portrait of a man with glasses

Polish film music

Concert
Nova Music and Architecture
Date
Location
Concert Hall of CKK Jordanki

The concert takes place as part of the 24th International Festival "Nova Muzyka and Architecture" - Toruń / Kuyavian-Pomeranian 2020.

Concert to commemorate the 100th anniversary of "The Vistula Miracle" and the 100th anniversary of the Toruń's return to a free Poland

Artists:

  • Toruń Symphony Orchestra
  • Krzysztof Herdzin – conductor

Programme:

  • Polish film music suite including: The Pianist, Master Thaddeus, Pharaoh, With Fire and Sword, The Peasants, Nights and Days, Bastard.
    Film themes' suite of     Jerzy 'Duduś' Matuszkiewicz, including: Janosik, 4 Alternative Street, Stakes Larger Than Life, A Forty-Year-Old, How I Unleashed World War II.

“You cannot ignore film music if you want talk about films - it is an integral part of our lives, our times, contemporary culture. As far as I am concerned, I absolutely don’t consider film music to be inferior”, said maestro Ennio Morricone.

When Wojciech Kilar was asked how many times he read Pan Tadeusz (Master Thaddeus) while writing music for Wajda’s film, the composer replied: “I have not read it once. Because for me at that moment there was only Wajda’s Master Thaddeus, and I did not write music for the epic poem by Mickiewicz, but to Wajda’s film (...). However, I have read it many times and all these scenes are in me. This is part of my Polishness. And when it came to composing, the music seemed obvious”. Indeed, when we watch Wajda’s film, the music seems to be fused with the picture to such a great extent that they create one whole. The theme for the Invocation and the famous Polonaise, which replaced Michał Kleofas Ogiński’s Pożegnanie ojczyzny (Farewell to the Homeland) at prom balls, are the two synonyms of Polishness that have become inscribed in the consciousness of listeners forever. Quite like Kilar’s poignant music to Roman Polanski’s film The Pianist, about W?adys?aw Szpilman. The funeral motif of the violin, brilliant in its simplicity, resounds against the background of cellos and appears in key historical moments such as: during the construction of the ghetto wall and the outbreak of the Warsaw Uprising. The second motif (in the clarinet part) signals Szpilman’s private story, marked by suffering and loneliness.

All Poles surely recognise the famous theme of Walc Barbary (Barbara's Waltz) from the film Noce i Dnie (Nights and Days). We all know it and sometimes hum it, not even realising that it was written by Waldemar Kazanecki, the author of no less successful film soundtracks to: Kariera Nikodema Dyzmy (The Career of Nicodemus Dyzma), Czarne chmury (The Black Clouds), the series Dom, (Home), or the cartoon Bolek i Lolek (Bolek and Lolek).

Michał Lorenc is the author of the music to the film Bandyta (The Bandit) directed by Maciej Dejczer. The film triggered such inspiration in the composer that he wrote four hours of music, while only an hour was needed. The material was significantly reduced and released on a CD together with the soundtrack to Krzysztof Lang’s film Prowokator (Provocateur).

Jerzy ‘Duduś’ Matuszkiewicz wrote music to over 200 feature, short and animated films and TV series. He perfectly sensed the spirit of socialist realism and created unforgettable motifs for such series as: Alternatywy (4 Alternatywy Street), Czterdziestolatek (A Forty-Year-Old), Stawiam na Tolka Banana (I’d Bet on Tolek Banan), Podróż za jeden uśmiech (A Journey for One Smile), as well as Janosik, Stawka większa niż życie (More than Life at Stake) and Jak rozpętałem drugą wojnę światową (How I Unleashed World War II).

All the above-mentioned names and titles (and there will be many more, only to mention the soundtracks by Adam Sławiński and Krzesimir Dębski to the films Chłopi (The Peasants) and Ogniem i mieczem (With Fire and Sword) indicate that the Polish film tradition also includes excellent music, which still inspires such great musicians as Krzysztof Herdzin.

Aneta Derkowska, PhD

There is no intermission.
The event will take place in accordance with current recommendations and guidelines.

Please read the rules and comply with the GUIDELINES FOR THE CONCERT PARTICIPANTS.
IN CONNECTION WITH THE ONGOING COVID-19 PANDEMIA and completing the statement to be given to 
you by staff on the day of the concert.