KARŁOWICZ FEST | UP-Down - being Karłowicz

The spectacle Up-Down – being Karłowicz is a unique theatrical production by the Szczecin Philharmonic. Its main character is the institution's patron, portrayed in a unique light where emotions that influenced the composer's life and work are brought to the forefront. The spectacle's plot revolves around the protagonist's five primary emotions: Joy, Fear, Anger, Disgust, and Sadness. These emotions shape not only the text but, above all, the music that reflects the characteristics of each emotion.

The performance portrays Karłowicz throughout his life, first as a boy and later as a man, at times guided by entirely contradictory emotions. These emotions reflect the deeply human nature of this extraordinarily gifted artist.

Karłowicz was not only one of Poland’s most creative composers but also a devoted lover of the Tatra Mountains. His diaries, in which he described his mountain expeditions and the emotions they evoked in remarkable detail, inspired a story about his unique sensitivity and perception of the world.

The performance draws on Karłowicz’s symphonic poems, which served as the basis for a series of new works specially composed for the production and presented in electronic arrangements.

The premiere of Up and Down – Being Like Karłowicz took place on 1 October 2017 at the Szczecin Philharmonic.

Watch a feature report about the performance (in Polish only):