Music Of Poland
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The Music of Poland covers diverse aspects of music and musical traditions which have originated, and are practiced in
Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populous ...
. Artists from Poland include world-famous classical composers like
Frédéric Chopin Frédéric François Chopin (born Fryderyk Franciszek Chopin; 1 March 181017 October 1849) was a Polish composer and virtuoso pianist of the Romantic period, who wrote primarily for solo piano. He has maintained worldwide renown as a leadin ...
,
Karol Szymanowski Karol Maciej Szymanowski (; 6 October 188229 March 1937) was a Polish composer and pianist. He was a member of the modernist Young Poland movement that flourished in the late 19th and early 20th century. Szymanowski's early works show the inf ...
,
Witold Lutosławski Witold Roman Lutosławski (; 25 January 1913 – 7 February 1994) was a Polish composer and conductor. Among the major composers of 20th-century classical music, he is "generally regarded as the most significant Polish composer since Szyman ...
,
Henryk Górecki Henryk Mikołaj Górecki ( , ; 6 December 1933 – 12 November 2010) was a Polish composer of contemporary classical music. According to critic Alex Ross, no recent classical composer has had as much commercial success as Górecki. He became a l ...
and
Krzysztof Penderecki Krzysztof Eugeniusz Penderecki (; 23 November 1933 – 29 March 2020) was a Polish composer and conductor. His best known works include ''Threnody to the Victims of Hiroshima'', Symphony No. 3, his '' St Luke Passion'', ''Polish Requiem'', ''A ...
; renowned pianists like Karl Tausig,
Ignacy Jan Paderewski Ignacy Jan Paderewski (;  – 29 June 1941) was a Polish pianist and composer who became a spokesman for Polish independence. In 1919, he was the new nation's Prime Minister and foreign minister during which he signed the Treaty of Versaill ...
,
Arthur Rubinstein Arthur Rubinstein ( pl, Artur Rubinstein; 28 January 188720 December 1982) was a Polish Americans, Polish-American pianist.
and
Krystian Zimerman Krystian Zimerman (born 5 December 1956) is a Polish-Swiss concert pianist, conductor and pedagogue who has been described as one of the greatest pianists of his generation. In 1975, he won the IX International Chopin Piano Competition. Follo ...
; as well as
popular music Popular music is music with wide appeal that is typically distributed to large audiences through the music industry. These forms and styles can be enjoyed and performed by people with little or no musical training.Popular Music. (2015). ''Fun ...
artists, and traditional, regionalised
folk music Folk music is a music genre that includes traditional folk music and the contemporary genre that evolved from the former during the 20th-century folk revival. Some types of folk music may be called world music. Traditional folk music has b ...
ensembles that create a rich and lively music scene at the grassroots level. The musicians of Poland, over the course of history, have developed and popularized a variety of
music genres A music genre is a conventional category that identifies some pieces of music as belonging to a shared tradition or set of conventions. It is to be distinguished from '' musical form'' and musical style, although in practice these terms are som ...
and folk dances such as
mazurka The mazurka (Polish: ''mazur'' Polish ball dance, one of the five Polish national dances and ''mazurek'' Polish folk dance') is a Polish musical form based on stylised folk dances in triple meter, usually at a lively tempo, with character de ...
,
polonaise The polonaise (, ; pl, polonez ) is a dance of Polish origin, one of the five Polish national dances in time. Its name is French for "Polish" adjective feminine/"Polish woman"/"girl". The original Polish name of the dance is Chodzony, meani ...
,
krakowiak The Krakowiak or Cracovienne is a fast, syncopated Polish folk dance in duple time from the region of Kraków and Lesser Poland. The folk outfit worn for the dance has become the national costume of Poland, most notably, the rogatywka peaked hat ...
,
kujawiak The Kujawiak is a Polish folk dance from the region of Kujawy in central Poland.Don Michael Randel. ''The Harvard Dictionary of Music''. Harvard University Press. 2003. p. 449. It is one of the five national dances of Poland, the others being th ...
,
polska Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populous ...
partner dance Partner dances are dances whose basic choreography involves coordinated dancing of two partners, as opposed to individuals dancing alone or individually in a non-coordinated manner, and as opposed to groups of people dancing simultaneously in a ...
,
oberek The oberek, also called ''obertas'' or ''ober'', is a lively Polish dance. Its name is derived from the Polish ''obracać się'' ("to spin"). It consists of many dance lifts and jumps. It is performed at a much quicker pace than the Polish waltz an ...
; as well as the
sung poetry Sung poetry is a broad and imprecise music genre widespread in European countries, such as Poland and the Baltic States, to describe songs consisting of a poem (most often a ballad) and music written specially for that text. The compositions usu ...
genre (''poezja śpiewana'') and others. Mazurka (Mazur), Krakowiak, Kujawiak, Oberek and Polonaise (Polonez) are registered as Polish National Dances, originating in early Middle Ages. The oldest of them is Polonaise that comes from the Medieval pageant dances and it was originally called "chodzony", a "walking dance". Polish music exhibits influences from a broad variety of world music styles which are represented by critically acclaimed bands, such as Perfect (Zbigniew Hołdys), Status Qwo, Maanam (Kora), T.Love, Golec uOrkiestra, Budka Suflera, Czerwone Gitary, Dżem, Big Cyc, as well as many other renowned artists, e.g. Czesław Niemen, Magdalena Ostrowska, Jacek Kaczmarski, Wojciech Młynarski, Czesław Mozil, Jakob Węgiel, Marek Grechuta, and contemporary singer-songwriters and pop icons including
Margaret Margaret is a female first name, derived via French () and Latin () from grc, μαργαρίτης () meaning "pearl". The Greek is borrowed from Persian. Margaret has been an English name since the 11th century, and remained popular througho ...
,
Maria Peszek Maria Teresa Peszek (born September 9, 1973) is a Polish singer, songwriter and actress. She embarked on a professional acting career in the early 1990s and went on to appear in over 40 stage plays, as well as a number of feature films and tele ...
,
Myslovitz Myslovitz is a Polish rock band. The band take their name from their industrial hometown of Mysłowice in the Upper Silesia region of southern Poland. Band history Guitarist and vocalist Artur Rojek started the band in 1992 as "The Freshmen", ...
,
Edyta Bartosiewicz Edyta Małgorzata Bartosiewicz (born 11 January 1965 in Warsaw) is a Polish rock singer, composer, and songwriter. In Poland, she's known for her highly reflective and unusual lyrics. Sixteen of her singles reached the top of Polish Radio chart ...
, and Doda; jazz musicians
Tomasz Stańko Tomasz Ludwik Stańko (11 July 1942 – 29 July 2018) was a Polish trumpeter and composer. Stańko was associated with free jazz and the avant-garde. In 1962, Tomasz Stańko formed his first band, the Jazz Darings, with saxophonist Janusz Munia ...
,
Krzysztof Komeda Krzysztof Trzciński (27 April 1931 – 23 April 1969), known professionally as Krzysztof Komeda, was a Polish film music composer and jazz pianist. Perhaps best known for his work in film scores, Komeda wrote the scores for Roman Polanski’s f ...
, Włodek Pawlik,
Adam Makowicz Adam Makowicz (born Adam Matyszkowicz; 18 August 1940) is a Polish pianist and composer living in Toronto. He performs jazz and classical piano pieces, as well as his own compositions. Biography Adam Makowicz was born into a family of ethnic ...
,
Leszek Możdżer Leszek Możdżer (Polish pronunciation: born Lesław Henryk Możdżer, 23 March 1971, Gdańsk) is a Polish jazz pianist, music producer and film score composer. Life and career Możdżer was born on 23 March 1971 in Gdańsk. He began to play t ...
, and
Michał Urbaniak Michał Urbaniak (born January 22, 1943) is a Polish jazz musician who plays violin, lyricon, and saxophone. His music includes elements of folk music, rhythm and blues, hip hop, and symphonic music. History He was born in Warsaw, Poland. U ...
;
death Death is the irreversible cessation of all biological functions that sustain an organism. For organisms with a brain, death can also be defined as the irreversible cessation of functioning of the whole brain, including brainstem, and brain ...
and
black metal Black metal is an extreme metal, extreme subgenre of heavy metal music. Common traits include Tempo#Beats per minute, fast tempos, a Screaming (music)#Black metal, shrieking vocal style, heavily distorted Electric guitar, guitars played with t ...
music bands Behemoth, Vader, and
Decapitated Decapitation or beheading is the total separation of the head from the body. Such an injury is invariably fatal to humans and most other animals, since it deprives the brain of oxygenated blood, while all other organs are deprived of the i ...
; and
film A film also called a movie, motion picture, moving picture, picture, photoplay or (slang) flick is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, feelings, beauty, or atmosphere ...
and
contemporary classical music Contemporary classical music is classical music composed close to the present day. At the beginning of the 21st century, it commonly referred to the post-1945 modern forms of post-tonal music after the death of Anton Webern, and included seria ...
composers
Wojciech Kilar Wojciech Kilar (; 17 July 1932 – 29 December 2013) was a Polish classical and film music composer. One of his greatest successes came with his score to Francis Ford Coppola's '' Bram Stoker's Dracula'' in 1992, which received the ASCAP Award ...
, Jan A.P. Kaczmarek,
Zbigniew Preisner Zbigniew Preisner (; born 20 May 1955 as Zbigniew Antoni Kowalski) is a Polish film score composer, best known for his work with film director Krzysztof Kieślowski. He is the recipient of the Gold Medal for Merit to Culture – Gloria Artis as we ...
,
Abel Korzeniowski Abel Korzeniowski (; born 18 July 1972) is a Polish composer of film and theatre scores. Life and career Korzeniowski was born in Kraków. He had contact with music from early childhood: his mother Barbara plays the cello and both his brothers A ...
,
Krzesimir Dębski Krzesimir Marcin Dębski (; born 26 October 1953 in Wałbrzych) is a Polish composer, conductor and jazz violinist. His music career as a musician has been that of a performer as well as composer of classical music, opera, television and feature ...
, and
Krzysztof Meyer Krzysztof Meyer (born 11 August 1943) is a Polish composer, pianist, and music scholar, formerly Dean of the Department of Music Theory (1972–1975) at the State College of Music (now Academy of Music in Kraków), and president of the Union of P ...
, among many others.


