The Voices Of The Mountains

Or, to be more precise, the voices of the Tatra mountains. Karol Szymanowski, the most celebrated Polish composer of the early 20th century was also a great lover of the music of the Polish Highlands. He wrote: ’[The music] gives you a sense of primeval wildness, schematic rawness of the primitive, tenacity of rock seemingly devoid of any trace of improvisatory inaptitude; it is a continuous process producing positive, homogenous values, the laborious forging of shapes which do not drown helplessly in the bloodless sea of sentimentality, and a reflection of [the Highlanders’] innate plasticity of imagination.’ The author of Harnsie was not the only Polish classical composer drawn to the Tatra mountains and its folklore. Sharing his passion were two Silesian composers: Henryk Mikołaj Górecki (just listen to his Harpsichord Concerto) and Wojciech Kilar (think Orawa, the greatest symphonic hit inspired by the music of the Polish Highlands ever written). Held annually at the Teatr Wielki, The Voices of the Mountains features works by all three of the Tatra-loving composers reworked and performed by renowned instrumentalists representing very different musical genres: Sebastian Karpiel Bułecka, Janusz Olejniczak, the Atom String Quartet, and more.

Conducted by Jerzy Maksymiuk
Concept and script: Waldemar Dąbrowski, Janusz Olejniczak, Jolanta Trykacz
Music director: Janusz Olejniczak
Music arranged by: Jan Smoczyński
Executive producer and project coordinator: 2T Vision Promotion sp. z o.o.

Featuring: 
Janusz Olejniczak – piano 
Jan Smoczyński – keyboard instruments
Sebastian Karpiel Bułecka's Highland Quartet 
Sebastian Karpiel Bułecka – vocals, violin, highland bagpipes, shepherd instruments
Bartłomiej Kudasik – violin, viola
Wojciech Topa – violin 
Józef Chyc – highland basy 
Atom String Quartet: 
Dawid Lubowicz – violin
Lucjan Szaliński-Bałwas – violin
Michał Zaborski – viola 
Krzysztof Lenczowski – cello
NEO String Quartet:
Karolina Piątkowska-Nowicka – violin
Paweł Kapica – violin
Michał Markiewicz – viola
Krzysztof Pawłowski – cello
Jan Młynarski – drums 
Michał Barański – double-bass

The Programme:

1. Traditional Highland Melodies 
Sebastian Karpiel Bułecka Quartet 

2. Piano Concerto 
Written by Wojciech Kilar

Janusz Olejniczak
Jan Smoczyński
Sebastian Karpiel Bułecka Quartet 
Atom String Quartet
NEO String Quartet
Michał Barański
Jan Młynarski

3. Lulaj [Sleep]
Written by Fryderyk Chopin 

Janusz Olejniczak
Sebastian Karpiel Bułecka

4. Piano Concerto Op. 40
Written by Henryk Mikołaj Górecki

Janusz Olejniczak
Atom String Quartet
NEO String Quartet

5. Traditional Highland Melodies 
Kwartet Sebastiana Karpiela Bułecki

6. Mazurka Op. 50 No. 1
Written by Karol Szymanowski

Janusz Olejniczak
Bartłomiej Staniak
Jan Smoczyński
Michał Barański
Jan Młynarski

7. Mazurka Op. 50 No. 2
Written by Karol Szymanowski

Janusz Olejniczak

8. Zakopane
Written by Mateusz Smoczyński

Atom String Quartet

9. Orawa
Written by Wojciech Kilar

Janusz Olejniczak
Sebastian Karpiel Bułecka Quartet 
Atom String Quartet
NEO String Quartet
Jan Smoczyński
Michał Barański
Jan Młynarski