Catamorphosis

At the end of April, the excellent conductor Anna Sułkowska-Migoń returns to Wrocław, but for the first time the French pianist Jean-Paul Gasparian will be at the NFM. He will perform the solo part of Johannes Brahms's powerful 1st Piano Concerto. In the second part of the evening, the Polish artist will conduct a cassandric-elegiac work by Anna Thorvaldsdottir and a completely different, exuberant opus by Maurice Ravel.

Just as “catabolism” in simple terms means the breaking down of complex, high-energy chemical compounds into smaller molecules, and “catastrophe” a pernicious combination of circumstances, the term “catamorphosis” can denote a transformation of the state of a thing towards destruction and fragmentation. Icelandic Anna Thorvaldsdottir does not hide that the inspiration for the creation of Catamorphosis was humanity's fragile relationship with its home — Earth. The scientific consensus (despite the existence of individual skeptical opinions) is clear — climate change on our planet that cannot be ignored is anthropogenic, which means that our exploitation activities are responsible for them. In this moving and exquisitely orchestrated work, the artist meditates on the question of human agency. The title, which refers to a composition by Richard Strauss, incorporates Catamorphosis into the tradition of musical tales of disintegration. Yes, it's too late for some things, but not for all of them.

In the first part of the evening we will face the rebellious attitude of a young romantic artist. On the day of the premiere of the First Piano Concerto, Brahms counted twenty-five springs. The protégé of Robert Schumann's widow wanted to enchant in the piece his affection for the famous pianist (Adagio was supposed to be her portrait) and win the recognition of the musical elite of Germany. Despite this, the premiere in Leipzig turned out to be a failure. Certainly a lighter, more Dionysian proposal will be Ravela's Spanish Rhapsody closing the evening. In this work, a Frenchman of Basque origin expressed his sympathy for Picasso's homeland. Among the four parts he included, among others, Malagueña, referring to the sensual nature of Andalusian dance, and Habanera, based on an earlier composition for two pianos. In 1908, when Rhapsody was created, the average temperature in the country south of the Pyrenees was more than 2.5°C lower than today...