Classical music


Medieval and Renaissance

The origin of Polish music can be traced as far back as the 13th century, from which manuscripts have been found in Stary Sącz, containing
polyphonic Polyphony ( ) is a type of musical texture consisting of two or more simultaneous lines of independent melody, as opposed to a musical texture with just one voice, monophony, or a texture with one dominant melodic voice accompanied by chords, h ...
compositions related to the Parisian
Notre Dame School The Notre-Dame school or the Notre-Dame school of polyphony refers to the group of composers working at or near the Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris from about 1160 to 1250, along with the music they produced. The only composers whose names hav ...
. Other early compositions, such as the melody of ''
Bogurodzica ] Bogurodzica (, calque of the Greek term ''Theotokos''), in English known as the Mother of God, is a medieval Roman Catholic hymn composed sometime between the 10th and 13th centuries in Poland. It is believed to be the oldest religious hymn or p ...
'', may also date back to this period. The first known notable composer, Mikołaj z Radomia, lived in the 15th century. During the 16th century, mostly two musical ensembles – both based in
Kraków Kraków (), or Cracow, is the second-largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in Lesser Poland Voivodeship, the city dates back to the seventh century. Kraków was the official capital of Poland until 1596 ...
and belonging to the
King King is the title given to a male monarch in a variety of contexts. The female equivalent is queen, which title is also given to the consort of a king. *In the context of prehistory, antiquity and contemporary indigenous peoples, the tit ...
and the
Archbishop In Christian denominations, an archbishop is a bishop of higher rank or office. In most cases, such as the Catholic Church, there are many archbishops who either have jurisdiction over an ecclesiastical province in addition to their own archdi ...
of
Wawel The Wawel Royal Castle (; ''Zamek Królewski na Wawelu'') and the Wawel Hill on which it sits constitute the most historically and culturally significant site in Poland. A fortified residency on the Vistula River in Kraków, it was established on ...
– led the rapid innovation of Polish music. Composers writing during this period include
Wacław z Szamotuł Wacław is a Polish masculine given name. It is a borrowing of cz, Václav, Latinized as Wenceslaus. For etymology and cognates in other languages, see Wenceslaus. It may refer to: * Wacław Leszczyński *Wacław of Szamotuły * Wacław Hańs ...
,
Mikołaj Zieleński Mikołaj Zieleński (Zelenscius, fl. 1611) was a Polish composer, organist and '' Kapellmeister'' to the primate Baranowski, Archbishop of Gniezno. Neither the date of his birth nor of his death are known; documents from Płock Cathedral state h ...
, Nicolaus Cracoviensis, Marcin Leopolita and
Mikołaj Gomółka Mikołaj Gomółka (c. 1535 – after 30 April 1591, most probably 5 March 1609) was a Polish Renaissance composer, and member of the royal court of Sigismund II Augustus, where he was a singer, flutist and trumpeter. Gomółka was born in Sando ...
, who composed "Melodies to Polish Psalter".
Diomedes Cato Diomedes Cato (1560 to 1565 – d.1627 in Gdansk) was an Italian-born composer and lute player, who lived and worked entirely in Poland and Lithuania. He is known mainly for his instrumental music. He mixed the style of the late Renaissance with ...
, a native-born Italian who lived in Kraków from about the age of five, became one of the most famous lutenists at the court of
Sigismund III Sigismund III Vasa ( pl, Zygmunt III Waza, lt, Žygimantas Vaza; 20 June 1566 – 30 April 1632 N.S.) was King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania from 1587 to 1632 and, as Sigismund, King of Sweden and Grand Duke of Finland from 1592 to ...
, and not only imported some of the musical styles from southern Europe, but blended them with native folk music.


Baroque

During the 17th century, Polish composers from this period focused on
baroque The Baroque (, ; ) is a style of architecture, music, dance, painting, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished in Europe from the early 17th century until the 1750s. In the territories of the Spanish and Portuguese empires including t ...
religious music, concertos for voices, instruments, and
basso continuo Basso continuo parts, almost universal in the Baroque era (1600–1750), provided the harmonic structure of the music by supplying a bassline and a chord progression. The phrase is often shortened to continuo, and the instrumentalists playing th ...
, a tradition that continued into the 18th century. The most renowned composer of this period is Adam Jarzębski, known for his instrumental works such as ''Chromatica'', ''Tamburetta'', ''Sentinella'', ''Bentrovata'', and ''Nova Casa''. Other composers include
Grzegorz Gerwazy Gorczycki Grzegorz Gerwazy Gorczycki (ca. 1665 to 1667 – 30 April 1734) was a Polish Baroque composer. Considered one of the greatest composers of Polish Baroque music, during his lifetime he was called the "Polish Handel". Life Born in Rozbark near Byt ...
,
Franciszek Lilius Franciszek (Franciscus) Lilius (c. 1600 – 1657) was a Polish composer, a descendant of the Italian Giglis family. He significantly contributed to the musical culture of Warsaw in the 17th century. In 1630, he moved to Kraków Kraków (), o ...
, Bartłomiej Pękiel, Stanisław Sylwester Szarzyński and
Marcin Mielczewski Marcin Mielczewski (c. 1600 – September 1651) was, together with his tutor Franciszek Lilius and Bartłomiej Pękiel, among the most notable Polish composers in the 17th century. By 1632 he was a composer and musician in the royal chapel in Wars ...
. Also, in the last years of the 16th century and the first part of the 17th century, a number of Italian musicians were guests at the royal courts of Sigismund III and
Władysław IV Władysław is a Polish given male name, cognate with Vladislav. The feminine form is Władysława, archaic forms are Włodzisław (male) and Włodzisława (female), and Wladislaw is a variation. These names may refer to: Famous people Mononym * ...
. These included
Luca Marenzio Luca Marenzio (also Marentio; October 18, 1553 or 1554 – August 22, 1599) was an Italian composer and singer of the late Renaissance. He was one of the most renowned composers of madrigals, and wrote some of the most famous examples of the fo ...
,
Giovanni Francesco Anerio Giovanni Francesco Anerio (7 July 1569 - 11 June 1630) was an Italian composer of the Roman School, of the very late Renaissance and early Baroque eras. He was the younger brother of Felice Anerio. Giovanni's principal importance in music histor ...
, and
Marco Scacchi Marco Scacchi (ca. 1600 – 7 September 1662) was an Italian composer and writer on music. Scacchi was born in Gallese, Lazio. He studied under Giovanni Francesco Anerio in Rome. He was associated with the court at Warsaw from 1626, and was '' ...
. In addition, a tradition of operatic production began in Warsaw in 1628, with a performance of ''Galatea'' (composer uncertain), the first Italian opera produced outside Italy. Shortly after this performance, the court produced
Francesca Caccini Francesca Caccini (; 18 September 1587 – after 1641) was an Italian composer, singer, lutenist, poet, and music teacher of the early Baroque era. She was also known by the nickname "La Cecchina" , given to her by the Florentines and probably a ...
's opera '' La liberazione di Ruggiero dall'isola d’Alcina'', which she had written for Prince Władysław three years earlier when he was in Italy. Another first, this is the earliest surviving opera written by a woman. When Władysław was king (as Władysław IV) he oversaw the production of at least ten operas during the late 1630s and 1640s, making Warsaw a center of the art. The composers of these operas are not known: they may have been Poles working under Marco Scacchi in the royal chapel, or they may have been among the Italians imported by Władysław.


