Download DUX 970

DUX 0970 / 2013
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Composer’s Concert Live composed, orchestrated, conducted, produced
by Krzysztof HERDZIN
* Assertive Prelude for Strings * Non-assertive Tocatta for Strings
* Winter Sketches: “Snowflakes” * Winter Sketches: “Penguins Circus”
* Olender * Hopin’ for Somethin’ for Soprano Saxophone and Strings
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Krzysztof HERDZIN - piano, conductor
Piotr BARON - soprano saxophone
Polish Radio Symphony Orchestra
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DUX Małgorzata Polańska & Lech Tołwiński ul. Morskie Oko 2, 02-511 Warszawa
tel./fax (48 22) 849-11-31, (48 22) 849-18-59
e-mail: [email protected], www.dux.pl
Aleksandra
Kitka-Coutellier – International Relations, [email protected]
The phenomenon of Krzysztof Herdzin’s music lies first and foremost in its diversity. It is a natural consequence,
as it were, of the versatility of a musician who combines the activities of a pianist, composer, conductor, arranger
and producer, and who on top of that finds time to teach and be an inspiration for students at the Music Academy in
Bydgoszcz. Herdzin’s list of achievements is truly impressive, reflecting perhaps some kind of mystery hidden in his
music, a music which, while being difficult to define, easily crosses the boundaries and is accessible to large sections
of listeners. His versatility has been shaped by many circumstances, including the composer’s maturing in a musical
family and in the spirit of the classical tradition, his fascination with jazz based on the solid foundation of perfect
craftsmanship and his openness to other kinds of music, also of the commercial character, which he himself was not
afraid to admit. He believes that all types of music can enhance one’s artistic development and help discover that
‘middle road’ or ‘third path’ where various styles, conventions and experiences merge. The present CD contains the
live recording of several pieces that are stylistically diverse; yet for some listeners certain inspirations of the
composer will surely be easily recognizable. Concertino for Piano and Orchestra draws on the classical form of
a free composition for solo instrument and orchestra, mostly in a single movement, or, rarely, in several movements
(played attacca). Herdzin’s piece is in three movements. Its pattern of dynamics and articulation harks back to the
classical concerto modelled somewhat on Henri Poulenc’s style. The first movement is based on a lively rhythmical
motoricism couched in a bright aural timbre. The second movement introduces listeners into an atmosphere of
reflection and reverie thanks to its delicate solo phrases of the piano in a dialogue with orchestral instruments. The
final movement, with its stylized waltz, brings an atmosphere of a joyous merry-making. The cheerful phrases of
fine melodic lines are interspersed with variational arrangements of the work’s main motifs.
Dance rhythms are also found in Olender, a composition whose title refers to a popular triple-metre dance from the
Kurpie region, similar to the oberek. The work is reminiscent somewhat of the music of Grażyna Bacewicz and her
neo-Classical stylizations of Polish folk music. Herdzin’s approach is entirely different though, there is more of the
light touch and a freely wondering musical phrase rather than the discipline, which was the hallmark of Bacewicz’s
artistry.
Assertive Prelude and Non-assertive Tocatta, both for strings, take listeners into the world of classical music of
a ‘serious’ character, concentrated and somewhat dark in its aural timbre. References to the Baroque forms of the
prelude and tocatta in the style of Shostakovich is the composer’s tribute to the neo-Classical trend in 20th-century
music, being at the same time a pretext for his very personal utterance which blends old tradition with the
contemporary. Herdzin employs the same devices as his predecessors (contrasts, motoricism, cantilena) but is doing
so in a surprisingly new and innovative manner.
Hopin’ for Somethin’ for soprano saxophone and string orchestra is a journey to yet another area, where the
composer moves with passion and self-confidence befitting only the best professionalists. Reviewing one of
Herdzin’s concerts in the Jazz Forum magazine, Ryszard Borowski wrote: “Hopin’ for Somethin’ should be named the
best composition and arrangement of last year. The harmony and melody are brought to the fore here through
instrumentation. There is much writing for strings alone (the winds are hidden and provide the support), with the
saxophone solo against their background. Piotr Baron gave an exceptionally beautiful performance. He improvised in
such a way that it was impossible to distinguish between the sections notated in the score and his own. This is
Herdzin’s excellent blend of improvisation and composition. It is difficult to tell where one ends and the other
begins.”
