End of season | Daphnis et Chloé | Kulakowski | Shemet | Symphony Orchestra

Performers: Maciej Kułakowski — cello

Yaroslav Shemet — conductor

Silesian Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra

Program: Edward Elgar — Cello Concerto in E minor, Op. 85

Maurice Ravel — Daphnis and Chloe

The monumental world of Maurice Ravel's ballet Daphnis et Chloé and Edward Elgar's poignant Cello Concerto will sound during the finale of the Silesian Philharmonic's artistic season under the direction of its artistic director Yaroslav Shemet. The soloist of the evening will be Maciej Kułakowski — winner of many prestigious competitions, including the Witold Lutosławski International Cello Competition or YCAT International Auditions in London.

Edward Elgar's Cello Concerto in E minor Op. 85 is one of the most moving works in the entire cello literature. The composer completed the piece after the end of the First World War, creating music full of melancholy, nostalgia and a sense of transience. Unlike Elgar's monumental earlier compositions, the concert impresses with its intimate expression and extraordinary emotional sincerity. A special place is occupied by the solo part of the cello — full of lyrical cantylenes, subtle dialogues with the orchestra and dramatic climaxes. The already opening recitation of the cello introduces an atmosphere of deep reflection and intimacy that permeates the entire work.

Although today the concert is one of the most important cello pieces in the history of music, its premiere in 1919 was unsuccessful due to too short rehearsal time. The work remained underappreciated over the years, and it was only Jacqueline du Pré's legendary recording of the 1960s that made it one of the most performed cello concertos in the world.

The second part of the evening will be filled with Maurice Ravel's Daphnis et Chloé — a monumental “choreographic symphony”, considered the composer's greatest orchestral masterpiece. Inspired by the ancient love story of the shepherd Daphnis and Chloé, the ballet impresses with its extraordinary orchestration, richness of colors and impressive sound. Ravel created one of the most demanding scores of the 20th century, using a huge executive apparatus, an extensive drum section, and a vocalizing chorus without words.

Ravel's music guides the listener through the next images — from moody scenes at dawn, through mysterious dances of nymphs and dramatic episodes of Chloé's kidnapping, to the finale full of light and energy. The final ballet Danse générale gained particular fame — a spectacular bachanalia based on pulsating rhythms, rising tension and impressive orchestral climaxes. Ravel combined impressionistic subtlety with the almost primordial energy of dance, creating music that remains to this day one of the greatest challenges and triumphs of the symphony orchestra.

CONCERT INFORMANT