Classical and Romantic

At the end of the 18th century, Polish classical music evolved into national forms like the
Polonaise The polonaise (, ; pl, polonez ) is a dance of Polish origin, one of the five Polish national dances in time. Its name is French for "Polish" adjective feminine/"Polish woman"/"girl". The original Polish name of the dance is Chodzony, meani ...
and
Mazurka The mazurka (Polish: ''mazur'' Polish ball dance, one of the five Polish national dances and ''mazurek'' Polish folk dance') is a Polish musical form based on stylised folk dances in triple meter, usually at a lively tempo, with character de ...
— perhaps the first distinctively Polish
art music Art music (alternatively called classical music, cultivated music, serious music, and canonic music) is music considered to be of high phonoaesthetic value. It typically implies advanced structural and theoretical considerationsJacques Siron, ...
. Polonaises for piano were and remain popular, such as those by
Michał Kleofas Ogiński Michał Kleofas Ogiński (25 September 176515 October 1833) was a Polish diplomat and politician, Grand Treasurer of Lithuania, and a senator of Tsar Alexander I. He was also a composer of early Romantic music. Early life Ogiński was born i ...
,
Karol Kurpiński Karol Kazimierz Kurpiński (March 6, 1785September 18, 1857) was a Polish composer, conductor and pedagogue. He was a representative of late classicism and a member of the Warsaw Society of Friends of Learning (Polish: ''Towarzystwo Warszaws ...
,
Juliusz Zarębski Juliusz Zarębski (3 March 185415 September 1885) was a Polish composer and pianist. Some of his manuscripts have been found in the National Library of Poland (BN). Life Juliusz Zarębski was born on March 3, 1854 in Zhytomyr, now Ukraine (then f ...
,
Henryk Wieniawski Henryk Wieniawski (; 10 July 183531 March 1880) was a Polish virtuoso violinist, composer and pedagogue who is regarded amongst the greatest violinists in history. His younger brother Józef Wieniawski and nephew Adam Tadeusz Wieniawski were al ...
,
Józef Elsner Józef Antoni Franciszek Elsner (sometimes ''Józef Ksawery Elsner''; baptismal name, ''Joseph Anton Franz Elsner''; 1 June 176918 April 1854) was a composer, music teacher, and music theoretician, active mainly in Warsaw. He was one of the firs ...
, and, most famously,
Frédéric Chopin Frédéric François Chopin (born Fryderyk Franciszek Chopin; 1 March 181017 October 1849) was a Polish composer and virtuoso pianist of the Romantic period, who wrote primarily for solo piano. He has maintained worldwide renown as a leadin ...
. Chopin remains very well known, and is regarded for composing a wide variety of works, including
mazurka The mazurka (Polish: ''mazur'' Polish ball dance, one of the five Polish national dances and ''mazurek'' Polish folk dance') is a Polish musical form based on stylised folk dances in triple meter, usually at a lively tempo, with character de ...
s,
nocturne A nocturne is a musical composition that is inspired by, or evocative of, the night. History The term ''nocturne'' (from French '' nocturne'' 'of the night') was first applied to musical pieces in the 18th century, when it indicated an ensembl ...
s,
waltz The waltz ( ), meaning "to roll or revolve") is a ballroom and folk dance, normally in triple ( time), performed primarily in closed position. History There are many references to a sliding or gliding dance that would evolve into the wa ...
es and concertos, and using traditional Polish elements in his pieces. The same period saw
Stanisław Moniuszko Stanisław Moniuszko (; May 5, 1819 – June 4, 1872) was a Polish composer, conductor and teacher. He wrote many popular art songs and operas, and his music is filled with patriotic folk themes of the peoples of the former Polish–Lithuania ...
, the leading individual in the successful development of Polish opera, still renowned for operas like ''
Halka ''Halka'' is an opera by Polish composer Stanisław Moniuszko to a libretto written by Włodzimierz Wolski, a young Warsaw poet with radical social views. It is part of the canon of Polish national operas. Performance history The first perf ...
'' and ''
The Haunted Manor ''The Haunted Manor'' ( pl, Straszny dwór) is an opera in four acts composed by Polish composer Stanisław Moniuszko in 1861–1864. The libretto was written by . Despite being a romance and a comedy, it has strong Polish patriotic undertones ...
''. The first national opera, '' Krakowiacy i Górale'' written by
Wojciech Bogusławski Wojciech Romuald Bogusławski (9 April 1757 – 23 July 1829) was a Polish actor, theater director and playwright of the Polish Enlightenment. He was the director of the National Theatre, Warsaw, (''Teatr Narodowy''), during three distinct peri ...
and Jan Stefani premiered on 1 March 1794. In the 19th century the most popular composers were
Maria Agata Szymanowska Maria Szymanowska (Polish pronunciation: ; born Marianna Agata Wołowska; Warsaw, 14 December 1789 – 25 July 1831, St. Petersburg, Russia) was a Polish composer and one of the first professional virtuoso pianists of the 19th century. She tour ...
, Franciszek Lessel, and Ignacy Dobrzyński. Important opera composers were
Karol Kurpiński Karol Kazimierz Kurpiński (March 6, 1785September 18, 1857) was a Polish composer, conductor and pedagogue. He was a representative of late classicism and a member of the Warsaw Society of Friends of Learning (Polish: ''Towarzystwo Warszaws ...
and
Stanisław Moniuszko Stanisław Moniuszko (; May 5, 1819 – June 4, 1872) was a Polish composer, conductor and teacher. He wrote many popular art songs and operas, and his music is filled with patriotic folk themes of the peoples of the former Polish–Lithuania ...
. At the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries the most prominent composers were Władysław Żeleński and
Mieczysław Karłowicz Mieczysław Karłowicz (, 11 December 18768 February 1909) was a Polish composer and conductor. Life Mieczysław Karłowicz was born in Vishneva, in the Vilna Governorate of the Russian Empire (now in Belarus) into a noble family belonging to ...
.
Karol Szymanowski Karol Maciej Szymanowski (; 6 October 188229 March 1937) was a Polish composer and pianist. He was a member of the modernist Young Poland movement that flourished in the late 19th and early 20th century. Szymanowski's early works show the inf ...
gained prominence prior to World War II. Józef Koffler was the first Polish twelve-tone composer (dodecaphonist).


Contemporary

Between the wars, a group of new and emerging composers formed the Association of Young Polish Musicians; which included future luminaries
Grażyna Bacewicz Grażyna Bacewicz Biernacka (; 5 February 1909 – 17 January 1969) was a Polish composer and violinist. She is the second Polish female composer to have achieved national and international recognition, the first being Maria Szymanowska in the ...
,
Zygmunt Mycielski Count Zygmunt Mycielski (17 August 1907 – 5 August 1987) was a Polish composer and music critic. He was born in Przeworsk and completed his childhood education in Kraków, where he was taught by Bernardino Rizzi. In 1928, Mycielski moved to Par ...
, Michał Spisak and Tadeusz Szeligowski. Following
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
and the country becoming a communist system, some composers, such as
Roman Palester Roman Palester (28 December 1907 – 25 August 1989) was a Polish composer of classical music. Palester composed his most significant work during the 1960s and was the first Polish musician to be awarded the Alfred Jurzykowski Prize in 1964. ...
and
Andrzej Panufnik Sir Andrzej Panufnik (24 September 1914 – 27 October 1991) was a Poles, Polish composer and conductor. He became established as one of the leading Polish composers, and as a conductor he was instrumental in the re-establishment of the Warsaw ...
, fled the country and remained in exile. In the early 1960s, a number of Polish composers formed the Polish Composers' School, characterized by the use of
sonorism Sonorism (Polish: ''Sonoryzm'') is an approach to musical composition associated with a number of notable Polish composers. The scholar Józef Michał Chomiński coined the term "sonoristics" (Polish: ''sonorystyka'') to describe the urge to expl ...
and dodecaphonism. The style emerged from the political crisis in 1956, following Stalin's death. In the same year the
Warsaw Autumn Warsaw ( pl, Warszawa, ), officially the Capital City of Warsaw,, abbreviation: ''m.st. Warszawa'' is the capital and largest city of Poland. The metropolis stands on the River Vistula in east-central Poland, and its population is officially ...
music festival was inaugurated, both closely connected. According to conductor
Antoni Wit Antoni Wit (born February 7, 1944) is a Polish conductor, composer, lawyer and professor at the Fryderyk Chopin University of Music. Between 2002 and 2013, he served as the artistic director of the National Philharmonic in Warsaw. Life and career ...
composers were given artistic freedom because the Polish regime wasn't as harsh as other Eastern European dictatorships and music wasn't considered ideologically relevant unlike literature, theater or cinema. Composers from the "Polish School" included
Tadeusz Baird Tadeusz Baird (26 July 19282 September 1981) was a Polish composer. Biography Baird was born in Grodzisk Mazowiecki, in Poland. His father Edward was Scottish, while his mother Maria (née Popov) was Russian. In 1944 at the age of 16 he was dep ...
,
Bogusław Schaeffer Bogusław Julian Schaeffer (also Schäffer) (6 June 1929 – 1 July 2019) was a Polish composer, musicologist, and graphic artist, a member of the avantgarde "Cracow Group" of Polish composers alongside Krzysztof Penderecki and others. Schaeffe ...
,
Włodzimierz Kotoński Włodzimierz Kotoński (23 August 1925 – 4 September 2014) was a Polish composer. Biography Born in Warsaw, Kotoński studied there with Piotr Rytel and Tadeusz Szeligowski at the PWSM, graduating in 1951. In an initial period of activity he ...
, Witold Szalonek,
Krzysztof Penderecki Krzysztof Eugeniusz Penderecki (; 23 November 1933 – 29 March 2020) was a Polish composer and conductor. His best known works include ''Threnody to the Victims of Hiroshima'', Symphony No. 3, his '' St Luke Passion'', ''Polish Requiem'', ''A ...
,
Witold Lutosławski Witold Roman Lutosławski (; 25 January 1913 – 7 February 1994) was a Polish composer and conductor. Among the major composers of 20th-century classical music, he is "generally regarded as the most significant Polish composer since Szyman ...
,
Wojciech Kilar Wojciech Kilar (; 17 July 1932 – 29 December 2013) was a Polish classical and film music composer. One of his greatest successes came with his score to Francis Ford Coppola's '' Bram Stoker's Dracula'' in 1992, which received the ASCAP Award ...
,
Kazimierz Serocki Kazimierz Serocki (3 March 1922 – 9 January 1981) was a Polish composer and one of the founders of the Warsaw Autumn contemporary music festival. Life Serocki was born in Toruń. He studied composition with Kazimierz Sikorski and piano w ...
,
Tomasz Sikorski Tomasz Sikorski (19 May 1939 – 12 November 1988) was a Polish composer and pianist. The son of the composer Kazimierz Sikorski, he studied at the Warsaw Conservatory with Zbigniew Drzewiecki. Later, thanks to a scholarship from the French go ...
,
Zygmunt Krauze Zygmunt Krauze (born September 19, 1938) is a Polish composer of contemporary classical music, educator, and pianist. Biography Zygmunt Krauze is an important artist of his generation: a respected composer, valued pianist, educator, organiser of ...
and
Henryk Mikołaj Górecki Henryk may refer to: * Henryk (given name) * Henryk, Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship, a village in south-central Poland * Henryk Glacier, an Antarctic glacier See also * Henryk Batuta hoax, an internet hoax * Henrykian articles The Henrician Article ...
. More modern classical and jazz composers include
Krzysztof Meyer Krzysztof Meyer (born 11 August 1943) is a Polish composer, pianist, and music scholar, formerly Dean of the Department of Music Theory (1972–1975) at the State College of Music (now Academy of Music in Kraków), and president of the Union of P ...
, Jan A.P. Kaczmarek, Paweł Szymański,
Krzesimir Dębski Krzesimir Marcin Dębski (; born 26 October 1953 in Wałbrzych) is a Polish composer, conductor and jazz violinist. His music career as a musician has been that of a performer as well as composer of classical music, opera, television and feature ...
,
Hanna Kulenty Hanna Kulenty (born March 18, 1961, in Białystok) is a Polish composer of contemporary classical music. Since 1992, she has worked and lived both in Warsaw (Poland) and in Arnhem (Netherlands). Musical education After studying piano at the Karo ...
,
Eugeniusz Knapik Eugeniusz Knapik (born July 9, 1951, in Ruda Śląska) is a Polish pianist and composer of classical music best known for his 1980 chamber piece String Quartet No. 1. Knapik studied composition and piano with Henryk Górecki (1933–2010) a ...
, Paweł Łukaszewski,
Paweł Mykietyn Paweł Mykietyn (Polish pronunciation: ; born 20 May 1971) is a Polish award-winning composer and clarinetist. By the year 2012, Mykietyn had written two symphonies, cello, piano and violin concertos, St. Marc Passions for soprano, narrator, c ...
, Maciej Zieliński, Marcel Chyrzyński, Marta Ptaszynska, Agata Zubel and Maciej Bałenkowski.


Recordings

The
Polskie Nagrania Muza Polskie Nagrania "Muza" ("Polish Records 'Muse' ", official name since 2005: "Polskie Nagrania Sp. z o.o", i.e., Polskie Nagrania Ltd.) is a Polish record label based in Warsaw. It has produced records in many genres including pop, rock, jazz, fol ...
was the state recording company, from 1956. Following the fall of communism it was bought by Warner Music Poland. It dealt with the wide range of music tastes, folk, popular, classical and children's music.


Traditional folk music

Polish
folk music Folk music is a music genre that includes traditional folk music and the contemporary genre that evolved from the former during the 20th-century folk revival. Some types of folk music may be called world music. Traditional folk music has b ...
was collected in the 19th century by
Oskar Kolberg Henryk Oskar Kolberg (22 February 1814 – 3 June 1890) was a Polish ethnographer, folklorist, and composer active during the foreign Partitions of Poland.national revival National revival or national awakening is a period of ethnic self-consciousness that often precedes a political movement for national liberation but that can take place at a time when independence is politically unrealistic. In the history of Eur ...
. After
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
, in the
Polish People's Republic The Polish People's Republic ( pl, Polska Rzeczpospolita Ludowa, PRL) was a country in Central Europe that existed from 1947 to 1989 as the predecessor of the modern Republic of Poland. With a population of approximately 37.9 million nea ...
, folk traditions were commonly cultivated, but public performances and broadcasts had also highly organized and officially promoted forms. State-supported, large-scale folk ensembles became prominent. The most famous of these were
Mazowsze Mazovia or Masovia ( pl, Mazowsze) is a historical region in mid-north-eastern Poland. It spans the North European Plain, roughly between Łódź and Białystok, with Warsaw being the unofficial capital and largest city. Throughout the centurie ...
and
Śląsk Silesia (, also , ) is a historical region of Central Europe that lies mostly within Poland, with small parts in the Czech Silesia, Czech Republic and Germany. Its area is approximately , and the population is estimated at around 8,000,000. S ...
, both of which still perform. Though such bands presented interpretations of regional folk repertoire, the overall sound was a homogenized mixture of Polish styles. There were more authentic groups, such as Słowianki, but the sanitized image of folk music made the whole field unattractive to some audiences, and many traditions dwindled rapidly. Polish dance music, especially the
mazurka The mazurka (Polish: ''mazur'' Polish ball dance, one of the five Polish national dances and ''mazurek'' Polish folk dance') is a Polish musical form based on stylised folk dances in triple meter, usually at a lively tempo, with character de ...
and
polonaise The polonaise (, ; pl, polonez ) is a dance of Polish origin, one of the five Polish national dances in time. Its name is French for "Polish" adjective feminine/"Polish woman"/"girl". The original Polish name of the dance is Chodzony, meani ...
, were popularized by Frédéric Chopin, and they soon spread across Europe and elsewhere. These are triple time dances, while five-beat forms are more common in the northeast and duple-time dances like the
krakowiak The Krakowiak or Cracovienne is a fast, syncopated Polish folk dance in duple time from the region of Kraków and Lesser Poland. The folk outfit worn for the dance has become the national costume of Poland, most notably, the rogatywka peaked hat ...
come from the south. The 'polonaise' comes from the French word for 'Polish' used to identify its origin among the Polish aristocracy who had adapted the dance from a slower walking dance called ''chodzony''. The polonaise then re-entered the lower-class musical life, and became an integral part of the Polish music.


Podhale

While folk music lost popularity in Poland, especially in urban areas, the tourist destination of
Podhale Podhale (literally "below the mountain pastures") is Poland's southernmost region, sometimes referred to as the "Polish Highlands". The Podhale is located in the foothills of the Tatra range of the Carpathian mountains. It is the most famous ...
has retained its lively traditions. The regional capital,
Zakopane Zakopane ( Podhale Goral: ''Zokopane'') is a town in the extreme south of Poland, in the southern part of the Podhale region at the foot of the Tatra Mountains. From 1975 to 1998, it was part of Nowy Sącz Voivodeship; since 1999, it has been par ...
, has been a center for art since the late 19th century, when people like composer
Karol Szymanowski Karol Maciej Szymanowski (; 6 October 188229 March 1937) was a Polish composer and pianist. He was a member of the modernist Young Poland movement that flourished in the late 19th and early 20th century. Szymanowski's early works show the inf ...
, who discovered Goral folk music there, made the area chic among Europe's intellectuals. Though a part of Poland, Podhale's musical life is more closely related to that found in the Carpathian mountains of Ukraine, Slovakia, Moravia in Czech Republic and
Transylvania Transylvania ( ro, Ardeal or ; hu, Erdély; german: Siebenbürgen) is a historical and cultural region in Central Europe, encompassing central Romania. To the east and south its natural border is the Carpathian Mountains, and to the west the Ap ...
. Local ensembles use
string instrument String instruments, stringed instruments, or chordophones are musical instruments that produce sound from vibrating strings when a performer plays or sounds the strings in some manner. Musicians play some string instruments by plucking the ...
s like violins and a cello to play distinctive scales with augumented fourth, mainly the
lydian mode The modern Lydian mode is a seven-tone musical scale formed from a rising pattern of pitches comprising three whole tones, a semitone, two more whole tones, and a final semitone. : Because of the importance of the major scale in modern music ...
and
acoustic scale In music, the acoustic scale, overtone scale, Lydian dominant scale, Lydian 7 scale, or the Pontikonisian Scale is a seven-note synthetic scale. : This differs from the major scale in having an augmented fourth and a minor seventh scale deg ...
, in Poland called ''skala podhalańska'' (. The distinctive singing style used in this scale is called ''lidyzowanie''. The lead violin (''prym'') are accompanied by several second violins (''sekund'') and a three-stringed cello (''basy''). Duple-time dances like the ''krzesany'', ''zbójnicki'' (the Brigand's Dance) and ''ozwodna'' are popular. The ozwodna has a five-bar melodic structure which is quite unusual. The krzesany is an extremely swift dance, while the zbójnicki is well-known and is perceived as being most "typical" of Podhale and Northern Slovakia. Folk songs typically focus on heroes like
Juraj Jánošík Juraj Jánošík (first name also ''Juro'' or ''Jurko'', ; baptised 25 January 1688, died 17 March 1713) was a Slovak highwayman. Jánošík has been the main character of many Slovak novels, poems, and films. According to the legend, he robbed ...
.Broughton, Simon (2000), "Hanging on in the Highlands". In: Broughton, Simon, and Ellingham, Mark; with McConnachie, James, and Duane, Orla (Ed.),
World Music, Vol. 1: Africa, Europe and the Middle East.
' Rough Guides Ltd, Penguin Books, pp. 219–222.


Other regions

Outside of Podhale, few regions have active folk scenes, though there are music festivals, such as the Kazimierz Festival, which are well-known and popular. Regional folk bands include Gienek Wilczek Band ( Bukowina), Tadeusz Jedynak Band (Przystalowice Male), Stachy Band (Hazców nad Wislokiem), Franciszek Gola Band (Kadzidło), Edward Markocki Band (Zmyslówka-Podlesie), Kazimierz Kantor Band (Głowaczowa), Swarni Band (
Nowy Targ Nowy Targ (Officially: ''Royal Free city of Nowy Targ'', Yiddish: ''Naymark'', Goral Dialect: ''Miasto'') is a town in southern Poland, in the Lesser Poland Voivodeship. It is located in the Orava-Nowy Targ Basin at the foot of the Gorce Mount ...
), Kazimierz Meto Band (Glina), Ludwik Młynarczyk Band ( Lipnica), Kujawska Atlantyda (Kujawy) and
Trebunie-Tutki Trebunie-Tutki is a folk musical group consisting of a family of musicians originating from Biały Dunajec village near Zakopane, Poland. Though there are many members of the extended family that play music, the core musicians currently are Krzys ...
.


