Symphonic concert: 130th anniversary of the birth of Tadeusz Szeligowski

Tadeusz Szeligowski, whose 130th birthday we celebrate in 2026, is one of the key figures for Polish musical culture of the 20th century — both as a composer and as an educator. The suite for small orchestra perfectly shows the features of his neoclassical language: clear, economical instrumentation, expressive melody and rhythm, and precise differentiation of colors and textures. In Szeligowski's music, European tendencies of the first half of the 20th century meet with an attachment to the Polish melodic and rhythmic tradition. The intimate cast promotes concentration of resources, thanks to which the form remains clear and the language — modern and at the same time communicative.

The Lublin Wedding occupies a special place in the program also because of the composer's relationship with Lublin. Szeligowski was associated with the local music community for several years, and his pedagogical and organizational activities contributed to the musical life of the city. Reaching out to the authentic folklore of the Lublin region, he does not limit himself to quoting melodies, but makes them the material of his own, mature artistic expression. The presence of soprano and mixed choir broadens the color palette with an integral vocal element. Wedding rituals, dances and songs are freely stylized — juxtaposed with lyrical passages and transformed into an original orchestral narrative. The tradition, transferred from the ritual space to the concert hall, retains its color and power of expression here.

Symphony No. 2 in C minor “Elegy” by Zygmunt Noskowski is one of the important works of Polish symphony of the second half of the 19th century. The dark tone, broad phrases and the contrast between drama and lyricism give it a serious, focused character. The extended form is based on the consistent transformation of the thematic material: recurring motifs, shown in changing contexts, build the internal coherence of the work. Noskowski remains rooted in the European symphonic tradition, and at the same time gives it an individual shape.

The composition of both composers shows the panorama of Polish music — from the mature Romanticism of Noskowski to the 20th century neoclassicism of Szeligowski and his creative encounter with folklore.