Olli Mustonen

About the Before the Grand Competition series

The idea to organise a concert series at the time frame previously reserved for the Chopin Competition was born nearly simultaneously with the reluctant decision to postpone the competition itself to the following year. As much as the pandemic has forced us to give up certain events, at least for the time being it lets us commune with live music, and – even if only to a limited extent – listen to it together in concert halls, while streaming and broadcasting provide an alternative for those who might be afraid or simply cannot come and listen to a concert.

Perhaps in quite a peculiar paradox, the past few months – extremely difficult for the entire artistic world, the artists, the performers, and the audience – proved how very much we need that contact with music, and how much it gives us, how captivating it can be in its role of a prominent source of joy, pleasure, and profound emotions.

That is why, making the heavy-hearted decision to postpone the Chopin Competition to 2021, we knew for sure that we wanted to avoid any gap opening in the place originally assigned to it. Therefore, we filled that time in the most organic of the ways, inviting the champions of the previous competitions to a series of recitals. They are the world pianist elite, in various moments of their careers, all of them excellent, arch-interesting personalities making significant contributions to the contemporary musical life. Moreover, the chamber concert closing this unique series makes a reference to competition finals. On 17 October, the anniversary of death of Fryderyk Chopin, we traditionally visit the Church of the Holy Cross, where the composer’s heart is, to listen to his music, this year exceptionally accompanied by great poetry. Each night in this series provides an intended link: connecting, predicting, opening – each and every one is an invitation to communing with grand music and excellent interpretation.

Stanisław Leszczyński

PROGRAMME:

Part 1

Henry Purcell
Music for a While
If Music be the Food of Love
What Power art Thou
Strike the Viol

Tadeusz Baird
Four Love Sonnets: Spójrz co tu ciche serce wypisało; Drwię, mając ciebie, z całej ludzkiej pychy; Słodka miłości; Jakże podobna zimie jest rozłąka

Paweł Łukaszewski
Jesień from Three Songs, words by Maria Pawlikowska-Jasnorzewska

Jakub Józef Orliński – countertenor
Michał Biel – piano

Part 2

Francesco Cavalli
Lucidissima face

Giovanni Antonio Boretti
Chi scherza con Amor

Georg Friedrich Händel
Pena tiranna

Giovanni Bononcini
Sinfonia from La Nemica d'Amore fatta amante

Georg Friedrich Händel
Voi che udite

Luca Antonio Predieri
Finchè salvo

Giuseppe Maria Orlandini / Johann Mattheson
Che m'ami ti prega

Jakub Józef Orliński – countertenor
Capella Regia Polona Early-Instruments Ensemble of the Polish Royal Opera