Contemporary popular music

Poland has always been a very open country to new music genres and even before the fall of the communism, music styles like
rock Rock most often refers to: * Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids * Rock music, a genre of popular music Rock or Rocks may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wales ...
,
metal A metal (from Greek μέταλλον ''métallon'', "mine, quarry, metal") is a material that, when freshly prepared, polished, or fractured, shows a lustrous appearance, and conducts electricity and heat relatively well. Metals are typicall ...
,
jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a major ...
,
electronic Electronic may refer to: *Electronics, the science of how to control electric energy in semiconductor * ''Electronics'' (magazine), a defunct American trade journal *Electronic storage, the storage of data using an electronic device *Electronic co ...
, and new wave were well-known. Since 1989, the Polish scene has exploded with new talents and a more diverse style. Every year, a huge gathering of young Poles meet to honour the rock and alternative music in
Jarocin Jarocin () (german: Jarotschin) is a town in west-central Poland with 25,700 inhabitants (1995), the administrative capital of Jarocin County in Greater Poland Voivodeship. Jarocin is a historical town, having been founded and granted city right ...
,
Żary Żary (pronounced , german: Sorau, dsb, Žarow) is a town in western Poland with 37,502 inhabitants (2019), situated in the Lubusz Voivodeship since 1999. Previously it was located within Zielona Góra Voivodeship (1975–1998). It is the admi ...
, at
Woodstock Festival Woodstock Music and Art Fair, commonly referred to as Woodstock, was a music festival held during August 15–18, 1969, on Max Yasgur's dairy farm in Bethel, New York, United States, southwest of the town of Woodstock, New York, Woodstock. ...
Poland in
Kostrzyn nad Odrą Kostrzyn nad Odrą (literally Kostrzyn upon Oder) (; german: Küstrin ) is a town in Gorzów County, Lubusz Voivodeship in western Poland, close to the border with Germany. Geography The town is situated within the historic Lubusz Land (''Ziemia ...
and at
Open'er Festival The Open'er Festival is a music festival which takes place on the north coast of Poland, in Gdynia. It is one of the biggest annual music festivals in Poland. The first edition of the festival was organized in Warsaw in 2002 as ''Open Air Festi ...
and
Off Festival OFF Festival is an alternative music festival series held annually since 2006. Until 2009 it was held at Słupna Park in Mysłowice, Poland in August and lasts four days. OFF Festival from 2010 takes place in Katowice in Dolina Trzech Stawow. Th ...
. These events often attract more than 250,000 people and are comparable to the gatherings in
Woodstock Woodstock Music and Art Fair, commonly referred to as Woodstock, was a music festival held during August 15–18, 1969, on Max Yasgur's dairy farm in Bethel, New York, United States, southwest of the town of Woodstock, New York, Woodstock. ...
and
Roskilde Roskilde ( , ) is a city west of Copenhagen on the Danish island of Zealand. With a population of 51,916 (), the city is a business and educational centre for the region and the 10th largest city in Denmark. It is governed by the administrative ...
. In jazz music, Polish musicians created a specific style, which was most famous in 1960s and 1970s. Some prominent Polish jazz artists are:
Krzysztof Komeda Krzysztof Trzciński (27 April 1931 – 23 April 1969), known professionally as Krzysztof Komeda, was a Polish film music composer and jazz pianist. Perhaps best known for his work in film scores, Komeda wrote the scores for Roman Polanski’s f ...
,
Zbigniew Namysłowski Zbigniew Jacek Namysłowski (9 September 1939 – 7 February 2022) was a Polish jazz alto saxophonist, flautist, cellist, trombonist, pianist and composer. Life and career Namysłowski was born in Warsaw, Poland, on 9 September 1939. He perform ...
,
Adam Makowicz Adam Makowicz (born Adam Matyszkowicz; 18 August 1940) is a Polish pianist and composer living in Toronto. He performs jazz and classical piano pieces, as well as his own compositions. Biography Adam Makowicz was born into a family of ethnic ...
,
Tomasz Stańko Tomasz Ludwik Stańko (11 July 1942 – 29 July 2018) was a Polish trumpeter and composer. Stańko was associated with free jazz and the avant-garde. In 1962, Tomasz Stańko formed his first band, the Jazz Darings, with saxophonist Janusz Munia ...
, Włodek Pawlik,
Michał Urbaniak Michał Urbaniak (born January 22, 1943) is a Polish jazz musician who plays violin, lyricon, and saxophone. His music includes elements of folk music, rhythm and blues, hip hop, and symphonic music. History He was born in Warsaw, Poland. U ...
,
Leszek Możdżer Leszek Możdżer (Polish pronunciation: born Lesław Henryk Możdżer, 23 March 1971, Gdańsk) is a Polish jazz pianist, music producer and film score composer. Life and career Możdżer was born on 23 March 1971 in Gdańsk. He began to play t ...
. Some of the most popular and commercially successful Polish vocalists of 20th and 21st centuries are
Czesław Niemen Czesław Niemen (; February 16, 1939 – January 17, 2004), born Czesław Juliusz Wydrzycki, and often credited as just Niemen, was one of the most important and original Polish singer-songwriters and rock balladeers of the 20th century, singing ...
,
Edyta Górniak Edyta Anna Górniak (; born 14 November 1972) is a Polish pop singer with a career spanning 3 decades. Górniak started as a musical theatre actress in 1990. She performed in the most popular musical in Polish history, the Tony Award-nominated ...
,
Myslovitz Myslovitz is a Polish rock band. The band take their name from their industrial hometown of Mysłowice in the Upper Silesia region of southern Poland. Band history Guitarist and vocalist Artur Rojek started the band in 1992 as "The Freshmen", ...
, Doda,
Maryla Rodowicz Maria Antonina Rodowicz, known professionally as Maryla Rodowicz, (Polish pronunciation: born 8 December 1945 in Zielona Góra), is a Polish singer, guitarist and actress. Throughout over 50 years of her career, she released twenty Polish and f ...
,
Kamil Bednarek Kamil Bednarek (born 10 May 1991 in Brzeg) is a Polish reggae and dancehall vocalist, songwriter, composer and musician. He is best known as the runner-up in the third series of Mam talent!. From 2008 to 2012, Bednarek was the lead singer of S ...
,
Ewa Farna Ewa Farna (born 12 August 1993) is a Polish-Czech pop-rock singer. She released five Polish-language and four Czech-language studio albums, and received platinum and gold certifications for them, both in Poland and the Czech Republic. Farna i ...
,
Agnieszka Chylińska Agnieszka Chylińska is a Polish singer. From 1994 to 2003, she was the vocalist for the Polish rock band O.N.A. Since 2003 she has performed as Chylińska and in 2004 she released an album titled ''Winna''. Since 2008 she has been a judge on ...
, Sylwia Grzeszczak,
Michał Szpak Michał Szpak (born 26 November 1990) is a Polish singer who found fame on the X Factor (Polish season 1), inaugural season of the Polish ''X Factor (Polish TV series), X Factor'' in 2011. On 12 May 2016, Szpak represented Poland at the Eurovisi ...
,
Edyta Bartosiewicz Edyta Małgorzata Bartosiewicz (born 11 January 1965 in Warsaw) is a Polish rock singer, composer, and songwriter. In Poland, she's known for her highly reflective and unusual lyrics. Sixteen of her singles reached the top of Polish Radio chart ...
,
Anna Maria Jopek Anna Maria Jopek (born 14 December 1970) is a Polish vocalist, songwriter, and improviser. She represented Poland in the 1997 Eurovision Song Contest, with the song "Ale jestem" and finished 11th out of 25 participating acts; and in 2002, she co ...
,
Kasia Nosowska Katarzyna (Kasia) Nosowska (born 30 August 1971, Szczecin) is the lead singer of the Polish rock band Hey. She is also known for her solo career, which in contrast to Hey's guitar-driven rock delves more into electronica. Apart from penning Hey ...
,
Dawid Podsiadło Dawid Henryk Podsiadło (; born 23 May 1993) is a Polish singer-songwriter who won the second series of '' X Factor'' in 2012. He received PLN 100,000 and a recording contract with Sony Music. On the show, he was mentored by Tatiana Okupnik. ...
, Sarsa,
Monika Brodka Monika Maria Brodka (born 7 February 1988) is a Polish singer, who rose to fame as the winner of the third season of Polish Pop Idol (''Idol'') in 2004. She has since released 3 albums, including the 2010 album ''Granda'' which received critical ...
and
Margaret Margaret is a female first name, derived via French () and Latin () from grc, μαργαρίτης () meaning "pearl". The Greek is borrowed from Persian. Margaret has been an English name since the 11th century, and remained popular througho ...
. Two contemporary big Polish music festivals are
Opole Festival The National Festival of Polish Song in Opole ( pl, Krajowy Festiwal Piosenki Polskiej w Opolu, KFPP) is an annual music festival in Opole, Poland. Together with the Sopot Festival it is one of the two most important music festivals in Poland. Th ...
and
Sopot Festival The Sopot International Song Festival or Sopot Festival (later called ''Sopot Music Festival Grand Prix'', ''Sopot Top of the Top Festival'' from 2012–13 and ''Polsat Sopot Festival'' in 2014) is an annual international song contest held in So ...
. Among other important festivals there are:
Jazz Jamboree The Jazz Jamboree Festival, one of the largest and oldest jazz festivals in Europe, takes place in Warsaw. Organized bJazz Jamboree Foundation History The first Jazz Jamboree was organised by Hot-Club Hybrydy. It was three days long (18 to 21 Sept ...
,
Rawa Blues Festival Rawa Blues Festival (pronounced ''rava'') is the world's largest indoor blues festival. The festival was named after the Rawa River, which flows through the city of Katowice in Poland. The first edition was held in April 1981. Among the highlig ...
and
Wratislavia Cantans The Andrzej Markowski International Festival Wratislavia Cantans is a music festival held every September in Wrocław and Lower Silesia, Poland, organized by the Witold Lutosławski National Forum of Music in Wrocław. The name ''Wratislavia Cantan ...
.


