Twenty Polish Christmas Carols
This article may lend undue weight to certain ideas, incidents, or controversies. (July 2017) |
Twenty Polish Christmas Carols (Polish: 20 polskich kolęd) is a collection of Polish carols arranged for soprano and piano in 1946 by Polish composer Witold Lutosławski (1913–1994) and then orchestrated by him for soprano, female choir and orchestra in 1984–1989.[1] The music and lyrics were taken mostly from 19th-century printed sources.[2][3][4]
History
Twenty Polish Christmas Carols is a composition by
In the years leading up to this event, occupation by Nazi Germany and The Soviet Union had had a devastating effect on Poland. The post-war years were times of daily hardship. The cultural sphere was influenced by conservative ideologies and the totalitarian authorities in place at the time. In such a climate, collecting Christmas carols was a relatively safe and harmless activity.
Arranging the collected Christmas Carols, Lutosławski first wrote for only voice and piano. Aniela Szleminska (soprano) and Jan Hoffman then performed a part of the completed work in Kraków.
The work then disappeared until almost 40 years later, when Lutoslawski re-arranged the carols for soprano, a female chorus and orchestra.
On December 15, 1985 this version was performed for the first time. Marie Slorach sang accompanied by the London Symphony Orchestra with a choir.
On December 14, 1990 the Chamber Orchestra of Scotland, with accompanying choir, played the work with soloist Susan Hamilton in Edinburgh. This version was equipped with English-language texts, while all previous versions had been performed in Polish.
Twenty Polish Christmas Carols have been likened to folk-song pieces by Ralph Vaughan Williams [citation needed].
The Polish texts were drawn from books:
- Śpiewnik Kościelny - collection of Polish 19th century sacred songs by Michał Mioduszewski (1838–1853)
- Pastorałki i kolędy z melodyjami – collection of 17th to 19th century Polish sacred Christmas carols by Michał Mioduszewski (1843)
- Lud vol.16: Lubelskie by Oskar Kolberg (1883)
- Lud vol.22: Leczyckie by Oskar Kolberg (1899)
Carols
No. | English title [3] | Original title in Polish [2] | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1 | The angels came to the shepherds | Aniol Pasterzom Mowił | |
2 | Hey, We look forward now on | Hej, weselmy się | |
3 | When Christ has come to us | Gdy się Chrystus rodzi | |
4 | just after midnight | Północ już była | |
5 | God is born | Bóg się rodzi | |
6 | Our Lady | Gdy śliczna Panna | |
7 | Hurrying to Bethlehem | Przybieżeli do Betlejem | |
8 | Infant Holy, Infant Lowly | W żłobie leży | |
9 | Jesus is there | Jezus malusieńki | |
10 | we are shepherds | My też pastuszkowie | |
11 | Lullaby, Jesus | Lulajże Jezuniu | |
12 | On this day | Hej, w dzień narodzenia | |
13 | Jesus lovely flower | Jezu, śliczny kwiecie | |
14 | Hey la, Hey la, shepherds, there you | Hola hola, pasterze z pola | |
15 | What to do with this child | A cóż z tą dzieciną | |
16 | Hey, hey, lovely Lady Mary | Hej hej, lelija Panna Maryja | |
17 | This is God's birthday | Z narodzenia Pana | |
18 | Shepherds, can tell you what you have seen | Pasterze mili | |
19 | Infant so tiny | Dziecina mała | |
20 | Holy Mother Mary (ran through the wide world) | Najświętsza Panienka po świecie chodziła | (). |
Orchestration
- Soprano
- SSAA (sopranos and altos )
- 1 flute, 1 oboe / cor anglais, 2 clarinets (II also bass clarinet), 1 bassoon
- Two horns, one trumpet, one trombone
- Percussion, 1 harp, piano
- Violins, violas, cellos, double basses
See also
References
- ^ Richard Whitehouse. Liner notes to Naxos CD 8.555994, Lutoslawski, 20 Polish Christmas Carols, 2005
- ^ a b Lutosławski, Witold (2007), 20 kolęd na głos i fortepian, Polskie Wydawnictwo Muzyczne SA, Seria Jubileuszowa, archived from the original on October 30, 2013, retrieved October 30, 2013
- ^ a b Lutosławski, Witold (2007), 20 Kolęd. Album by Lutosławski, Grooveshark Profile, archived from the original on March 29, 2014, retrieved October 30, 2013
- ^ Lutosławski, Witold (2006), 20 polskich kolęd (Twenty Polish Christmas Carols), Adam Mickiewicz Institute, retrieved October 30, 2013