100/100 Górecki and Maksymiuk for the 100th anniversary of Polish independence

The project ‘100/100 Musical decades of freedom’ is a project by Polish Music Publishers (Polskie Wydawnictwo Muzyczne), which honors the celebration of Poland's 100th anniversary of regaining independence. The publishing part of the project is a box of 36 albums with 100 pieces by Polish composers and a monograph ‘100 years from the history of Polish music’ (‘100 lat z dziejów polskiej muzyki’) by Danuta Gwizdalanka. Its culminating point is music played live in New York, London, Vienna, Warsaw and Szczecin. On November 11, 2018, on 11 stages around the world and at the 11 best concert halls in Poland, 100 pieces by Polish composers will be performed as interpretations by outstanding soloists, orchestras, choirs and ensembles of international renown.

One of the final concerts broadcast by Polish Radio Program Two will also take place in Szczecin. On November 11th at 19:00, the Szczecin Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra will perform ‘Symphony of Sorrowful Songs’ by Henryk Mikołaj Górecki. The musicians will be led by one of the most respected and well-known Polish conductors – maestro Jerzy Maksymiuk. The vocal parts will be performed by Elżbieta Szmytka, one of the most recognizable soprano voices in the world.

Symphony No. 3 ‘Symphony of Sorrowful Songs’ is a composition that brought Górecki unprecedented global popularity in the world of contemporary music. To this day, it remains recognized as an exceptional piece in world literature. Shortly after the release of the Symphony by Elektra Records, it hit the top of both American and British charts, selling over a million copies. The first movement of the piece opens with the melody of a theme composed of quotes from two traditional religious songs. In the second movement of the symphony, the composer used the text of the inscription by 18-year-old Helena Błażusiakówna carved on the wall of the "Palace", the Gestapo torture chamber in Zakopane where the young highlander was held in 1944. The third movement of the symphony is based on a direct quote from a folk song of the Silesian Uprisings (1919-1921).

Thanks to the exceptional expressiveness shown by the composer in a minimalist form, the symphony perfectly fits the fastidious tastes of experienced contemporary music lovers.

However, this is not everything that the Philharmonic in Szczecin has prepared for music lovers as part of the celebrations of the 100th anniversary of Polish independence. On 4 November we will begin a series of events titled ‘We are at home’. The Philharmonic will become a place where Polish music culture at its best will reign. From Sunday to Sunday, from the youngest to the oldest, music lovers will have the opportunity to participate in a unique presentation of the history of Polish music and its rich culture. The week will start with a family concert, with the following days filled with the history of Polish jazz in a nutshell, a presentation of Polish folklore, Polish chamber music performed by outstanding virtuosos, a new approach to sound taken by contemporary composers working in other musical fields, a historical look at Moniuszko's national opera. Everything will conclude with the ‘100/100 | Musical decades of freedom | Górecki’ concert on November 11th.


From November 4th to 11th, WE ARE AT HOME at the Philharmonic in Szczecin.

The project ‘We are at home’ is financed by the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage under the Multi-annual Program NIEPODLEGŁA 2017-2021.