We continue the undertaking of performing all the works of our Philharmonic's patron. Mieczysław Karłowicz, due to his innovative music language at that time, belongs to the group of the greatest Polish composers. Compositions pierced by the climate of Young Poland move us back in time by over a hundred years when the fin de siècle arrived. A symphonic poem appeared in Polish music.
"When humanity reaches a fairly high aesthetic level, it will have to pay due honour and priority to pure music, independent of the shackles of poetry, which after all, as more concrete art, violently stops music at a point to which it can fly. Maybe music cannot rise higher than poetry, but it can certainly fly elsewhere, in a different direction. These thoughts have long prompted me to swear allegiance to this orchestral music, independent of poetry and a detailed program."
In the context of these words of Karłowicz, some are surprised by the programmatic nature of his works. All the time there are studies in which it is claimed that the composer contradicts his theses. We suggest taking a look at the description of the concert with the ‘Faust Symphony’ – there Ferenz Liszt (decades ago) postulates the restoration of strong connections between poetry and music.
And now we ask the question: did Karłowicz write his ideas (in tune with the Young Poland spirit being in opposition to those previously in force), so that later in most pieces he could contradict them?
We believe that Karłowicz himself indicates that the key to reading his works is the high aesthetic level he mentions. So not programmatic and not lyrical one, so strongly emphasized in the music of the previous era. Are we able to appreciate pure music today?
PS Karłowicz also wrote: "Because the story of ‘Stanislaw and Anna Oswiecim’ is probably not known to the wider public, therefore the author allows himself to give it here in a few words." Since the ’wider public’ had already been able to read this story many times, we allowed ourselves to leave it this time for a printed program.
Exhibition available during event: Śmieję się, aż zasnę | Wystawa zbiorowa
Ilu nas jest to kolektyw ilustratorski, w skład którego wchodzą Pola Augustynowicz, Joanna Bartosik, Łukasz Drzycimski, Grzegorz Myćka, Dorota Piechocińska, Olek Pujszo i Ola Szmida. Artyści cyklem wystaw w całej Polsce pod tytułem „Śmieję się, aż zasnę” starają się przybliżyć szerszej publiczności swoją pracę.