Snowflakes and Penguins Circus, two pieces from the cycle Winter Sketches, fully demonstrate Herdzin’s
skills in sound painting and the creation of mood. These light compositions – highly evocative visually – could not
only serve as background music to films (an area in which Herdzin has scored notable successes) but function on
their own, as very charming lyrical miniatures. Thanks to its cheerful atmosphere and a joyful play with sound that
is a part of a true jazzman’s nature, Herdzin’s music is winning new listeners. Perhaps it is the composer’s artistic
credo that holds the secret of his great popularity? He said in an interview: “I like to perform and listen to music
which is bright and joyful and carries an element of harmony. Harmony, not only in the musical sense but as some
sort of an order - this is what interests me in the arts the most”.
Krzysztof HERDZIN (b.1970) is a pianist, composer, arranger, conductor, multi-instrumentalist, record producer
and academic lecturer, in a word a universal artist who evades any precise definition. He is a graduate from the
Music Academy in Bydgoszcz, where he studied piano performance with Katarzyna Popowa-Zydroń (diploma in
1993). He is self-taught in composition, orchestration, arrangement and conducting. A highly-acclaimed chamber
performer (appearing with the violinist Vadim Brodsky, the flautist Jadwiga Kotnowska and the saxophonist Wojciech
Mrozek), he is also one of Poland’s most sought-after jazz arrangers and specialists in film music orchestration (he
orchestrated the soundtrack to ‘Finding Neverland’ which brought composer Jan A.P. Kaczmarek the Academy
Award in 2005). As a jazzman, he has won the Grand Prix at the 1990 Jazz Juniors and a prize at the International
Jazz Improvisation Competition in Katowice in 1994. He has been a member of jazz groups led by Zbigniew
Namysłowski, Jan Ptaszyn Wróblewski and Janusz Muniak. He has produced CDs with popular music (Edyta Geppert,
Irena Santor, Katarzyna Groniec, Maryla Rodowicz, Olga Bończyk, Wojciech Gąssowski, Jacek Kotlarski), has
composed songs to lyrics by Jacek Cygan, Artur Andrus, Tomasz Kordeusz and Michał Zabłocki, and has served as
music director of the musicals ‘Five Guys Names Moe’ and ‘Singing in the Rain’ at the Roma Theatre in Warsaw and
‘At the End of the Rainbow’ at the Stu Theatre in Kraków.
Krzysztof Herdzin’s honours include the ‘Fryderyk’ Award of the Polish recording industry in the Jazz
Composer/Arranger category (2012), the ‘Mocarty 2011’ Award from the RMF CLASSIC radio stadion (for the CD
‘Seweryn Krajewski Filmowo ... by Krzysztof Herdzin’), the prize from the President of Bydgoszcz (2005) and the
prize from the Marshal of the Kujawsko-Pomorskie Province (2012). He also received nominations for the Fryderyk
Award for his orchestral works in the Classical Music/CD of the Year/Contemporary Music categories. Credits to his
name also include 15 Golden Discs for his arrangements of CDs by leading singers, jazzmen and groups (Ryszard
Rynkowski’s ‘Intymnie’, Ewa-Małas Godlewska’s ‘Ladies’ and ‘Sentiments’, Edyta Geppert’s ‘Nic nie muszę’ and ‘Moje
królestwo’, ’Śpiewam życie’ by Edyta Geppert & Kroke, ‘Pogadaj ze mną’ by Młynarski & Nahorny, ‘Wielcy
kompozytorzy’ by Jerzy Duduś Matuszkiewicz, Irena Santor’s ‘Kręci mnie ten świat’, ‘Seweryn Krajewski Filmowo... by
Krzysztof Herdzin’, Wojciech Gąssowski’s ‘I Wish You Love’, Aleksandra Kurzak’s ‘Hej Kolęda’ and ‘FeelHarmony’ by
Kroke) as well as three Platinum Discs (Maryla Rodowicz’ ‘50’, Anna Maria Jopek’s ‘ID’ and ‘In the Rhythm of Chopin’
by Eljazz Big Band).
