''Polish Requiem'' (original Polish title: '' Requiem''; german: Requiem), also ''A Polish Requiem'', is a large-scale
requiem mass
A Requiem or Requiem Mass, also known as Mass for the dead ( la, Missa pro defunctis) or Mass of the dead ( la, Missa defunctorum), is a Mass of the Catholic Church offered for the repose of the soul or souls of one or more deceased persons, ...
for soloists, mixed choir and orchestra by the
Polish
Polish may refer to:
* Anything from or related to Poland, a country in Europe
* Polish language
* Poles
Poles,, ; singular masculine: ''Polak'', singular feminine: ''Polka'' or Polish people, are a West Slavic nation and ethnic group, w ...
composer 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'', ' ...
. The Lacrimosa, dedicated to the trade union leader
Lech Wałęsa
Lech Wałęsa (; ; born 29 September 1943) is a Polish statesman, dissident, and Nobel Peace Prize laureate, who served as the President of Poland between 1990 and 1995. After winning the 1990 election, Wałęsa became the first democrati ...
, was written for the unveiling of a statue at the to commemorate those killed in the
Polish anti-government riots in 1970. He expanded the work into a requiem, writing other parts to honour different patriotic events over the next four years.
The ''Polish Requiem'' was first performed in
Stuttgart on 28 September 1984. Penderecki revised and expanded the work in 1993, and expanded it again in 2005 with the additional movement, . It is called ''Polish Requiem'' because its parts are dedicated to heroes and victims of
Polish history
The history of Poland spans over a thousand years, from medieval tribes, Christianization and monarchy
A monarchy is a form of government in which a person, the monarch, is head of state for life or until abdication. The political l ...
.
One of the better-known works by Penderecki, the mass largely follows the liturgical Latin of the requiem format with the addition of ', the Polish translation of the
Trisagion
The ''Trisagion'' ( el, Τρισάγιον; 'Thrice Holy'), sometimes called by its opening line ''Agios O Theos'', is a standard hymn of the Divine Liturgy in most of the Eastern Orthodox, Western Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, and Eastern Cathol ...
.
History
During 1980, Penderecki was commissioned by the Polish trade union
Solidarity to compose a piece to accompany the unveiling of a statue at the
Gdańsk shipyards to commemorate those killed in the
Polish anti-government riots in 1970. Penderecki responded with the Lacrimosa, dedicated to
Lech Wałęsa
Lech Wałęsa (; ; born 29 September 1943) is a Polish statesman, dissident, and Nobel Peace Prize laureate, who served as the President of Poland between 1990 and 1995. After winning the 1990 election, Wałęsa became the first democrati ...
, which he later expanded into this requiem, writing other parts in honour of different patriotic events. The Agnus Dei was composed in 1981 in memory of his friend, Cardinal
Stefan Wyszyński
Stefan Wyszyński (3 August 1901 – 28 May 1981) was a Polish prelate of the Catholic Church. He served as the bishop of Lublin from 1946 to 1948, archbishop of Warsaw and archbishop of Gniezno from 1948 to 1981. He was created a cardinal on ...
. The Recordare was written in 1982 for the
beatification
Beatification (from Latin ''beatus'', "blessed" and ''facere'', "to make”) is a recognition accorded by the Catholic Church of a deceased person's entrance into Heaven and capacity to intercede on behalf of individuals who pray in their nam ...
of the
Franciscan
, image = FrancescoCoA PioM.svg
, image_size = 200px
, caption = A cross, Christ's arm and Saint Francis's arm, a universal symbol of the Franciscans
, abbreviation = OFM
, predecessor =
, ...
Maximilian Kolbe
Maximilian Maria Kolbe (born Raymund Kolbe; pl, Maksymilian Maria Kolbe; 1894–1941) was a Polish Catholic priest and Conventual Franciscan friar who volunteered to die in place of a man named Franciszek Gajowniczek in the German death camp ...
who was murdered in the
Auschwitz concentration camp. The Dies irae was written in memory of the
Warsaw Uprising
The Warsaw Uprising ( pl, powstanie warszawskie; german: Warschauer Aufstand) was a major World War II operation by the Polish underground resistance to liberate Warsaw from German occupation. It occurred in the summer of 1944, and it was led ...
of August and September 1944.
