Tematyka śmierci i rozważania dotyczące późniejszego losu duszy człowieka na przestrzeni wieków wielokrotnie stawały się inspiracją do stworzenia utworów literackich, muzycznych oraz plastycznych. W polskim folklorze muzycznym motyw ten był również wykorzystywany. Przykładem mogą być pieśni: średniowieczna Dusza z ciała wyleciała oraz pochodząca z 2. połowy XX wieku Ach, mój smutku. Jednym z wybitnych polskich kompozytorów klasycznej muzyki współczesnej, którzy podjęli temat losu duszy po śmierci człowieka, był Wojciech Kilar. Lament powstał w 2003 roku, w ostatniej fazie twórczości kompozytora nazywanej nurtem narodowo-religijnym. Lament został skomponowany na mieszany chór a cappella. Kompozycję wyróżnia prostota, autor zrezygnował z charakterystycznych dla swojej twórczości sonorystycznych brzmień na rzecz skromnych układów nawiązujących między innymi do tradycji chorału gregoriańskiego.
EN
The subject of death and reflections on the subsequent fate of the human soul have repeatedly inspired the creation of literary, musical and artistic works over the centuries. This motif was also used in Polish musical folklore. An example can be the songs: the medieval song Dusza z ciała wyleciała (Eng. Soul Flew Out of the Body) and a song from the second half of the 20th century Ach, mój smutku (Eng. Ah, my sorrow). One of the outstanding Polish composers of classical contemporary music who took up the subject of the fate of the soul after human death was Wojciech Kilar. Lament was written in 2003, in the last phase of the composer’s work, widely known as the national-religious trend. The Lament was composed for a mixed a cappella choir. The composition is distinguished by simplicity, the author abandoned the sonoristic sounds characteristic of his work in favor of modest arrangements referring, among others, to the tradition of Gregorian chant.
The author of the article discussed selected vocal-instrumental pieces and soundtracks to the films of the outstanding composer of the turn of the 20th and 21st centuries – Wojciech Kilar, from the national-religious period in his work. The text recalls the genesis and musical specificity of the works. The compositions included in the study are linked by the fact that they refer to important events in Polish history, fragments of the Old Testament, prayers or literature. These works are contemporary, but refer to the tradition and culture of the nation, so it is worth presenting them to young people. During Polish language lessons, they can provide a valuable interpretative context.
Krzysztof Zanussi’s 1969 debut feature film, The Structure of Crystal (Struktura kryształu), revolves around two scientists with opposing worldviews-one rooted in ethical integrity and the other driven by conformism. These polarities are reflected in Gilles Deleuze’s notion of the crystal-image, which I apply to Wojciech Kilar’s music for the film. I argue that Kilar’s underscoring continuously reshapes the grounds of understanding between the antagonistic worldviews at the film’s core, ultimately to deliver a powerful critique of the social reality of post-1968 Poland.
PL
Muzyka filmowa i obraz-kryształ w Strukturze kryształu Krzysztofa Zanussiego Tematyka debiutanckiego filmu fabularnego Krzysztofa Zanussiego Struktura kryształu (1969) koncentruje się wokół dwóch naukowców o przeciwstawnych poglądach: jeden z nich charakteryzuje się integralnością etyczną, podczas gdy drugi kieruje się konformizmem. Polaryzacje te znajdują odzwierciedlenie w koncepcji obrazu-kryształu Gillesa Deleuze’a, którą wykorzystano w prezentowanym artykule w odniesieniu do ścieżki dźwiękowej Wojciecha Kilara. Autorka uzasadnia tezę o skomponowaniu muzyki tła w sposób umożliwiający przekształcanie płaszczyzny porozumienia między leżącymi u podstaw filmu antagonistycznymi światopoglądami, co ostatecznie prowadzi do ukazania ostrej krytyki społecznej rzeczywistości Polski po 1968 roku.
The theme of the city has always played an important role in Silesia, one of the most urbanized areas in Central Europe. It occupied a significant position, if not the central one, in the Silesian New Latin literature. The city was not only a background, a board for the literary game, but also the main theme, the addressee of praise songs. Anne, the wife of the famous humanist, Laurentius Corvinus, is inextricably bound with one of the first poems that extoll the city. Some of the most eulogized cities are Wroclaw (Vratislavia, Bresla) and Złotoryja (Goldberga). Silesian cities were glorified both in poetry and prose until the end of the 18th century which is the end of the Latin literary culture in Silesia. Vernacular literature that followed depicted the city in a pejorative way, as a paved desert full of horror and fear, referring to the commonplace disapproving perception of the city in the biblical tradition.
The article is an attempt to view Advent in the aspect of the song that is connected with it and that together with liturgy of this time is given the name of sacred music. The very subject does not constitute a novum, since it has already been discussed, among others by Rev. Prof. Ireneusz Pawlak. However, in the article we find a broader view of the genre of the Advent song, both as far as the verbal and musical content is concerned. This is what Advent is like in its unique atmosphere of expectation, in its exceptional perception of Mary’s role in the history of salvation, and with its great antiphons, now only sung in the Polish language - and the author makes exactly such a division when he discusses the theological contents of the Advent song.
When analysing the works by outstanding composers, one may come to the conclusion that this topic was not exploited too often in the history of music. The issue of Misericordias Domini was not as popular as, for example, Stabat Mater or Te Deum. Even a broader look at this topic area does not allow for noticing too many compositions. Does it mean that the great masters of the past epochs were not interested in Divine Mercy?The answer to this question should be sought in theology, especially that of the Middle Ages. The then teaching of the Church exposed the Creator more in the role of a stern Judge than Merciful Father. In later times, this topic was tackled by composers more bravely and it thrived in the 20th century. Thanks to Helena Kowalska, later Saint Faustina, the cult of Divine Mercy accelerated and quickly spread all over the world. Its climax was the pontificate of Blessed Pope John Paul II who established the Feast of Mercy celebrated on the first Sunday after Easter. One of his last acts in this respect was the dedication of the Basilica of Divine Mercy in Krakow-Łagiewniki and forming the World Centre of Divine Mercy here. This site has become inspiration for our recording and PhD thesis.Gregorian chant is the oldest traditional chant in the liturgy of the Roman Catholic Church. The church has prayed with this chant since the 6th century. Misericordias Domini chant presented on the record is a typical example of a responsorial psalm in which prayer with the text of Psalm 103 is combined with the chant of the chorus Misericordias Domini in aeternum cantabo.Passacaglia is a form of composition characteristic for Baroque music, especially organ music. On the basis of the bass-ostinato, composers have built subtle polyphonic constructions. Misericordias Domini, the composition by Johann Rudolph Ahle (1625–1673), is constructed on this scheme. Ahle built a four-voice polyphonic construction on a diatonic, falling, half-note procession of sounds, by giving two voices to the violin duo and two to soloists: soprano and tenor. The multi-layer character of this piece relates not only to the sound matter but also to text, as the composer uses both Latin and German simultaneously.In the Renaissance and Baroque, the polychoral technique experienced the peak of its development. It was used in Misericordias Domini composed by Francesco Durante (1684–1755), representative of the Neapolitan School. Two choirs are involved in a dialogue to meet at the end of the composition, in the climax moments, when chanting Divine Mercy in eight voices.Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s (1756–1791) offertory of 1775, Misericordias Domini KV 222, belongs to rarely performed pieces. Its compact, through-composed form shows the masterly skill of the composer and his original approach to the topic of Divine Mercy. The dramatic narration, change of key which was not typical of classicism, e.g. from d-moll to c-moll, create an impression that the great composer might have been afraid whether he would experience Divine Mercy himself.Divine Mercy Song by Henryk Jan Botor (born in 1960), which was dedicated to Holy Father John Paul II, is composed well with other works inspired by the personality of the great Pope. It was composed in the jubilee year of 2000. The text borrowed from Saint Sister Faustina’s Diary was given to a soprano signer and also to the choir – in climax and text culmination moments. By using Neo-Romanticism musical language, Botor achieved the message readable to the listener, grasping pathetic and figurative music in words. Rich instrumentation, involving a string orchestra, a harp, an extended percussion section, a choir and solo voice, enabled the composer to create an almost unlimited pallet of colours and moods.Misericordias Domini composed by Wojciech Widłak (born in 1971) dated 19 April 2012 is the latest perspective on the described text. The composer created a subtly planned form, exploring the natural rhythm of the word Misericordias. Voices are treated here as instruments with the rhythm playing the leading role. The piece also uses modern means, such as glissando or recitals of texts in many languages, which affects the great power of the piece’s artistic expression. When it comes to texts, the author took them from memorial booklets in which pilgrims from all over the world entered their thank-you words and requests to Merciful Jesus at the Sanctuary of Divine Mercy in Krakow-Łagiewniki.Misericordia, the composition by Wojciech Kilar (born in 1932), is the piece that crowned the film Faustina (1994) directed by Jerzy Łukaszewicz. It is the meditation on Divine Mercy in the “form of crescendo” for a mixed choir of eight voices, string orchestra and piano. By using the minimum of means, the composer achieved maximum expression.The record is crowned with the organ improvisation based on the melody of the Polish church song: Jesus, I Trust in You.
PL
When analysing the works by outstanding composers, one may come to the conclusion that this topic was not exploited too often in the history of music. The issue of Misericordias Domini was not as popular as, for example, Stabat Mater or Te Deum. Even a broader look at this topic area does not allow for noticing too many compositions. Does it mean that the great masters of the past epochs were not interested in Divine Mercy?The answer to this question should be sought in theology, especially that of the Middle Ages. The then teaching of the Church exposed the Creator more in the role of a stern Judge than Merciful Father. In later times, this topic was tackled by composers more bravely and it thrived in the 20th century. Thanks to Helena Kowalska, later Saint Faustina, the cult of Divine Mercy accelerated and quickly spread all over the world. Its climax was the pontificate of Blessed Pope John Paul II who established the Feast of Mercy celebrated on the first Sunday after Easter. One of his last acts in this respect was the dedication of the Basilica of Divine Mercy in Krakow-Łagiewniki and forming the World Centre of Divine Mercy here. This site has become inspiration for our recording and PhD thesis.Gregorian chant is the oldest traditional chant in the liturgy of the Roman Catholic Church. The church has prayed with this chant since the 6th century. Misericordias Domini chant presented on the record is a typical example of a responsorial psalm in which prayer with the text of Psalm 103 is combined with the chant of the chorus Misericordias Domini in aeternum cantabo.Passacaglia is a form of composition characteristic for Baroque music, especially organ music. On the basis of the bass-ostinato, composers have built subtle polyphonic constructions. Misericordias Domini, the composition by Johann Rudolph Ahle (1625–1673), is constructed on this scheme. Ahle built a four-voice polyphonic construction on a diatonic, falling, half-note procession of sounds, by giving two voices to the violin duo and two to soloists: soprano and tenor. The multi-layer character of this piece relates not only to the sound matter but also to text, as the composer uses both Latin and German simultaneously.In the Renaissance and Baroque, the polychoral technique experienced the peak of its development. It was used in Misericordias Domini composed by Francesco Durante (1684–1755), representative of the Neapolitan School. Two choirs are involved in a dialogue to meet at the end of the composition, in the climax moments, when chanting Divine Mercy in eight voices.Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s (1756–1791) offertory of 1775, Misericordias Domini KV 222, belongs to rarely performed pieces. Its compact, through-composed form shows the masterly skill of the composer and his original approach to the topic of Divine Mercy. The dramatic narration, change of key which was not typical of classicism, e.g. from d-moll to c-moll, create an impression that the great composer might have been afraid whether he would experience Divine Mercy himself.Divine Mercy Song by Henryk Jan Botor (born in 1960), which was dedicated to Holy Father John Paul II, is composed well with other works inspired by the personality of the great Pope. It was composed in the jubilee year of 2000. The text borrowed from Saint Sister Faustina’s Diary was given to a soprano signer and also to the choir – in climax and text culmination moments. By using Neo-Romanticism musical language, Botor achieved the message readable to the listener, grasping pathetic and figurative music in words. Rich instrumentation, involving a string orchestra, a harp, an extended percussion section, a choir and solo voice, enabled the composer to create an almost unlimited pallet of colours and moods.Misericordias Domini composed by Wojciech Widłak (born in 1971) dated 19 April 2012 is the latest perspective on the described text. The composer created a subtly planned form, exploring the natural rhythm of the word Misericordias. Voices are treated here as instruments with the rhythm playing the leading role. The piece also uses modern means, such as glissando or recitals of texts in many languages, which affects the great power of the piece’s artistic expression. When it comes to texts, the author took them from memorial booklets in which pilgrims from all over the world entered their thank-you words and requests to Merciful Jesus at the Sanctuary of Divine Mercy in Krakow-Łagiewniki.Misericordia, the composition by Wojciech Kilar (born in 1932), is the piece that crowned the film Faustina (1994) directed by Jerzy Łukaszewicz. It is the meditation on Divine Mercy in the “form of crescendo” for a mixed choir of eight voices, string orchestra and piano. By using the minimum of means, the composer achieved maximum expression.The record is crowned with the organ improvisation based on the melody of the Polish church song: Jesus, I Trust in You.
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