He has taken part in the recording of over 180 CDs, including 12 all-Herdzin discs: ‘Chopin’, ‘Being Confused’,
‘Seriale, seriale’, ‘Almost After’, ‘Dancing Flowers’, ‘Live in Tygmont’, ‘Belcanto Semplice’, ‘Fantasy on the themes from
Grażyna Bacewicz’s Fourth Quartet’, ‘Symphonicum’, ‘Looking for the Balance’, ‘Capacity’ and ‘Jesteś światłem’. He
has written over 3, 000 scores for chamber and symphony orchestras, big-bands and jazz groups. He has conducted
numerous orchestras, including the National Orchestra of Belgium, Zhejiang Symphony Orchestra, the Polish Radio
Symphony Orchestra, Sinfonia Varsovia, the Polish Chamber Philharmonic, Sinfonia Viva, Sinfonia Juventus, Capella
Bydgostiensis, Ricordanza Orchestra, Sinfonia Artis, the Orchestra of the Grand Theatre in Łódź and the Philharmonic
Orchestras of Łódź and Jelenia Góra. Foreign tours have taken him to Canada, the United States, Mexico, India,
Japan, China and almost all European countries. He has worked closely as pianist and arranger with the Song
Festivals in Opole and Sopot, has served as music director of popular television shows such as ‘Tata Show’, ‘Idol’,
‘Jak oni śpiewają / Soapstar Superstar’, ‘MC2 maszyna czasu Manna i Materny’ and ‘MaMa’, and has been artistic
director of gala television concerts and prestigious open-air performances.
He has composed the ‘Musical Logo’ for the local government of the Kujawsko-Pomorskie Province, Poland’s first
such project.
Piotr BARON (b.1961), saxophonist and composer, is one of Poland’s most original jazzmen. An acclaimed teacher,
he is the author of the manual ‘Techniczna szkoła na saksofon’ (A Technical School for Saxophone) and of the
collection ‘Etiudy jazzowe’ (Jazz Etudes). He performs on all types of the instrument. He has recorded over 60 CDs,
his partners including Art Farmer, Eddi Henderson, Victor Lewis, John Hicks, Billy Hart, David Friesen, Ed Shuller,
and Kevin Mahogany. Since 2007 he has been on the faculty of the University of Zielona Góra and of the State
Higher Vocational School in Nysa, teaching jazz and popular music. He is currently the leader of the trio, quartet
and quintet, and works closely with leading European jazz groups (including the Piotr Wojtasik Group and the
Jaromir Honzak Quartet East). He received the ‘Gloria Artis’ Bronze Medal of Merit for Culture in recognition of the
thirty years of his artistic career.
The Polish Radio Symphony Orchestra has a history dating back to pre-war years. It was re activated in 1945
by the violinist and conductor Stefan Rachoń, whose successors have included Włodzimierz Kamirski, Jan Pruszak
and Mieczysław Nowakowski. During the tenure of Tadeusz Strugała (1990-1993) the ensemble was given its
present name and moved to the brand-new Polish Radio Concert Studio, which was soon named after Witold
Lutosławski. In 1993-2006, the orchestra worked under Wojciech Rajski as Artistic Director. In March 2007 he was
succeeded by Łukasz Borowicz, who had performed and made recordings with the orchestra for some time. The CD
featuring Schumann’s works (conducted by Borowicz, with the cellist Dominik Połoński) won the ‘Fryderyk’ Award of
the Polish recording industry (2007). During the 2007/08 season, the orchestra gave concert performances of Verdi’s
Falstaff and of Cherubini’s Lodoïska (staged under the artistic supervision of Christa Ludwig at the Beethoven
Festival in Warsaw). Both works were released on CDs by Polish Radio, and the Lodoïska album was nominated for
the Midem Classical Awards and the ‘Fryderyk’ Award. Highlights of the 2008/09 season included the concert
performance of the opera Maria by the Polish composer Roman Statkowski (released on CD by Polish Radio), the
recording, in a co-production with Chandos, of Grażyna Bacewicz’s violin concertos (with Joanna Kurkowicz as the
soloist), the concert performance of Louis Spohr’s opera Der Berggeist during the 13th Ludwig van Beethoven
Festival (also released on CD) and a joint project with cpo for three CDs with Andrzej Panufnik's music (conducted
by Borowicz). In later seasons the orchestra has continued its exploration of the lesser known operatic repertoire
with Weber’s Euryanthe (2010), Donizetti’s Maria Padilla (2011), Italo Montemezzi’s L’amore dei tre re (2012) and
Verdi’s Simon Boccanegra (2013); all subsequently released on CD. The orchestra also gave the concert
performances of Szymon Laks’s opera L’Hirondelle inattendue (the first Polish performance in the original French
version), Karol Rathaus’s ballet Le lion amoureux and F.I. Dobrzyński’s Monbar or the Filibusters (the first
presentation of the opera after 150 years; also released on CD). The orchestra also took part in the concert
performance of Feliks Nowowiejski’s The Legend of the Baltic (2011). In coming months the orchestra will continue
its series of recordings with leading Polish singers. Two CDs with Piotr Beczała (for Orfeo), and CDs with Artur
Ruciński (for Polish Radio) and Mariusz Kwiecień (for Harmonia mundi) have already been released.