Heavy metal


Black metal

Black metal Black metal is an extreme metal, extreme subgenre of heavy metal music. Common traits include Tempo#Beats per minute, fast tempos, a Screaming (music)#Black metal, shrieking vocal style, heavily distorted Electric guitar, guitars played with t ...
in Poland has evolved since the 1980s, although the first bands strictly in this genre appeared in the early 1990s, with the growth of the Norwegian black metal movement. One of the first Polish black metal bands, founded in late 1979, was Kat from Katowice, which was originally classified as thrash, and heavy metal. Kat was a major influence on Polish heavy metal music, developing their harsh sound with straightforward satanic lyrics, and later were heavily inspired by the poetry of
Tadeusz Miciński Tadeusz Miciński (9 November 1873, in Łódź – February 1918, in Cherykaw Raion, Belarus) was an influential Poland, Polish poet, gnostic and playwright, and was a forerunner of Expressionism and Surrealism. He is one of the writers of the You ...
. The group has reformed several times over the years, and remains active, with their guitarist co-founder on studio projects. After a naming dispute in the early 2000s Kat & Roman Kostrzewski continue with both their live, and studio legacy. Other bands, classified as black metal in the 1980s, include Imperator (founded in 1984) with an antichristian approach in their music, and Vader (founded in 1983) with Satan themed lyrics, appearing on stage in leather and spikes. While still active, Vader later developed a death metal sound with occult themed lyrics, Imperator's style of music is disputed; reformed twice in the 1990s, the band eventually dissolved in 2000, with only one studio album released. Minor Polish black metal bands of the 1980s include Fantom (founded 1985), Scarecrow with an origin in speed metal (formed 1987), thrash metal influenced Bundeswehra (1988), Apocalyptic Slaughter (1988), Dethroner later renamed Enormity (1987). All were short lived local acts, who only released demo recordings. In the 1990s a wide range of black metal bands developed, such as Christ Agony, Mussorgski (both founded in 1990), Behemoth, Besatt, Xantotol (all founded in 1991), Oppressor later renamed Baphomets Throne, Mastiphal,
Graveland Graveland are a Polish pagan black metal band which was formed in 1991 by Rob Darken (born Robert Fudali). They began as a black metal band before adopting a pagan and Viking metal style. The lyrics and imagery of Graveland are strongly inspi ...
, North, Taranis,
Infernum Infernum is a Polish black metal band founded in 1992 in Wrocław by Grzegorz Jurgielewicz (also known as "Anextiomarus" and "Karcharoth") and Tom Balrog playing also in Oppressor and, at present, in Baphomet's Throne. Their debut, ''Taur-Nu-Fu ...
(all founded in 1992), Hermh, Arkona, Thunderbolt, Profanum (all founded in 1993),
Lux Occulta Lux Occulta (which is Latin for "hidden light" or "the secrets of light") is a Polish avant-garde metal band, founded in late 1994. Their work, also strongly influenced by progressive metal and black metal, commonly incorporates elaborate arrange ...
(founded in 1994),
Darzamat Darzamat is a Polish atmospheric black metal band, founded in 1995. After a few initial releases ( In Flames of Black Arts, Oniriad and the MCD In the Opium of Black Veil), the founding member Flauros (vocals) managed to gather musicians who hav ...
(founded in 1995), Witchmaster (founded in 1996),
Crionics Crionics was a Polish blackened death metal band from Kraków, formed in 1997 by Michał Skotniczny, Dariusz Styczeń, "Marcotic" and Maciej Zięba. In their early years they played fast and melodic metal strongly influenced by Norwegian black ...
and
Vesania Vesania (Latin for "insanity") is a Polish extreme metal band formed in 1997 by Orion, Daray and Heinrich. Later members were Annahvahr and Hatrah, who left the band in 1999 and was replaced by Siegmar. Their first release, ''Moonastray'', wa ...
(founded in 1997). After its first album, Christ Agony signed to the French Adipocere Records, then to Cacophonous Records, and then to
Hammerheart Records Hammerheart Records (known as Karmageddon Media between 2004 and 2010) is a Dutch independent record label specializing in death metal, black metal, doom metal and folk metal bands from around the world. The label was founded in 1995 and is current ...
. They received a brief period of recognition in the European underground, but later became a minor act. After their seventh album in 2009 Christ Agony eventually signed to
Mystic Production Mystic Production is one of the largest Polish independent record labels. It was founded by Barbara Mikuła in 1995 in Skała near Cracow. The company was initially releasing and distributing heavy metal music, including early albums by artist ...
and gained nostalgic recognition in Poland with support from European tours. During early and mid-1990s, Behemoth, Graveland, Infernum, Profanum, Kataxu and other bands developed a distinguishable Polish black metal style, which featured a decent atmospheric keyboard usage and nature sound samples (e.g. wind, raven cries), while still preserving the raw production values. Behemoth quickly become popular in the underground with support from
Graveland Graveland are a Polish pagan black metal band which was formed in 1991 by Rob Darken (born Robert Fudali). They began as a black metal band before adopting a pagan and Viking metal style. The lyrics and imagery of Graveland are strongly inspi ...
's mainman Rob Darken, and later with influentional label
Avantgarde Music Avantgarde Music is an Italian record label, formed as a continuation of Obscure Plasma Records, focusing on black and doom metal artists. The label had a sub-label called Wounded Love Records, which has released albums by Dolorian and Taake. A ...
. Based in Gdańsk, the band eventually developed death metal influenced sound, and gained international recognition. Other bands of the 1990s such as Baphomets Throne, North, Mussorgski, Besatt, Infernum remained active, but were signed to underground labels and never received international acclaim. In later years only Darzamat, after several album releases, were signed to
Massacre Records Massacre Records is an independent record label based in Abstatt, Germany, that specializes in bands of the heavier genres of metal. The label was founded in 1991 by Torsten Hartmann. Connected to Massacre Records is the marketing and music w ...
, but their short lived European recognition was broken by lineup changes. Vesania signed to
Napalm Records Napalm Records is an Austrian independent record label focused on heavy metal and hard rock. Originally, Napalm focused on black metal bands, such as Abigor and Summoning, and folk metal bands, such as Falkenbach and Vintersorg. The label later ...
, went on hiatus, but released three albums in the 2000s. Later, Poland developed bands such as MasseMord,
Mgła Mgła (; en, "Fog") is a Polish black metal band from Kraków, formed in 2000. The duo consists of vocalist, guitarist and bassist M. (Mikołaj Żentara) and drummer Darkside (Maciej Kowalski). The band has released four albums and began per ...
(both founded in 2000), Furia (founded in 2003), Morowe (2006) and Blaze of Perdition (2007); though all of these are only known in the underground circuit. Within black metal in Poland, several
National Socialist Black Metal National Socialist black metal, also known as NSBM, Aryan black metal, and Neo-Nazi black metal, is a political movement and subgenre within the black metal music scene that promotes neo-Nazism, Fascism, and white supremacist ideologies. NSBM a ...
(NSBM) bands developed such as Veles (founded in 1992), Gontyna Kry (founded in 1993), Kataxu (1994), Ohtar (1996), and Sunwheel (1998). All of which attracted the interest of the
Anti-Defamation League The Anti-Defamation League (ADL), formerly known as the Anti-Defamation League of B'nai B'rith, is an international Jewish non-governmental organization based in the United States specializing in civil rights law. It was founded in late Septe ...
, and were considered to perform "music of hate". In the early 1990s NSBM was also investigated by the Polish Office for State Protection. Although Graveland were extremely popular among NSBM fans and generally seen as a National Socialist band, Rob Darken rejects this label, and told Decibel magazine: "I do not think Graveland is an NSBM band. Graveland is regarded as a NSBM band because of my political convictions,
hich Ij ( fa, ايج, also Romanized as Īj; also known as Hich and Īch) is a village in Golabar Rural District, in the Central District of Ijrud County, Zanjan Province, Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also ...
most people would call extreme right-wing, National Socialist convictions."


