Festivals

Evenings with the music of Karol Szymanowski Festival

The Katowice Chapter of the Karol Szymanowski Music Society was founded at the Music Academy in Katowice on October 16, 1997. The founding members of the Board were: Arkadiusz Kubica, president, Joanna Domanska, vice-president, Maria Serafin, secretary, and Barbara Karaskiewicz, treasurer.The Society set as its objective the promotion of the music of the Society’s patron, Karol Szymanowski.

In the words of President Arkadiusz Kubica:
There immediately arises the question of the validity of this goal. The answer can be found in the latest book of T. A. Zielinski titled Szymanowski: lyricism and ecstasy. The author writes: “Without a doubt, Karol Szymanowski is one of the underrated composers who in fact is not very well known even in his own country. A composer of great talent and breadth, he was an unmatched master of harmonic language and lyrical expression in his day. One of the most singular personalities in 20th century music, he is not – or at least was not – known on the world music scene to a degree befitting such a great artist. Needless to say, our organization does not aspire to restore Szymanowski to the world. Rather, our objective is that his music be ever-present and not merely on occasions of more or less significant anniversaries. We also wish to present his works in the context of those of other European composers, so that we can fully recognize, discern, and appreciate his style.

Thus was born the Evenings with the music of Karol Szymanowski and... – Festival whose guiding principle is to juxtapose works of Szymanowski with those of other prominent composers of the 20th century, and to reveal in the process the broad spectrum of trends and mutual inspirations at work in the previous century. This format of programming creates the opportunity for comparing compositional techniques in the treatment of similar genres; it also allows us to familiarize the audiences with works rarely performed in public.
Each edition of the Festival presents Szymanowski’s works side by side with those of one other composer.

The following composers have been presented so far:

  • 1998, Evenings with the music of Karol Szymanowski and Leoš Janáček
  • 1999, Evenings with the music of Karol Szymanowski and Grażyna Bacewicz
  • 2000, Evenings with the music of Karol Szymanowski and Maurice Ravel
  • 2001, Evenings with the music of Karol Szymanowski and Bela  Bartók
  • 2002, Evenings with the music of Karol Szymanowski and Richard Strauss
  • 2003, Evenings with the music of Karol Szymanowski and Sergei Prokofieff
  • 2004, Evenings with the music of Karol Szymanowski and Sergei Rachmaninoff
  • 2005, Evenings with the music of Karol Szymanowski and Silesian composers
    (celebrating 75 years of Music Academy in Katowice)
  • 2006, Evenings with the music of Karol Szymanowski and Dmitri Shostakovich
  • 2007, Evenings with the music of Karol Szymanowski
    (commemorating 125th anniversary of the composer’s birth)
  • 2008, Evenings with the music of Karol Szymanowski and Carl Nielsen
  • 2009, Evenings with the music of Karol Szymanowski and Claude Debussy
  • 2010, Evenings with the music of Karol Szymanowski and Fryderyk Chopin
    (commemorating 200th anniversary of the composer’s birth)
  • 2011, Evenings with the music of Karol Szymanowski and Manuel de Falla
  • 2012, Evenings with the music of Karol Szymanowski and Zoltán Kodály
  • 2013, Evenings with the music of Karol Szymanowski and Witold Lutosławski
    (commemorating 100th anniversary of the composer’s birth)

Today, The Evenings count among the most important musical events held at the Music Academy in Katowice. Notable artists who have appeared at the Festival and who contributed to its prestige are, among others:
 Pianists: Andrzej Jasiński, Józef Stompel, Andrzej Tatarski, Joanna Domańska, Magdalena Lisak, Beata Bilinska, Wojciech Switala, Zbigniew Raubo;
Singers: Urszula Kryger, Ewa Biegas;
Violinists: Piotr Pławner, Szymon Krzeszowiec;
and premier chamber music ensembles: Silesian Quartet, Camerata Quartet, Prima Vista Quartet, Camerata Silesia

31.03.-3.04.2014

XVII Evenings with the music of Karol Szymanowski and Alfredo Casellaszymanowski casella plakat

The Karol Szymanowski Academy of Music in Katowice, March 31 - April 3, 2014
Under the patronage of the Italian Cultural Institute

 

Wieczór I - 31 marca 2014, godz. 19.00

Karol Szymanowski – I Kwartet smyczkowy op.37 

Alfredo Casella - Sonata per arpa op. 68
Serenata per clarinetto, fagotto, tromba, violino e violoncello op.46
Karol Szymanowski – II Kwartet smyczkowy op. 56

WYKONAWCY: LASOŃ ENSEMBLE w składzie: Krzysztof Lasoń – skrzypce, Agnieszka Lasoń – skrzypce, Elżbieta Mrożek-Loska – altówka, Stanisław Lasoń - wiolonczela

Aneta Janiszewska – harfa
Roman Widaszek – klarnet, Marek Barański - fagot,
Stanisław Dziewior – trąbka, Krzysztof Lasoń – skrzypce,
Piotr Janosik – wiolonczela

 

Wieczór II - 1 kwietnia 2014, godz. 19.00

Alfredo Casella - Barcarola e scherzo per flauto e pianoforte op.4
Siciliana e Burlesca per flauto e pianoforte op.23
Vocalizza per voce acuto
Karol Szymanowski – Wokalise – Etude (1928)

Romans D-dur na skrzypce i fortepian op. 23
Mity , trzy poematy op.30
Kołysanka op. 52
Pieśń Roksany z opery "Król Roger" (1926)
Pieśń kurpiowska (1931)
Taniec z baletu "Harnasie" (1931)

WYKONAWCY: Agata Kielar- Długosz – flet / Andrzej Jungiewicz – fortepian
Anna Leśniewska – sopran / Grzegorz Biegas – fortepian
Adam Mokrus – skrzypce / Magdalena Lisak - fortepian

 

Wieczór III – 2 kwietnia 2014 , godz. 19.00 / Środa Pianistyczna

Karol Szymanowski - 9 Preludiów op. 1
Preludium i Fuga cis – moll (1909)
4 Mazurki op.50 nr 1 - 4
4 Etiudy op.4
Wariacje b-moll op.3
Fantazja C-dur op.14

WYKONAWCY: Wojciech Kubica – fortepian
Magdalena Lisak - fortepian
Joanna Domańska - fortepian

 

Wieczór IV – 3 kwietnia 2014 , godz. 19.00

Karol Szymanowski – Pieśni księżniczki z baśni op. 31
Pieśni muezina szalonego op. 42
Alfredo Casella - Pupazetti - 5 pezzi facili per pianoforte a quattro mani op. 27
Sonata a Tre per violino, violoncello e pianoforte op.62

WYKONAWCY: Marta Brzezińska – sopran / Grzegorz Biegas – fortepian

Szczepan Kończal – fortepian / Łukasz Trepczyński - fortepian
TRIO ADASTRA w składzie: Anna Szabelka – skrzypce, Łukasz Frant – wiolonczela, Joanna Galon-Frant – fortepian