The Polish Radio Symphony Orchestra has a history dating back to years before Second World War, in 1945
Stefan Rachoń, a violinist and conductor acted as its Artistic Director, next were Włodzimierz Kamirski, Jan Pruszak
and Mieczysław Nowakowski. During the tenure of Tadeusz Strugała (1990-1993) the ensemble was given its present
name and moved to the brand-new Polish Radio Concert Hall, which was soon named after Witold Lutosławski.
Wojciech Rajski served as the orchestra’s Artistic Director in 1993-2006.
In March 2007 Łukasz Borowicz, who had performed and made recordings with the orchestra for some time, was
appointed its Artistic Director. The CD featuring Schumann’s works (conducted by Borowicz, with the cellist Dominik
Połoński) won the ‘Fryderyk’ Award of the Polish recording industry (2007). During the 2007/08 season, the orchestra
gave concert performances of Verdi’s Falstaff and of Cherubini’s Lodoïska (staged under the artistic supervision of
Christa Ludwig at the Beethoven Festival in Warsaw). Both works were released on CDs by Polish Radio, and the
Lodoïska album was nominated for the Midem Classical Awards and the ‘Fryderyk’ Award.
The 2008/09 season was inaugurated with the concert performance of the opera Maria by the Polish composer
Roman Statkowski (1859-1925). Its live recording has been released by Polish Radio. To mark the centenary of the
birth and the 40th anniversary of the death of Grażyna Bacewicz, her Overture and all violin concertos (with Joanna
Kurkowicz as soloist) were recorded for Chandos. During the 13th Ludwig van Beethoven Festival, the Polish Radio
Symphony Orchestra, with the Polish Radio Choir, performed Louis Spohr’s opera Der Berggeist. The 2008/09 season
concluded with a concert of works by Andrzej Panufnik. This was part of a joint project with cpo for the recording of
Panufnik's music by the Polish Radio Symphony Orchestra under Łukasz Borowicz. Three CDs have been released.
The orchestra has continued its exploration of the lesser known operatic repertoire with Weber’s Euryanthe,
performed during the Easter Festival in March 2010 and subsequently released on CD. The season ended with the
concert performance of Szymon Laks’s opera L’Hirondelle inattendue (the first Polish performance in the original
French version) and of Karol Rathaus’s ballet Le lion amoureux, also released on CD. The orchestra took part in the
concert performances of F.I. Dobrzyński’s Monbar or the Filibusters (2010), Donizetti’s Maria Padilla (2011), Italo
Montemezzi’s L’amore dei tre re (2012) – all released on CD, Feliks Nowowiejski’s The Legend of the Baltic (2011) and
Verdi’s Simon Boccanegra (2013). In coming months the orchestra will continue its series of recordings with leading
Polish singers. Two CDs with Piotr Beczała (for Orfeo), Artur Ruciński (for Polish Radio) and Mariusz Kwiecień (for
Harmonia mundi) have already been released.