Death metal

In the 1980s Poland developed an early
death metal Death metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal music. It typically employs heavily distorted and low-tuned guitars, played with techniques such as palm muting and tremolo picking; deep growling vocals; aggressive, powerful drumming, feat ...
movement, though at the time many of the bands were referred to as either
black metal Black metal is an extreme metal, extreme subgenre of heavy metal music. Common traits include Tempo#Beats per minute, fast tempos, a Screaming (music)#Black metal, shrieking vocal style, heavily distorted Electric guitar, guitars played with t ...
or
thrash metal Thrash metal (or simply thrash) is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal music characterized by its overall aggression and often fast tempo.Kahn-Harris, Keith, ''Extreme Metal: Music and Culture on the Edge'', pp. 2–3, 9. Oxford: Berg, 2007, . ...
, many were later classified as death metal. Some of the bands of the period include Vader, which started as a classic heavy metal group (founded in 1983), and others with origin in thrash metal, like Imperator (founded in 1984), Armagedon (founded in 1986), Magnus (founded in 1987), Ghost and Thanatos later renamed
Trauma Trauma most often refers to: * Major trauma, in physical medicine, severe physical injury caused by an external source * Psychological trauma, a type of damage to the psyche that occurs as a result of a severely distressing event *Traumatic i ...
(both founded in 1988), Bloodlust, and Betrayer (both founded in 1989). Many of the groups disbanded in the early 1990s after only one album, although several gained an underground following in Europe due to tape trading. Vader became the only one to remain active since its formation, and reached international fan base, with albums charting in Poland, Germany, and Japan, on labels such as
Earache Records Earache Records is a British independent record label, music publisher and management company founded by Digby Pearson in 1985, based in Nottingham, England, with offices in London and New York. The label helped to pioneer extreme metal by rel ...
,
Metal Blade Records Metal Blade Records is an American independent record label founded by Brian Slagel in 1982. The US office for Metal Blade is located in Agoura Hills, California. It also has offices in Germany, Japan, Canada, and the UK. The label is distrib ...
, and
Nuclear Blast Nuclear Blast is a record label and mail order record distributor with subsidiaries in Germany, the United States and Brazil. The label was founded in 1987 by Markus Staiger in Germany. Originally releasing hardcore punk records, the label mov ...
among others. While Trauma also remained active since its formation they never reached the same recognition. Since the late 2000s several of the "classic" bands such as Magnus, Armagedon, and Merciless Death have been reformed, and have since remained active. In the 1990s a second wave of death metal was developed with bands such as Violent Dirge, Lost Soul, Hazael,
Hate Hatred is an intense negative emotional response towards certain people, things or ideas, usually related to opposition or revulsion toward something. Hatred is often associated with intense feelings of anger, contempt, and disgust. Hatred is s ...
, Pandemonium (all founded in 1990), Cerebral Concussion later renamed Devilyn, Prophecy, Dies Irae (all founded in 1992),
Sceptic Skepticism, also spelled scepticism, is a questioning attitude or doubt toward knowledge claims that are seen as mere belief or dogma. For example, if a person is skeptical about claims made by their government about an ongoing war then the pe ...
(founded in 1994),
Decapitated Decapitation or beheading is the total separation of the head from the body. Such an injury is invariably fatal to humans and most other animals, since it deprives the brain of oxygenated blood, while all other organs are deprived of the i ...
, and Yattering (both founded in 1996). The highly technical music of Violent Dirge became the interest of influential label Nuclear Blast who later released the groups sampler. Although Violent Dirge dissolved in 1995 after the release of several demos, and two underground albums with success remaining only in Poland. Hazael was also subject of interest from eastern record label
Century Media Records Century Media Records is a heavy metal record label with offices in the United States, Germany and London. In August 2015, Century Media was acquired by Sony Music for US$17 million. Background Century Media was founded by Robert Kampf and Oli ...
. But after signing a contract, and recording the album for the label they were dropped. This eventually lead to the break up of the band in 1996. However, they went on to reform in 2014. Recognition in Europe led bands such as Devilyn to get signed to
Listenable Records Listenable Records is an independent metal label originally founded in 1990 in France. The label specializes in metal, with a focus on extreme metal music. The company has published albums from many acclaimed extreme metal bands, such as Immo ...
, Yattering a recording deal with
Season of Mist Season of Mist is an independent record label and record distributor with subsidiaries in France and the United States. The record label was founded in 1996 by Michael S. Berberian in Marseille, France. From the start releasing black metal, pag ...
for their second release, and Prophecy signed to Koch International. After losing popularity Prophecy went on hiatus in 1999, and reformed in 2004, but eventually split-up in 2010, while Devilyn, and Yattering disbanded in 2006. Hate after several underground albums reached international recognition in the 2000s after signing to Listenable Records, and later
Napalm Records Napalm Records is an Austrian independent record label focused on heavy metal and hard rock. Originally, Napalm focused on black metal bands, such as Abigor and Summoning, and folk metal bands, such as Falkenbach and Vintersorg. The label later ...
, Dies Irae, reformed in 2000 consisting of members of Vader signed to Metal Blade Records, and released three albums, until the death of their drummer. In late 1990s Decapitated was signed to Wicked World a subsidiary of Earache Records. The band released several albums, later reaching international acclaim after reforming in 2009, and a new recording deal with Nuclear Blast. After reforming in 1997 Lost Soul signed with
Relapse Records Relapse Records is an American independent record label based in Upper Darby, Pennsylvania. It was founded by Matthew F. Jacobson in 1990. The label features many grindcore, death metal, metalcore and sludge metal artists. History The label was ...
to release their debut album, in 2006 the band went in hiatus, and lost their minor popularity in Europe. They once again reformed in 2009 and signed to an underground Polish label, they occasional tour in their home country. In the early 2000s with the release of third album Sceptic signed to
Candlelight Records Candlelight Records is a British record label based in England and founded by former Extreme Noise Terror bassist Lee Barrett, though it has had a division in the United States since January 2001. Candlelight Records specialises in black metal ...
. After only touring in Poland the label eventually dropped Sceptic from their catalogue. Other minor Polish death bands active mostly in the European underground scene include
Stillborn Stillbirth is typically defined as fetal death at or after 20 or 28 weeks of pregnancy, depending on the source. It results in a baby born without signs of life. A stillbirth can result in the feeling of guilt or grief in the mother. The term i ...
(founded in 1997),
Azarath Raven is a superheroine appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in a DC Comics insert previews, special insert in ''DC Comics Presents'' #26 (October 1980), and was created by writer Marv Wolfman and ...
(founded in 1998), Deivos (founded in 1999) and Masachist (founded in 2006) among others. Although founded in 1991 as a black metal band Behemoth reached international acclaim from their mixture of black metal with death metal, with one album certified Gold in Poland and three charting on the
Billboard 200 The ''Billboard'' 200 is a record chart ranking the 200 most popular music albums and EPs in the United States. It is published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine and is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of art ...
in the US.


Thrash metal

In the early 1980s, in response to the American
thrash metal Thrash metal (or simply thrash) is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal music characterized by its overall aggression and often fast tempo.Kahn-Harris, Keith, ''Extreme Metal: Music and Culture on the Edge'', pp. 2–3, 9. Oxford: Berg, 2007, . ...
wave, Poland developed their own thrash metal scene. Bands of this period include Kat (founded in late 1979), who started as a speed/heavy metal group,
Turbo In an internal combustion engine, a turbocharger (often called a turbo) is a forced induction device that is powered by the flow of exhaust gases. It uses this energy to compress the intake gas, forcing more air into the engine in order to pro ...
(founded in 1980), who had origins in rock and heavy metal, as well as some strict thrash metal bands such as Kreon, Dragon (both founded in 1984), Destroyers, Hammer (both founded in 1985), Quo Vadis, Alastor,
Hunter Hunting is the human activity, human practice of seeking, pursuing, capturing, or killing wildlife or feral animals. The most common reasons for humans to hunt are to harvest food (i.e. meat) and useful animal products (fur/hide (skin), hide, ...
, Wolf Spider,
Acid Drinkers Acid Drinkers are a Polish thrash metal band formed in September 1986 in Poznań. Acid Drinkers were formed on 21 September 1986 consisting of Tomasz "Titus" Pukacki (vocals, bass) and Robert "Litza" Friedrich (guitar, vocals). The band's style ...
(all founded in 1986), and Egzekuthor (founded in 1987), among others. The 1980s is also when the thrash metal scene in Poland had the most success, with bands finding a starting place in the
Metalmania Metalmania was a heavy metal music, heavy metal music festival in Central Europe. It was held annually from 1986 to 2009, and returned in 2017. The 2008 event was held on the 8th of March at Spodek in Katowice, Poland. Metalmania 1986 First Day: ...
festival (based in Katowice). Bands like Destroyers, Hamer, Dragon, and Wolf Spider became the subjects of interest of national record labels Pronit and
Polton Polton is a village located in Lasswade parish, Midlothian Midlothian (; gd, Meadhan Lodainn) is a historic county, registration county, lieutenancy area and one of 32 council areas of Scotland used for local government. Midlothian li ...
, with the bands sharing recordings on split albums. Destroyers continued performing until early 1990; their later albums were released by the national labels Tonpress and
Polskie Nagrania Muza Polskie Nagrania "Muza" ("Polish Records 'Muse' ", official name since 2005: "Polskie Nagrania Sp. z o.o", i.e., Polskie Nagrania Ltd.) is a Polish record label based in Warsaw. It has produced records in many genres including pop, rock, jazz, fol ...
. Wolf Spider, after four albums, disbanded in 1991; they later reformed in 2011. Dragon, in later years, developed a death metal influenced style, and they remained active until 2000 with five albums released. Hamer, after reforming several times, remain active. Turbo, with their popularity based on the protest song "Dorosłe dzieci", switched to a thrash metal sound after two albums released only in Poland. Several attempts to cross over the Polish border have been made by Turbo with English language albums, which have been released by the German label Noise Records, the Italian label Metal Master Records, and the British label Under One Flag (a subsidiary of
Music for Nations Music For Nations (MFN) is a British independent record label focusing mainly on rock and metal. It was a subsidiary of the larger label distributor Zomba Records, which was a division of BMG and later Sony Music Entertainment. Launched in 1 ...
). Due to problems receiving passports, Turbo remains a local act; they have disbanded and reformed several times, have released eleven albums, and are still active. The band Kat had taken a similar approach; after several singles released in Poland, they signed to Belgian Ambush Records to release their debut album. Due to being unable to tour outside Poland, Kat remains local, with several Polish language albums released. Kat reformed several times over the years; they remain active solely as a studio project. After a name dispute in the early 2000s the act named Kat & Roman Kostrzewski continues with their legacy.
Acid Drinkers Acid Drinkers are a Polish thrash metal band formed in September 1986 in Poznań. Acid Drinkers were formed on 21 September 1986 consisting of Tomasz "Titus" Pukacki (vocals, bass) and Robert "Litza" Friedrich (guitar, vocals). The band's style ...
is another Polish band that attempted to tour outside home country. In the years after the
revolutions of 1989 The Revolutions of 1989, also known as the Fall of Communism, was a revolutionary wave that resulted in the end of most communist states in the world. Sometimes this revolutionary wave is also called the Fall of Nations or the Autumn of Natio ...
, Acid Drinkers members revoked their passports, but after problems with visas, it occurred to them that they needed to eventually stop their protests. They remain active only in Poland and have received cult status with fifteen albums released, several of which have appeared on Polish Albums Charts. Other bands like Quo Vadis and Alastor remain active in underground scenes to incorporate in later years to their music groove, death or progressive metal. Egzekuthor disbanded in 1992 after one album, reformed in 2002 to be disbanded in 2008 before second studio effort was released. While Hunter have waited till 1995 to release first album reached acclaim in Poland with 2000s albums. Although over the years moving away from strict thrash metal style Hunter received nomination to
Fryderyk The Fryderyk is the annual award in Polish music. Its name refers to the original Polish spelling variant of Polish composer Frédéric Chopin's first name. Its status in the Polish public can be compared to the American Grammy and the UK's BRI ...
, an annual award in Polish music, within several records on Polish Albums Chart have been noted, with songs to receive regular airplay. In later years several thrash metal band have emerged while none have reached the acclaim of those from the 1980s. Some of them include Geisha Goner (founded in 1990), Tuff Enuff (founded in 1992), Flapjack, Myopia (both founded in 1993), Horrorscope (founded in 1996), Virgin Snatch, and Alkatraz (both founded in 2001).


