"Karol Szymanowski" – premiere of the new album released by the National Forum of Music

On May 24, 2024, the new album of the National Forum of Music featuring Iwona Sobotka (soprano), the NFM Choir, and the NFM Wrocław Philharmonic conducted by Giancarlo Guerrero will premiere. The album, which is entirely dedicated to the works of Karol Szymanowski, includes the Concert Overture in E major, Op. 12, the Songs of the Fairy Princess from the fairy tale, Op. 31, and the Third Symphony 'Song of the Night', Op. 27. The recordings were made in the Main Hall of the National Forum of Music. The direction of the recordings, editing, mastering: Wojciech Marzec, Justyna Popiel, and Agnieszka Szczepańczyk (CD Accord).

The album can be purchased at the NFM Box Office, in the Niskie Łąki bookstore, and online at the NFM Store.

Title: Karol Szymanowski

Performers:
Iwona Sobotka – soprano
Giancarlo Guerrero – conductor
NFM Choir
Lionel Sow – artistic director of the NFM Choir
NFM Wrocław Philharmonic

Program:
KAROL SZYMANOWSKI (1882–1937)
Concert Overture in E major Op. 12 (2nd version, 1912–1913) 13'06

Songs of the Fairy Princess from the fairy tale Op. 31 for soprano and orchestra* (1915) [ 17'53 ]
(text by Zofia Szymanowska)
I. The Lonely Prince 4'25
II. The Nightingale 2'52
III. Golden Slippers 2'46
IV. Dance 1'46
V. Song of the Wave 3'44
VI. Feast 2'17

Third Symphony 'Song of the Night' Op. 27 for soprano, choir, and orchestra (1914–1916) [ 24'42 ]
(text by 'Mewlana' Jalaluddin Rumi, translated into Polish by Tadeusz Miciński)
Moderato assai 7'52
Vivace, scherzando 7'32
Largo 9'17

TOTAL TIME 55'42

* Karol Szymanowski arranged only three songs from the cycle for voice and orchestra: No. I, II, and IV (1933), the remaining three were arranged by Bruno Dozza: No. III, V, and VI (2011–2012).

NFM 89, ACD 315

Album premiere: May 24, 2024
Media patronage: Program II of Polish Radio

Orchestral debut, one of the numerous cycles of songs, finally a short but massive vocal-instrumental work. The span of years between the dates of creation: twelve. Significantly larger – between the premiere dates, in which the history of large and small intertwines, especially the First World War and both Russian revolutions, as well as a series of personal experiences and revaluations in the spiritual world of the creator, and at the same time misfortunes and twists of circumstances.

What – apart from the author's personality – connects these works? On the surface, not much, but certain threads can be found. Among them, this one, that each of our trio is in some way related to a specific literary text. In 'some way', meaning each time different. 'Songs of the Fairy Princess from the fairy tale' is an obvious case: the poems are 'musicalized'. 'Third Symphony', or 'Song of the Night', has as its semantic core the text of the Persian mystic, but is primarily an instrumental work and can be performed without voices.

And the 'Overture'? In accordance with the spirit – or manner – of the era, the first version of the work was preceded by a poetic motto from the poem 'Witeź Własta' by Tadeusz Miciński (1873–1918), a good acquaintance of the composer, a cult figure, speaking in today's slang, but also in an earlier, stricter sense: a kind of 'magus', one of the leaders of Polish modernism at the beginning of the 20th century.

Rafał Augustyn, excerpt from the essay included in the booklet attached to the album

NFM Ensemble