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Meeting with Krystian Brodacki, author of the book "Historia jazzu w Polsce"

2010-11-02
On November 5th (Friday) at 16.00 in the Klub pod Jaszczurami, under the auspices of the 14th Kraków Book Fair, a meeting with Krystian Brodacki will be held. A fan of jazz and a music journalist, he will promote his latest book „Historia jazzu w Polsce” ("The History Of Jazz In Poland"), published by PWM. Krystian Brodacki’s „Historia jazzu w Polsce” (“The History Of Jazz In Poland”) is a book for which Polish jazzology has waited for many years. The severe lack of interpretations of the history of jazz in Poland has led to an ambitious project, almost risky, because it has created a number of challenges, the most significant being the holistic capture of this whole phenomenon. Brodacki raised the bar even higher - he decided to bring readers closer to the fate of Polish popular-style jazz, which is why jazz through his eyes (and ears) is not just sounds, concerts and CDs. It is also people and history, places and situations, emotions and yearnings, the radial moments of glory and moments of bitter disappointment.

The book discusses the characteristics and trends of Polish jazz in a chronological manner, from the timid beginnings of the 1920s, through the increasing number of contacts and inspiration from abroad, to the strengthening of solid foundations of this kind of music in Poland and infecting not only a group of talented artists, but also a multitude of listeners with the “jazz bug”. Numerous quotations from musicians and music critics give the book academic value, but also enrich the unfolding story, allowing the reader to enter into the spirit of those bygone days which passed under the sign of jazz sounds.

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37th Krakow International Festival of Composers, 10-18 May, 2025 under honorary auspices of Aleksander Miszalski, Mayor of Krakow

 

The theme of the 37th Krakow International Festival of Composers is music in music. Already in the 1970s, this issue was studied by the outstanding founder of the Krakow Theoretical School, Professor Mieczysław Tomaszewski. He reflected on the subject in an article entitled “At the Opening: why ‘music in music’”, which was published before one of the famous Music Meetings in Baranów. 

CANTICUM PROFUGORUM – Krzysztof Knittel’s oratorio about refuge and war on the latest album ANAKLASIS

The theme of Krzysztof Knittel’s work is refuge and the uncertainty and anxiety about the unknown associated with it, as well as the other side of this topic, i.e. the need to provide help and shelter. The text of the oratorio is based on a poem by Tadeusz Sławek. The piece features singing, recitations, choral parts and improvisations based on the traditions of the Middle East. The album was premiered on 15 March during the 11th Festival of Premieres in Katowice.

Music fit for a king. Discover the crown jewel of Polish polyphony

Musicologists commonly call it “Kras 52” – after the former reference number it was given in the Krasiński Library. It is the most valuable Polish source of medieval polyphonic music, which shaped the soundscape of the court of the first Jagiellons and Kraków at that time. The manuscript is gaining new life now, thanks to a performance edition by Agnieszka Budzińska-Bennett and Marc Lewon. “Krasiński Codex” has just been published by PWM Edition with the support of the Adam Mickiewicz Institute.

Korean violinist Bomsori Kim turns ambassador of Grażyna Bacewicz’s music

Frequent guest of the world’s most famous music venues (New York’s Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center, Amsterdam’s Concertgebouw, London’s Royal Albert Hall and BBC Proms, Vienna’s Musikverein and Konzerthaus), in February 2021 Bomsori signed an exclusive contract with the prestigious Deutsche Grammophon label. As of this year, she also bears the honourable title of ambassador of Grażyna Bacewicz’s music, which she performs worldwide, promoting the legacy of Poland’s most important woman composer.

Witold Szalonek: A Double Portrait of the Silesian Master. In Search of the Musical Soul of Voices and Instruments

The 4CD album featuring songs and instrumental works by the Silesian master goes on sale as of 8 November. Released by the ANAKLASIS music label, it will be premiered on 3 December during a special PWM Edition concert held as part of the 12th International Days of Henryk Mikołaj Górecki at the Silesian Philharmonic in Katowice.

Michael Bates' Acrobat and Lutosławski Quartet on a Polish tour with music by Witold Lutoslawski

The esteemed American-Canadian jazz musician Michael Bates, his Acrobat Ensemble and the Lutosławski Quartet will perform three concerts in Poland in November. The repertoire will include material recorded by the musicians on the album METAMORPHOSES: VARIATIONS ON LUTOSŁAWSKI, released by ANAKLASIS in the REVISIONS series.

 

The artists have already successfully presented it at Lincoln Center and Barbès Jazz Club in New York. In autumn 2024 we will have the opportunity to hear them live for the first time in Poland: 14.11 - Krakow, 15.11 - Lublin, 17.11 - Wroclaw.

First International Digital Musicology Conference

The Fryderyk Chopin Institute in Warsaw invites to the inaugural session of the biennial International Digital Musicology Conference, which will be held 23–25 October 2024, at the Fryderyk Chopin Institute in Warsaw, Poland. The conference focuses on the integration of digital technologies into musicological research, with a special emphasis on introducing digital tools and methods to the Polish academic community, where digital musicology has not yet been widely adopted. 

Różycki’s Adventures in Jazzland. Kuba Stankiewicz's LP album on sale from 10 October

Although Ludomir Różycki - one of the most important representatives of Young Poland - enjoyed spectacular success as a composer during his lifetime, his works are rarely included in concert programmes today. It is therefore worth remembering his exceptional art.

THINGS. A VAUDEVILLE: Music by Aleksander Nowak to a libretto by Marcin Wicha, on sale as of 5 October.

Aleksander Nowak continues his original cycle of compositions that enter into a dialogue with most recent Polish literary works. The album premiere of his opera based on Marcin Wicha’s Nike-awarded book Things I Didn’t Throw Out will take place during the AUKSODRONE festival in Tychy.

Dracula’s Second Life: A project by Piotr Orzechowski ‘Pianohooligan’ and Kuba Więcek, now also on LPs!

Musical themes from Coppola’s cult movie, as deconstructed and reinterpreted by this wayward duo, will be performed at a live concert accompanied by the premiere of THEMES OF DRACULA from ANAKLASIS on vinyl records.