The programme of II “New Waves” Contemporary Music Festival is designed above all to present the current creations of Polish composers representing different generations and circles. That is why the emphasis is on first performances of compositions of our native artists as well as works known to other audiences but not yet performed in Gdańsk. As to foreign music, we selected items composed by our German, Scandinavian and Ukrainian colleagues. With the exception of the Ukrainian concert, constituting an overview of 20th- and 21st- century music of that country, largely of the founders of the national Ukrainian school (Barwinski, Latoszynski, Łysenko et al.), the selected compositions date mainly from the 21st century but represent a variety of phenomena of primary importance in music of the past few decades.
These include various forms of dialogue with tradition: discovering the past (or only just outdated) genres and styles and extending the boundaries of creation by reaching for jazz, ethic or pop inspirations. These phenomena, typical not only of the new music but also of literature and visual arts, are referred to by the broad term “intertextualism”. What does it mean? And is it appropriate to equate the intertextual techniques used in literature and music? This is the focus of an academic conference accompanying our festival, arranged by the Theory of Music Institute of the Academy of Music in Gdańsk, to which leading Polish musicologists and cultural studies scholars.
The latest music, even of the academic type, wishes to be simple, communicative and even “nice” again. This is achieved by the return to the primacy of melody and harmony or even reinstatement of traditional tonality.
On the other hand, an increasing number of composers improvise, shock with electronics and “weird” instrumentation, want to offer to listeners a powerful experience or even promise to send them into a trance. There are also those in favour of combining art disciplines or creating music according to the rules of graphical arts or architecture. And others, unafraid of being branded epigons, sympathise with the 20th-century avant-garde. Is it possible to take to any of these?
Come to the festival concerts and accompanying events and find out!
Organisers
FESTIVAL PROGRAMME
Sunday, 06/11/2016, 7:30 p.m., St. John's Centre
⦁ OPENING Concert ⦁
Performing artists:
Chamber Choir “441 Hz”
Anna Wilczewska – conductor
Programme:
Gabriel Jackson
Salus aeterna (2002)
Eric Whitacre
Oculi omnium (2010)
Sławomir Kaczorowski
Otcze nasz (2007)
Andrzej Dziadek
Lacrimosa (2016)*
Randall Stroope
The Conversion of Saul
Sven Helbig
I Eat the Sun and Drink the Rain (2014-2015)
Krzysztof Olczak
Varietas in unitate (2015)*
Arne Mellnäs
Bossa Buffa (2004)
Jan Sandström
Biegga luohte (1998)
Jaakko Mäntyjärvi
Pseudo-Yoik (1994)
Tuesday, 08/11/2016, 6:00 p.m.| Chamber Music Hall of Polish Baltic Philharmonic
⦁ II Gdansk Concert of First Performances ⦁
Performing artists:
Karolina Piątkowska-Nowicka – violin
Sinfonietta Pomerania Orchestra
Tadeusz Dixa – conductor
Programme:
Sławomir Zamuszko
Sinfonietta (2016)*
Tadeusz Dixa
Ballad for violin and chamber orchestra (2016)*
Andrzej Dziadek
Sinfonietta No. 2 (2016)*
Wednesday, 09/11/2016, 6:00 p.m.| Burghers' Room of the Old Town Hall in Gdańsk
⦁ Chamber music concert ⦁
Performing artists:
Trio Sopot
Elżbieta Rosińska – accordion
Małgorzata Skorupa – violin
Anna Sawicka – cello
Programme:
Kamil Cieślik
Accordion trio No. 1 (2016)
Łukasz Woś
Dedication
Heikki Valpola
Ludes for violin, cello and accordion (1988)
Jerzy Mądrawski
Polish album (2015) – part II Kujawiak, part. III Obertas
Matti Murto
Divertimento (1989)
Krzysztof Olczak
MEA for violin, cello and accordion (2016)*
Thursday, 10/ 11/2016, 6:00 p.m. | Concert Hall of the Academy of Music in Gdańsk
⦁ Orchestral concert ⦁ (accompanying event)
Performing artists:
Chamber Orchestra of the Academy of Music in Gdańsk,
Andrzej Kacprzak – concertmaster
Programme:
Grażyna Bacewicz
Concerto for string orchestra (1950)
Jakub Nikiel
Sinfonietta (2016)*
Mikołaj Górecki
Divertimento (2009)
Saturday, 12/11/2016, 6:00 p.m.| Burghers' Room of the Old Town Hall in Gdańsk
⦁ Chamber music concert ⦁
Performing artists:
Andrzej Kacprzak – violin
Paweł Rydel – piano
Andrzej Wojciechowski – clarinet
Tomasz Jocz – piano
Programme:
Krzysztof Penderecki
3 Miniatures for violin and piano (1960)
Witold Lutosławski
Partita (1984)
Marek Czerniewicz
God covered His face, Mothers, Song of the Garden of Eden (2002–2012)
