KARŁOWICZ FEST | Symphonic monuments

The Symphonic Monuments series presents encounters with the most important works of the orchestral repertoire-compositions that have become an enduring part of music history and remain landmarks in the concert experience of audiences around the world. Each event in the series combines a performance with an introductory talk, allowing listeners not only to hear a great work but also to gain a deeper understanding of it through its context, ideas, and inner dramaturgy.

Mieczysław Karłowicz’s Symphony Rebirth is one of the most important works of Polish symphonic music – a remarkable composition that combines personal experience with a universal story about the human condition. Karłowicz himself provided the symphony with a programme that guides us through successive stages of an inner journey: from doubt and emptiness, through awakening and struggle, to the recovery of strength and meaning.

The first movement begins in a profound atmosphere of melancholy. It is a portrait of loss – the collapse of youthful dreams and a sense of purpose. The soul wanders aimlessly, unable to find direction, immersed in sorrow and inertia. An aura of mourning and inner conflict hangs over everything.

In the second movement, light appears. From stagnation emerges the impulse of life, accompanied by a vision of happiness and harmony. It is a moment of relief, like a glimpse of hope. The world once again seems bright and full of possibility, though still not entirely real.

The third movement brings the abrupt collapse of this vision. Chaos, anxiety, and rebellion return. The illusion of happiness shatters, and the soul is thrown into a whirlwind of experiences, passions, and conflicting emotions. This is the most dramatic moment of the entire symphony – a confrontation with reality itself.

The finale leads to the overcoming of this state. The soul takes up the struggle and gradually regains its balance. Out of chaos emerges a new strength that leads to rebirth – not as a return to what once was, but as a new beginning, conscious and mature. The symphony concludes like a hymn, with music of triumph and inner peace.

Przemysław Neumann, Director of the Szczecin Philharmonic, will discuss how this work came into being, which of Karłowicz’s experiences are reflected in it, and how to interpret its extraordinary musical language. This is a unique opportunity to hear and understand the music of our institution’s patron as it is heard and understood by the orchestra that performs it regularly.

Listen to selected excerpts from the concert programme: