“Collegium Cantorum” – The Choir Of The Czestochowa Philharmonic - Polish Choral Lyricism - COMPACT DISCS [CD]

Another album under the Anthology of Polish Art a Cappella series, created together with the 'Collegium Cantorum' Choir of the Czestochowa Philharmonic under the direction of Janusz Siadlak, is devoted to Andrzej Koszewski's choral music. Koszewski's special place in Polish music is best characterized by his concept of the choir as 'an orchestra of human voices'. Koszewski discovers in a choral ensemble the possibilities of shaping the timbre of sound analogous to those of a symphony orchestra, and (with full respect for the human voice) treats it similarly, moving in the aesthetics defined by good taste and striving to maintain a sound effect within the framework of high art. That is why all non-standard means of articulation as well as whistle and whisper, often resulting from the use of the properties of the Polish language, are employed in a thoughtful and fully justified manner, never for the effect itself. The selection of songs presented on our album, with the outstanding performance quality of the ensemble, fully confirms it.

From song to symphony, from the Bim-Bom theatre to radio orchestral recordings, from theatre music to performances at the 'Warsaw Autumn' International Festival of Contemporary Music. Indeed, it was a career 'on it's own note,' as the subtitle of Edward Pallasz's (1936-2019) memoirs says. Surprisingly, the memoirs are devoid of regret that the creator of the Symphony '1976' was not allowed to complete his studies in composition, despite having studying music at lower levels. The road to a genuine success was complicated, winding and full of adventures and discoveries; moreover, the composer's style that emerged on that journey was free from temporary trends or ideological obligations. The present album includes a number of works that perfectly illustrate the ease with which Edward Pallasz employed various types of compositional techniques related to the choral music.

Another album in the Anthology of Polish A Cappella Music series was being created on the eve of the first anniversary of Juliusz Luciuk's death. This time, the 'Collegium Cantorum' Choir of the Czestochowa Philharmonic reached for the internationally unique work Vesperae in assumptione Beatae Mariae Virginis - Vespers on the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. While researching the output of the Czestochowa-Cracow composer one can sense his individual style, based on a few indefeasible pillars. One of them is profound respect for tradition, with particular emphasis on the Gregorian chant, both in terms of the melodic solutions of the monody and the entire culture and performance conditions surrounding the chant. Other pillars of his work are the quest for colour in harmony and the peculiar simplicity of emotions reflecting the composer's personality. The Vespers presented on this album can be considered the quintessence of the style of Juliusz Luciuk, an artist who was particularly passionate about sacred music.