fond of music as well. As long as she was in good health, she was eager to come to our Philhar-monic concerts. When she found it difficult to travel, she did her best to come to the performances of Poznan Philharmonic Orchestra held in Warsaw.
Her relationship with Poznan was special – she was the honorary member of the chapter of Ryszard Kapuściński Wielkopolska Prize, established during the writer’s lifetime. An unusual prize, granted not for literary or journalistic achievements, but for ”beneficence”.
Alicja Kapuścińska passed away on the 7th of March 2022. Last Friday, on the 4th of March, she turned 89.
At the moment of planning the current season’s program we were hoping this concert will carry good emotions associated with spring. Life has written a different scenario. In the face of the tra-gedy taking place beyond our Eastern border we would like to dedicate the Friday evening on the 11th of May to the fighting Ukraine. Let the music, filled with spring cheer, bring hope. Hope for defeating evil.
The program of the concert entitled Spring Serenade features the works of Edward Elgar, Ralph Vaughan Williams and Robert Schumann. Poznan Philharmonic Orchestra will be led by the En-glish conductor Paul McCreesh and the evening’s soloist is Marcin Suszycki (violin), the concert-master of Poznan Philharmonic Orchestra.
We invite you to the concert dedicated to the fighting Ukraine on Friday, the 11th of March, at 7 pm to AMU Concert Hall. We most warmly invite Ukrainians who are in Poznan, for whom we have prepared free entrance tickets. You can receive them in the ticket office of the Poznan Phil-harmonic located in AMU Concert Hall (Wieniawskiego Street 1) from Tuesday to Thursday from 1 pm to 5 pm, and on Fridays until 7 pm.
Before and after the concert the Poznan Philharmonic along with Siepomaga Foundation will collect funds to help Ukraine. The donations can be only made by payment cards. We encou-rage everyone who is willing to take part in the fundraising to come.
Due to the modification of pandemic restrictions from the 1st of March we would like to inform that from the 4th of March you can purchase entrance tickets (standing places) for the concerts of Poznan Philharmonic. The tickets (20 PLN) can be bought an hour before the concert in the ticket office of Poznan Philharmonic.
We would also like to remind that in AMU Concert Hall and during the concert it is mandatory to cover one’s mouth and nose.
THIS CONCERT WAS DIFFERENT FROM THE PREVIOUS ONES. On stage, by the orchestra, flags: Ukrainian and Polish. Before Łukasz Borowicz found himself in front of Poznan Philharmonic Orchestra, Karolina Niementowska (Director of Communications of the Poznan International Fair Trade Group), as the Friday concert was the 136th Poznan Internatio-nal Fair Concert and Antoni Hoffmann (Poznan Philharmonic) entered the stage. Instead of an in-troduction to the works which were to be performer, there were only words regarding the tragedy unfolding beyond the Eastern border of Poland. Then a shared moment of silence which comme-morated the victims of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
The concert had no verbal introduction. Only the music of Maurice Ravel resounded: Tzigane (An-na Ziółkowska – violin), Piano Concerto in G Major (Michał Francuz – piano), Rapsodie Espagnole and Boléro. For the encore: Pavane for the Dead Princess.
Photos by Antoni Hoffmann
We highly recommend you the SPECIAL CONCERT Antonio VIVALDI – Ennio MORRICONE, scheduled for the 6th of May 2022 (Friday) at 8 pm in AMU Concert Hall.
The first part of the concert will feature the most famous and liked piece of music by Antonio Vivaldi – Four Seasons, Op. 8, in the masterful performance by Prof. Konstanty Andrzej Kulka, who 63 years ago, on the 25th of November 1959, played his first solo violin recital in Gdańsk-Wrzeszcz as a 12-year-old young virtuoso. He will be accompanied by Warszaw Philharmonic Cham-ber Orchestra led by Jan Lewtak and Danuta Kojro-Pawulska on harpsichord.
In the second part the listeners will be invited to the beautiful world of Ennio Morricone’s film music, transcripted by Jan Lewtak and performed by the soloists and Warsaw Philharmonic Chamber Orchestra conducted by Jan Lewtak. The melodious vocalises will be sung by Magdalena Schabowska – soprano – and artists from Poznan Chamber Choir. The concert will be hosted by the popular radio journalist Paweł Sztompke.
Performers:
Konstanty Andrzej Kulka – violin
Warsaw Philharmonic Chamber Orchestra
Jan Lewtak – artistic management, violin
Artists from Poznan Chamber
Choir Bartosz Michałowski– artistic director, choir preparation
Danuto Kojro-Pawulska – harpsichord, piano
Joanna Monachowicz – oboe, cor anglais
Maria Lewicka – flute, piccolo
Magdalena Schabowska – soprano
Krzysztof Bednarczyk – trumpet
Witold Lewicki – harmonica
Paweł Sztompke – host
Program:
- Antonio Vivaldi – Four Seasons, Op. 8
- Ennio Morricone – music from the films: Once Upon a Time in America – Deborah’s Theme, Cockeye’s Theme, Chi Mai, D’amore si muore – For Love One Can Die, Once Upon a Time in the West, Romanza Quartiere, La califfa, Mission – Gabriel’s Oboe, Le professionnel – Le vent, le cri, Per un pugno di dollari
Tickets for the event can be bought on the following website: Bilety24.pl
Concert organizers: FILHARMONIA Foundation