Strauss, Mahler, Moravian-Dabrowa

The juxtaposition of the songs of Richard Strauss, Gustav Mahler and Eugeniusz Morawski-Dąbrowa creates a coherent, though multidimensional portrait of the music of the turn of the century, in which the artistic song evolved from an intimate form to a powerful, psychologically saturated poem.

The common denominator for these three is, above all, their rooting in a late Romantic aesthetic, characterized by dense texture, bold chromatics and a desire to express the states of the human soul. While Strauss brings sensuality, brilliance and almost painterly ability to convey affections to this dialogue, Mahler counteracts it with metaphysical restlessness and a painful rift between folk simplicity and existential fear of transience.

The work of Morawski-Dąbrowa, an unjustly forgotten figure who is the Polish equivalent of European modernism, fits perfectly into this trend. His songs, imbued with dark symbolism and almost orchestral pomp of piano parts, show a striking affinity with Strauss's dense harmony and Mahler's tragedy.

For all three composers, the accompanying instrument ceases to be just a background, becoming an equal narrator who adds what is inexpressible in a literary text. Thanks to this, their joint presentation in one concert allows us to trace how music sought to capture the spirit of the new era in different ways — from Munich ecstasy, through Viennese irony, to Paris-Warsaw decadence.