[A Polish Requiem](_blank)
review of a recording and notes (including single movements) by Chua Gan Ee, 1999 Libera me, Domine was written commemorating the victims of the
Katyn massacre
The Katyn massacre, "Katyń crime"; russian: link=yes, Катынская резня ''Katynskaya reznya'', "Katyn massacre", or russian: link=no, Катынский расстрел, ''Katynsky rasstrel'', "Katyn execution" was a series of m ...
.
[Polish Cultural Institute](_blank)
2010 A first version of the requiem was performed on 28 September 1984 by the
Stuttgart Radio Symphony Orchestra under the direction of
Mstislav Rostropovich.
In 1993 the Sanctus was added and the revised version conducted by the composer at a Penderecki festival in
Stockholm on 11 November 1993.
[A Polish Requiem](_blank)
liner notes by Richard Whitehouse, for Naxos The composer remarked in 1998, speaking about the work's historical and patriotic significance: "I don't write political music. Political music is immediately obsolete. My ''
Threnody to the Victims of Hiroshima
(''Threnody to the Victims of Hiroshima for 52 string instruments'')
, other_name =
, year =
, catalogue =
, period = Contemporary, postmodernism
, genre = Sonorism, avant-gar ...
'' remains important because it is abstract music. The Requiem is dedicated to certain people and events, but the music has a broader significance."
In 2005 the composer added another movement in memory of
Pope John Paul II
Pope John Paul II ( la, Ioannes Paulus II; it, Giovanni Paolo II; pl, Jan Paweł II; born Karol Józef Wojtyła ; 18 May 19202 April 2005) was the head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 1978 until his ...
, Ciaccona "in memoria Giovanni Paolo II per archi" (in memory of John Paul II for strings).
[Ciaccona](_blank)
Schott The completed Requiem was first performed on 17 September 2005 in
Wroclaw, during
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 ...
2005, by
Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra
Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra (NOSPR), is one of Poland's radio orchestra and premier musical institutions. It was founded in 1935 in Warsaw. In 1945 the orchestra was re-established in Katowice and since 2006 it has become a "Nati ...
Katowice, under the direction of the composer himself.
Instrumentation, words and structure
The ''Polish Requiem'' is scored for soprano, mezzo-soprano, tenor and bass soloists,
SATB
SATB is an initialism that describes the scoring of compositions for choirs, and also choirs (or consorts) of instruments. The initials are for the voice types: S for soprano, A for alto, T for tenor and B for bass.
Choral music
Four-part harm ...
mixed choirs, and an orchestra consisting of three
flutes (third doubling
piccolo), three
oboe
The oboe ( ) is a type of double reed woodwind instrument. Oboes are usually made of wood, but may also be made of synthetic materials, such as plastic, resin, or hybrid composites. The most common oboe plays in the treble or soprano range.
...
s, three
clarinets in B-flat, one
bass clarinet, three
bassoons, one
contrabassoon; six
horns Horns or The Horns may refer to:
* Plural of Horn (instrument), a group of musical instruments all with a horn-shaped bells
* The Horns (Colorado), a summit on Cheyenne Mountain
* ''Horns'' (novel), a dark fantasy novel written in 2010 by Joe Hill ...
in F, four
trumpet
The trumpet is a brass instrument commonly used in classical and jazz ensembles. The trumpet group ranges from the piccolo trumpet—with the highest register in the brass family—to the bass trumpet, pitched one octave below the standard ...
s in C, four
trombone
The trombone (german: Posaune, Italian, French: ''trombone'') is a musical instrument in the brass family. As with all brass instruments, sound is produced when the player's vibrating lips cause the air column inside the instrument to vibrate ...
s, one
tuba
The tuba (; ) is the lowest-pitched musical instrument in the brass family. As with all brass instruments, the sound is produced by lip vibrationa buzzinto a mouthpiece. It first appeared in the mid-19th century, making it one of the ne ...
; a percussion section consisting of
timpani
Timpani (; ) or kettledrums (also informally called timps) are musical instruments in the percussion family. A type of drum categorised as a hemispherical drum, they consist of a membrane called a head stretched over a large bowl traditionally ...
, three suspended cymbals,
cymbals, 2
tam-tam
A gongFrom Indonesian and ms, gong; jv, ꦒꦺꦴꦁ ; zh, c=鑼, p=luó; ja, , dora; km, គង ; th, ฆ้อง ; vi, cồng chiêng; as, কাঁহ is a percussion instrument originating in East Asia and Southeast Asia. Gongs ...
s,
bass drum,
snare drum,
tenor drum A tenor drum is a membranophone without a snare. There are several types of tenor drums.
