• Duration: 16'
• Instrumentation: 2111-1110-batt (2esec)-archi (1.1.1.1.1)
• Year: 1961
• Language of edition: pol
• Type: parts, score

Created in 1961, when the Avant-garde had been raging across Polish stages for a few years. Stefan Kisielewski, who observed the new phenomena with interest, was not tempted to be like the discoverers of new lands and remained true to himself. For that reason he was ostracized by some of the critics. One of the reviewers, after listening to the Symphony accused him of ice-cold neo-classicism and schematic bordering on indoctrinated compositional procedures. Kisiel replied to his opponent not to challenge his opinion about the composition, but to discuss a few problems from the area of psychology of creativity and aesthetics. He also took the opportunity to point out that the three parts of the Symphony are based on one theme. This is true. The theme, introduced in the beginning of the first part (Allegro vivace) by the flute, is trivially simple, reminiscent of barrel organ melodies. At the same time this theme, or its isolated motifs, are suitable for manipulation by solo or in groups of various instrumentation and constitutes the connective tissue between the succeeding elements. In the second movement (Andantino sostenuto) the theme from part I, developed but still recognizable, appears at first in the bassoon and undergoes progressive deformation to be superseded by other, more complicated themes. Although this movement follows the ABA1 pattern, it seems to be an improvisation of solo instruments or groups. The third movement (Presto) reveals the theme in a new form of a chain of motifs that are variants of the main theme from the first movement. It was perhaps this movement which enraged the reviewer who did not manage to see how much finesse and humor is concealed in the perpetuum mobile repeated to the border of indoctrination, leading the theme through the all 17 instruments of this chamber Symphony, rewritten for 15 performers.