Evening worthy of masters - 17 November 2013
Chamber music sometimes has a power of expression equal to, if not larger than symphonic, opera or oratorio. This is how it sounded during the inaugural concert of The Krzysztof Penderecki Festival.
Organized in Warsaw on the occasion of the composer’s 80th birthday, the festival began in a very intimate atmosphere. It was not held in the hall of Warsaw Philharmonic nor in Teatr Wielki – Polish National Opera, but at the Royal Castle, and what is more, the program included only chamber works by composer: 3 Miniatures for Clarinet and Piano, String Quintet, Sextet for Clarinet, Horn, String Trio and Piano, and the recently finished Suite for Cello Solo. A chamber, almost intimate program, but designed in a way to delight the audience with a special cast. A star cast, which turned out to be the firework of the evening.
First, 3 Miniatures for Clarinet and Piano – a work, in which Darko Brlek (clarinet) and Marek Bracha (piano) enchanted with a perfect sense of lightness and playful character of this music. A moment later on the stage appeared the long unheard Dafô Quartet, which, accompanied by Jerzy Dybał on double-bass, performed the String Quintet. To say that they performed it wonderfully would not be enough. The artists of Dafô Quartet are like one instrument, and what is more a perfect instrument that possesses unlimited dynamic and expressive capabilities. An instrument, which does not set any boundaries for the musician, but gives him absolute freedom and artistic license. This was how sounded the festival display by the Dafô Quartet and Jerzy Dybał, their personal gift to maestro Penderecki. It was a beautiful meeting!
After such intense emotions there was one more special event awaiting – the cellist Danjulo Ishizaka and his interpretation of Suite for Cello Solo. Ishizaka, one of the last students of the great Boris Pergamenschtschikow, is a wonderfully formed artist, sensitive and musically erudite. It could be heard perfectly during his performance, where the care of every smallest detail, sound and phrase, was connected with an exceptional vision of the entirety of the work.
In the secondo part of the evening we heard the serious and extremely difficult to perform Sextet for Clarinet, Horn, String Trio and Piano, with world-renowned artists on the stage: Michel Lethiec – clarinet, André Cazalet – French horn, Julian Rachlin – violin, Maja Bogdanovic – cello, Barry Douglas – piano and Yuri Bashmet – viola. Such occasional ensembles of stars don’t always bring good effects. Great personalities of the musical world, and such are the abovementioned artists, often have conflicting interpretative visions, different ideas for forming phrases, which are not always compatible with the ideas of other members of the group. This time however, bringing together great individuals of the musical world was a hundred per cent success. The artists delighted with wonderful ensemble, musical understanding, thanks to which the Sextet became a piece bursting with expression, surprising change of tone, and above all, fantastically built musical drama. Big applause to each one of the artists, especially though, for Julian Rachlin, who as first violin superbly led the ensemble, at the same time dazzling with a sound full of melodiousness and internal emotion. The inaugural evening of The Krzysztof Penderecki Festival turned out to be an evening worthy of the masters.
Tomasz Handzlik
Organized in Warsaw on the occasion of the composer’s 80th birthday, the festival began in a very intimate atmosphere. It was not held in the hall of Warsaw Philharmonic nor in Teatr Wielki – Polish National Opera, but at the Royal Castle, and what is more, the program included only chamber works by composer: 3 Miniatures for Clarinet and Piano, String Quintet, Sextet for Clarinet, Horn, String Trio and Piano, and the recently finished Suite for Cello Solo. A chamber, almost intimate program, but designed in a way to delight the audience with a special cast. A star cast, which turned out to be the firework of the evening.
First, 3 Miniatures for Clarinet and Piano – a work, in which Darko Brlek (clarinet) and Marek Bracha (piano) enchanted with a perfect sense of lightness and playful character of this music. A moment later on the stage appeared the long unheard Dafô Quartet, which, accompanied by Jerzy Dybał on double-bass, performed the String Quintet. To say that they performed it wonderfully would not be enough. The artists of Dafô Quartet are like one instrument, and what is more a perfect instrument that possesses unlimited dynamic and expressive capabilities. An instrument, which does not set any boundaries for the musician, but gives him absolute freedom and artistic license. This was how sounded the festival display by the Dafô Quartet and Jerzy Dybał, their personal gift to maestro Penderecki. It was a beautiful meeting!
After such intense emotions there was one more special event awaiting – the cellist Danjulo Ishizaka and his interpretation of Suite for Cello Solo. Ishizaka, one of the last students of the great Boris Pergamenschtschikow, is a wonderfully formed artist, sensitive and musically erudite. It could be heard perfectly during his performance, where the care of every smallest detail, sound and phrase, was connected with an exceptional vision of the entirety of the work.
In the secondo part of the evening we heard the serious and extremely difficult to perform Sextet for Clarinet, Horn, String Trio and Piano, with world-renowned artists on the stage: Michel Lethiec – clarinet, André Cazalet – French horn, Julian Rachlin – violin, Maja Bogdanovic – cello, Barry Douglas – piano and Yuri Bashmet – viola. Such occasional ensembles of stars don’t always bring good effects. Great personalities of the musical world, and such are the abovementioned artists, often have conflicting interpretative visions, different ideas for forming phrases, which are not always compatible with the ideas of other members of the group. This time however, bringing together great individuals of the musical world was a hundred per cent success. The artists delighted with wonderful ensemble, musical understanding, thanks to which the Sextet became a piece bursting with expression, surprising change of tone, and above all, fantastically built musical drama. Big applause to each one of the artists, especially though, for Julian Rachlin, who as first violin superbly led the ensemble, at the same time dazzling with a sound full of melodiousness and internal emotion. The inaugural evening of The Krzysztof Penderecki Festival turned out to be an evening worthy of the masters.
Tomasz Handzlik