Early music
Early music tenor drums, or long drums, are cylindrical membranophone without snare used in Medieval, Renaissance and Baroque music. They consi ...
, military snare drum, six
tom-toms
A tom drum is a cylindrical drum with no snares, named from the Anglo-Indian and Sinhala language. It was added to the drum kit in the early part of the 20th century. Most toms range in size between in diameter, though floor toms can go as l ...
, five
timbales
Timbales () or pailas are shallow single-headed drums with metal casing. They are shallower than single-headed tom-toms and usually tuned much higher, especially for their size.Orovio, Helio 1981. ''Diccionario de la música cubana: biográfico ...
, alto
wood block,
tubular bell
Tubular bells (also known as chimes) are musical instruments in the percussion family. Their sound resembles that of church bells, carillon, or a bell tower; the original tubular bells were made to duplicate the sound of church bells within a ...
s, mass bell,
church bell
A church bell in Christian architecture is a bell which is rung in a church for a variety of religious purposes, and can be heard outside the building. Traditionally they are used to call worshippers to the church for a communal service, and to ...
s,
ratchet,
whip,
glockenspiel,
vibraphone
The vibraphone is a percussion instrument in the metallophone family. It consists of tuned metal bars and is typically played by using mallets to strike the bars. A person who plays the vibraphone is called a ''vibraphonist,'' ''vibraharpist ...
,
xylophone
The xylophone (; ) is a musical instrument in the percussion family that consists of wooden bars struck by mallets. Like the glockenspiel (which uses metal bars), the xylophone essentially consists of a set of tuned wooden keys arranged in ...
; and
strings. It is structured in seventeen movements, the duration is given by the publisher
Schott as 110 minutes. The additional
ciaccona is set for string orchestra. It has been published, performed and recorded also separately.
The name of the work is similar to ''
A German Requiem'', composed of sections from the bible in German. But Penderecki followed the liturgical
Latin
Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...
of the Requiem (Mass for the deceased) and expanded it by the
Trisagion
The ''Trisagion'' ( el, Τρισάγιον; 'Thrice Holy'), sometimes called by its opening line ''Agios O Theos'', is a standard hymn of the Divine Liturgy in most of the Eastern Orthodox, Western Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, and Eastern Cathol ...
in Polish, ''Święty Boże'', a "supplication sung in Poland in moments of danger" that appears in a separate movement (Offertorium) and also in the Recordare.
Penderecki changed the order slightly by moving the Communion closer to the end and creating a Finale.
*I
Introitus
An introitus is an entrance into a canal or hollow organ
Organ may refer to:
Biology
* Organ (biology), a part of an organism
Musical instruments
* Organ (music), a family of keyboard musical instruments characterized by sustained tone
** Elec ...
– choir
*II
Kyrie
Kyrie, a transliteration of Greek , vocative case of (''Kyrios''), is a common name of an important prayer of Christian liturgy, also called the Kyrie eleison ( ; ).
In the Bible
The prayer, "Kyrie, eleison," "Lord, have mercy" derives f ...
– soloists, choir
*Sequence
Dies irae
**III Dies irae – choir
**IV Tuba mirum – bass, choir
**V Mors stupebit – mezzo-soprano, choir
**VI Quid sum miser – choir
**VII Rex tremendae – bass, choir
**VIII Recordare Jesu pie – music from ''Święty Boże'', all soloists, choir
**IX Ingemisco tanquam reus – soloists, choir
**X Lacrimosa – soprano, female choir
*XI
Sanctus
The Sanctus ( la, Sanctus, "Holy") is a hymn in Christian liturgy. It may also be called the ''epinikios hymnos'' ( el, ἐπινίκιος ὕμνος, "Hymn of Victory") when referring to the Greek rendition.
In Western Christianity, th ...
– mezzo-soprano, choir, ''Benedictus'' – tenor, choir
*XII Ciaccona
*XIII
Agnus Dei
is the Latin name under which the " Lamb of God" is honoured within the Catholic Mass and other Christian liturgies descending from the Latin liturgical tradition. It is the name given to a specific prayer that occurs in these liturgies, and ...
– choir a cappella
*XIV Communion
Lux aeterna – choir
*XV
Libera me, Domine – soprano, soloists, choir
*XVI Offertorium ''Święty Boże, święty mocny''– soloists, choir
*XVII Finale Libera animas – soloists, choir
Oratorian music theatre
Regina Chłopicka, an author of studies on Penderecki's music, wrote about his work in relation to earlier funeral masses:
Premieres
* Partial premiere (8 movements): 23 November 1983,
Washington, D. C.
)
, image_skyline =
, image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, Na ...
,
National Symphony Orchestra, soloists,
Choral Arts Society of Washington
The Choral Arts Society of Washington is a major choral organization based in Washington, D.C. Founded in 1965 by Norman Scribner, it is regarded as one of the premier symphonic choruses in the United States. The Choral Arts Society of Washingt ...
, conductor Mstislav Rostropovich.
* Premiere: 28 September 1984,
Stuttgart, Radio-Sinfonieorchester Stuttgart, Choir of the
Staatsoper Stuttgart
The Staatsoper Stuttgart (Stuttgart State Opera) is a German opera company based in Stuttgart, the capital of Baden-Württemberg, Germany. The Staatsorchester Stuttgart serves as its resident orchestra.
History
Performances of operas, ballet an ...
and
Südfunk-Chor,
Phyllis Bryn-Julson,
Doris Soffel,
Ryszard Karczykowski,
Stafford Dean
Stafford Dean (born 20 June 1937) is a British bass opera singer.
Stafford Dean was born in Kingswood, Surrey, England. He studied under Howell Glynne and others.
Of particular note was his performance as Pooh-Bah in the BBC production of ''Mi ...
, conductor Mstislaw Rostropowitsch
* Premiere of the revised version: 11 November 1993,
Stockholm, Penderecki Festival 1993,
Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra
The Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra ( sv, Kungliga Filharmonikerna or , literal translations, "Royal Philharmonic" or "Royal Philharmonic Orchestra") is a Swedish orchestra based in Stockholm. Its principal venue is the Konserthuset.
His ...
and Chorus,
Katarina Dalayman,
Brigitta SvendénZachos Terzakis Kurt Rydl, conductor Krzysztof Penderecki
* Premiere of the final version: September 17, 2005 –
St. Mary Magdalene Church (Wrocław, Poland),
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 ...
2005,
Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra
Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra (NOSPR), is one of Poland's radio orchestra and premier musical institutions. It was founded in 1935 in Warsaw. In 1945 the orchestra was re-established in Katowice and since 2006 it has become a "Nati ...
Katowice,
The Katowice City Singers’ Ensemble Camerata Silesia,
Izabela Kłosińska,
Jadwiga Rappé,
Adam Zdunikowski,
Piotr Nowacki, conductor:
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'', ' ...
Recordings
* ''Polish Requiem'', Jadwiga Gadulanka (soprano), Jadwiga Rappé (mezzo-soprano), Henryk Grychnik (tenor), Carlo Zardo (bass), Polish Radio and Television Choir, Cracow Philharmonic Choir,
Polish Radio National Symphony Orchestra, 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 caree ...
(1985)
* ''Polish Requiem'',
Ingrid Haubold (soprano), Grazyna Winogrodska (mezzo-soprano), Zachos Terzakis (tenor), Malcolm Smith (bass),
NDR Chor
The NDR Chor (North German Radio Choir) is the choir of the German broadcaster Norddeutscher Rundfunk (NDR), based in Hamburg. It was founded in 1946, with Max Thurn as the first director of then 55 singers. The group has participated in premiere ...
, Chor des Bayerischen Rundfunks,
NDR Sinfonieorchester
The NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchestra (german: NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchester) is a German radio orchestra. Affiliated with the '' Norddeutscher Rundfunk'' (NDR; North German Broadcasting), the orchestra is based at the Elbphilharmonie in Hamburg, G ...
. conductor
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'', ' ...
(1990)
* ''A Polish Requiem'', Jadwiga Gadulanka (soprano), Jadwiga Rappé (mezzo-soprano), Zachos Terzakis (tenor), Piotr Nowacki (bass),
Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Chorus & Orchestra, conducted by Krzysztof Penderecki,
Chandos (1995)
* ''A Polish Requiem'', Izabela Klosinska, Jadwiga Rappé, Ryszard Minkiewicz, Piotr Nowacki,
Warsaw National Philharmonic Orchestra
The Warsaw National Philharmonic Orchestra ( pl, Orkiestra Filharmonii Narodowej w Warszawie) is a Polish orchestra based in Warsaw. Founded in 1901, it is one of Poland's oldest musical institutions.
History
The orchestra was conceived on ...
, conducted by
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 caree ...