Gothic metal

Poland developed their
gothic metal Gothic metal (or goth metal) is a fusion genre combining the aggression of heavy metal with the dark atmospheres of gothic rock. The music of gothic metal is diverse with bands known to adopt the gothic approach to different styles of heavy met ...
scene in the 1990s, although it was intertwined with the gothic rock movement since the beginning, focused around the Castle Party Festival founded in 1994. The scene was loosely inspired by Polish bands such as
Closterkeller Closterkeller is a Polish gothic rock band from Warsaw. It was formed in 1988 by Przemysław Guryń, Jacek Skirucha, and the vocalist Anja Orthodox. Despite many changes in the band's line-up it has created a characteristic sound. Orthodox is th ...
, Pornografia, Fading Colours (all founded in the 1980s), and in later years by British acts like
Paradise Lost ''Paradise Lost'' is an epic poem in blank verse by the 17th-century English poet John Milton (1608–1674). The first version, published in 1667, consists of ten books with over ten thousand lines of verse (poetry), verse. A second edition fo ...
,
My Dying Bride My Dying Bride are an English doom metal band formed in Bradford. Since their inception in 1990, they have released 13 studio albums, three EPs, one demo, one box set, four compilation albums, one live album, and one live CD/DVD release. Alo ...
,
Anathema Anathema, in common usage, is something or someone detested or shunned. In its other main usage, it is a formal excommunication. The latter meaning, its ecclesiastical sense, is based on New Testament usage. In the Old Testament, anathema was a cr ...
, and Norwegian
Theatre of Tragedy Theatre of Tragedy was a Norwegian band from Stavanger, active between 1993 and 2010. They are best known for their earlier albums, which influenced the gothic metal genre. History Formation (1993) Theatre of Tragedy was founded on 2 October 19 ...
among others. The earliest of the Polish gothic bands developed their sound from various styles like rock, black, death and doom metal, that include Battalion d'Amour (founded in 1989), Neolithic,
Moonlight Moonlight consists of mostly sunlight (with little earthlight) reflected from the parts of the Moon's surface where the Sun's light strikes. Illumination The intensity of moonlight varies greatly depending on the lunar phase, but even the ful ...
(both founded in 1991), Sacriversum, Sirrah (both founded in 1992), Hermh, Cemetery of Scream (both founded in 1993), Hefeystos, and Tower (both founded in 1994) among others. Most Polish gothic metal bands since the 1990s reached recognition only in Poland, or for short time in Europe. Compared with the black or death movement, gothic metal is a minor music scene. Although considered as a rock band, Closterkeller developed a gothic metal sound in the late 1990s. With nine both native and English language albums released up to 2011 they became the most influential Polish gothic band. Battalion d'Amour with their poetic lyrics reached popularity with 1990s albums, which was lost after a change of the group's lead vocalist in the early 2000s. The band released their last album in 2005. Neolithic signed to French Adipocere Records developed a doom and progressive metal influenced sound. They released two albums and disbanded in 2006 with brief recognition in their home country. Moonlight active until 2007 released several albums in 2000s, combining a gothic metal style with trip hop and rock. Reformed several of times of the years, Hermh began as a gothic metal act before switching to symphonic black metal with vampire themed lyrics, and remains a studio project. Cemetery of Scream with five albums released is still active. Hefeystos, with a progressive rock influenced sound, released two albums, and eventually disbanded in 2000. While Tower disbanded in the late 1990s, also with two albums released. Only Sirrah reached short-lived recognition in Europe with a recording deal from
Music for Nations Music For Nations (MFN) is a British independent record label focusing mainly on rock and metal. It was a subsidiary of the larger label distributor Zomba Records, which was a division of BMG and later Sony Music Entertainment. Launched in 1 ...
. Disbanded in 1998, the group was reformed in 2013 and is still active. The second wave of gothic bands includes
Artrosis Artrosis is a Polish gothic metal band founded in 1995 in Zielona Góra. In 2001 the band was nominated for a Fryderyk The Fryderyk is the annual award in Polish music. Its name refers to the original Polish spelling variant of Polish com ...
, Lorien (both founded in 1995), Aion, Desdemona (both founded in 1996), Sator (later renamed Delight; founded in 1997), and Via Mistica (founded in 1998), among others. Artrosis quickly reached popularity in Poland with albums released by local label Morbid Noizz Productions. In the late 1990s Artrosis became the subject of interest from
Tilo Wolff Tilo Wolff (born 10 July 1972) is a German musician and artist. He was born in Frankfurt am Main and currently lives in Switzerland. His longest-running project is the band Lacrimosa, which since its debut in 1990 has produced 11 albums. The b ...
s label Hall of Sermon which released an English version of one of their albums. The band reached its popularity in the early 2000s with a contract from Metal Mind Productions. The band released seven Polish and four English language albums and remain active. Loriens popularity came with a debut album released by underground labels in Europe, USA, and Australia with promotion from
Polskie Radio Polskie Radio Spółka Akcyjna (PR S.A.; English: Polish Radio) is Poland's national public-service radio broadcasting organization owned by the State Treasury of Poland. History Polskie Radio was founded on 18 August 1925 and began making ...
in their home country. After several line-up changes and one more album released, Lorien disbanded in 2005. Eight years later the group was reformed and is still active. While Aion gained some European acclaim with two albums released by
Massacre Records Massacre Records is an independent record label based in Abstatt, Germany, that specializes in bands of the heavier genres of metal. The label was founded in 1991 by Torsten Hartmann. Connected to Massacre Records is the marketing and music w ...
, and
Impact Records Impact Records was an American record label founded in 1989 by Carl Sturken and Evan Rogers. It was once a subsidiary of MCA Records. Today, its back catalog remains part of Universal Music Group. Acts on the label are and/or have included: Sas ...
. In later years the band remained local act with a recording deal from Metal Mind Productions. Eventually changing style to modern heavy metal on their fifth album, Aion disbanded after its release in 2004. Although Desdemona's debut album was released in Japan, the band became a local act with albums released by Metal Mind Productions, eventually dropping their gothic metal style in favour of industrial with four album released, and a recording deal from Danse Macabre Records. Delight which began as a power metal band reached recognition in Poland with support from extensive touring, and several both Polish and English language albums released in the early 2000s. In 2005 after a performance at
Wave Gotik Treffen The Wave-Gotik-Treffen (WGT; ) is an annual world festival for "dark" music and "dark culture" in Leipzig, Germany. 150+ bands and artists from various backgrounds ( gothic rock, gothic metal, EBM, industrial, noise, darkwave, neo-folk, neo- ...
in Germany Delight was signed to
Roadrunner Records Roadrunner Records is an American record label focused on heavy metal and hard rock bands. Founded in the Netherlands in 1980, it is now a division of Warner Music Group and is based in New York City. History The label was launched in 1980 in t ...
, although after one album released the group was disbanded with no official statement. Via Mistica remains a local act with three albums released in the early 2000s. In later years several gothic metal bands have emerged, most of them remaining minor part of Polish heavy metal scene, that include such acts like Mystherium (founded in 2001), Ciryam (founded in 2003), UnSun (founded in 2006), and NeraNature (founded in 2009) among others. Only UnSun reached international acclaim with a recording deal from
Century Media Records Century Media Records is a heavy metal record label with offices in the United States, Germany and London. In August 2015, Century Media was acquired by Sony Music for US$17 million. Background Century Media was founded by Robert Kampf and Oli ...
, and albums charting in Japan, although after two albums the group went on hiatus due to problems with the vocalist's health.


See also

*
List of Polish composers This is a list of notable and representative Polish composers. Note: This list should contain notable composers, best with an existing article on Wikipedia. If a notable Polish composer is missing and without an article, please add the name he ...
*
Culture of Poland The culture of Poland ( pl, Kultura Polski ) is the product of its geography and distinct historical evolution, which is closely connected to an intricate thousand-year history. Polish culture forms an important part of western civilization and ...
*
History of music Although definitions of music vary wildly throughout the world, every known culture partakes in it, and it is thus considered a cultural universal. The origins of music remain highly contentious; commentators often relate it to the origin of ...
*
Classical music Classical music generally refers to the art music of the Western world, considered to be distinct from Western folk music or popular music traditions. It is sometimes distinguished as Western classical music, as the term "classical music" also ...
*
Popular music Popular music is music with wide appeal that is typically distributed to large audiences through the music industry. These forms and styles can be enjoyed and performed by people with little or no musical training.Popular Music. (2015). ''Fun ...


References


Further reading

* Broughton, Simon. "Hanging on in the Highlands". 2000. In Broughton, Simon and Ellingham, Mark with McConnachie, James and Duane, Orla (Ed.), ''World Music, Vol. 1: Africa, Europe and the Middle East'', pp 219–224. Rough Guides Ltd, Penguin Books. * Cooley, Timothy J. ''Making Music in the Polish Tatras: Tourists, Ethnographers, and Mountain Musicians''. Indiana University Press, 2005 (Hardcover with CD). * Czekanowska, Anna. ''Polish Folk Music: Slavonic Heritage – Polish Tradition – Contemporary Trends''. Cambridge Studies in Ethnomusicology, Reissue 2006 (Paperback). * Grzegorz Michalski, Ewa Obniska, Henryk Swolkień and Jerzy Waldorff, ''An Outline History of Polish Music''. Edited by Tadeusz Ochlewski. Warsaw, Interpress Publishers,1979, (194 p., index of names), + fully illustrated pages (c. 80). *


External links

*
Audio clips: Traditional music of Poland
Musée d'ethnographie de Genève.
BBC Radio 3 Audio: World Routes in Poland
(60 mins.)
Early Polish Music
Polish Music from the Middle Ages to the Baroque Era
Contemporary Polish Composers of Classical Music

Polish folk musical instrumentsPolish Festivals You Can't Attend Anymore
{{Music of Europe