End of the artistic season 2026/2027

symphonic — FN ensembles conducted by Krzysztof Urbański and Leila Josefowicz.

Krzysztof Urbański (photo: Grzesiek Mart); Leila Josefowicz (photo: Tom Zimberoff)

The concert program at the end of the 2026/2027 season was subordinated to the celebration of nature. Pēteris Vasks' Plainscapes for mixed choir, violin and cello is an attempt to musically reproduce his native Latvian lowlands. This gentle, meditative work sounded for the first time on 28 March 2002 in Vienna's Minoritenkirche. They were conducted by Latvian choirmaster Māris Sirmais, sung by the youth choir Kuke... from Riga, and instrumental parts were performed by Gidon Kramer (violin) and Marta Sudraba (cello). Knowing the sensational capabilities of the National Philharmonic Choir, you can expect a moving, poignant experience.

Jan Lech

Karol Szymanowski gladly turned to violin music in his work and this was probably influenced by his friendship with the outstanding virtuoso Paweł Kochański, but perhaps above all by the extraordinary sonic sensitivity of the composer, who was able to shape the sound of the violin into both fleeting oriental arabesques and rough phrases of Podhale music. The 2nd Violin Concerto, written in 1933 inspired by Kochanski, refers to the folklore fascinations of the Master from Atma. However, Podhale's color is not so vividly expressive, but more restrained, saturated with lyricism, and in some places even reverie.
The music for the ballet Firebird, commissioned by the creator of the Russian Ballets Sergei Diaghilev, is the first great success of Igor Stravinsky. The premiere of the work took place in 1910 at the Théâtre National de l'Opera in Paris. Of the three suits drawn up by the composer, the most popular is the one from 1919. However, Krzysztof Urbański, Artistic Director of the National Philharmonic, decided to turn to the one from 1945, completed by the composer in the United States. It is a riot of orchestral colors, changeable moods and wonderfully processed folk motifs, culminating in the worship of nature, goodness and light.

Malgorzata Gasiorowska
(ed.)