,
Naxos
Naxos (; el, Νάξος, ) is a Greek island and the largest of the Cyclades. It was the centre of archaic Cycladic culture. The island is famous as a source of emery, a rock rich in corundum, which until modern times was one of the best ab ...
(2004)
Performances and recordings of the Ciaccona
* Premiere: 17 September 2005
Wroclaw, St. Mary Magdalene,
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 ...
2005,
Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra
Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra (NOSPR), is one of Poland's radio orchestra and premier musical institutions. It was founded in 1935 in Warsaw. In 1945 the orchestra was re-established in Katowice and since 2006 it has become a "Nati ...
Katowice, conductor Krzysztof Penderecki
* Concert for the 75th birthday of the composer: 11 July 2008
Eberbach Abbey
Eberbach Abbey (German: Kloster Eberbach) is a former Cistercian monastery in Eltville in the Rheingau, Germany. On account of its Romanesque and early Gothic buildings it is considered one of the most significant architectural heritage sites i ...
,
Rheingau Musik Festival
The (RMF) is an international summer music festival in Germany, founded in 1987. It is mostly for classical music, but includes other genres. Concerts take place at culturally important locations, such as Eberbach Abbey and Schloss Johannisberg, ...
,
Sinfonietta Cracovia, conductor Krzysztof Penderecki
* 22 May 2009
Seoul Arts Center
The Seoul Arts Center, also referred to as SAC, is an arts complex in the Seocho-gu district of Seoul, in South Korea. It consists of five main buildings: the Opera House, with three auditoriums; the Music Hall, with two concert halls; the Han ...
, Seoul International Music Festival, Opening concert ''Beyond Ideology'', Korean Chamber Orchestra
Seoul International Music Festival
program notes
* recording ''Music for Chamber Orchestra'', Sinfonia Varsovia, conductor Krzystof Penderecki, Dux Recording (2009)
Agnus Dei for cellos
Penderecki arranged the Agnus Dei for eight cellos, first performed in the memorial service for Mstislav Rostropovich on 3 October 2007, in St. John's Church in Kronberg
Kronberg im Taunus is a town in the Hochtaunuskreis district, Hesse, Germany and part of the Frankfurt Rhein-Main urban area. Before 1866, it was in the Duchy of Nassau; in that year the whole Duchy was absorbed into Prussia. Kronberg lies at t ...
(Germany) by teachers and students of the Kronberg Academy
The Kronberg Academy is an academy of chamber music based in Kronberg, Hesse, Germany. It was founded in 1993 by Raimund Trenkler, who has served since then as its chairman and artistic director. The academy's initial focus was on the cello and ...
, conducted by Frans Helmerson.
References
Further reading
* Chłopicka, Regina. 1985. "Polskie Requiem". ''Ruch Muzyczny'' 29, no. 19 (September): 3–4.
* Revers, Peter. 2001. "'Venit dies magnus irae ipsorum': Zur Vision der Apokalypse in Krzysztof Pedereckis Dies irae und Polnisches Requiem". In ''Apokalypse: Symposion 1999'', edited by Carmen Ottner
Carmen Ottner (born in the 20th-century in Vienna) is an Austrian musicologist, Theatre studies and General Secretary of the Franz Schmidt (composer), Franz Schmidt association.
Life
Ottner was born as the daughter of trombonist Franz Bahner ( ...
, 281–95. Studien zu Franz Schmidt 13. Vienna: Doblinger. .
* Schuler, Manfred. 1992. "Pendereckis Hommage an Mozart". ''Die Musikforschung
''Die Musikforschung'' is a quarterly peer-reviewed academic journal of musicological which since 1948 is published on behalf of the Gesellschaft für Musikforschung by Bärenreiter. The editors-in-chief are Panja Mücke ( Hochschule für Musik ...
'' 45, no. 3:279–82.
* Tsetanova, Petya: Das Requiem. Ein Erinnerungsort. Das War Requiem von Benjamin Britten und das Polski Requiem von Krysztof Penderecki als musikalische Erinnerungsdenkmäler des 20. Jahrhunderts in: Nieper, Lena und Schmitz, Julian (Hrsg.): Musik als Medium der Erinnerung. Gedächtnis – Geschichte- Gegenwart. transcript-Verlag, Bielefeld 2016,
External links
Polnisches Requiem
on the Schott website: instrumentation, content, performances
{{DEFAULTSORT:Polish Requiem
Polish music
Compositions by Krzysztof Penderecki
Contemporary classical compositions
Requiem Masses