Organization

Singer

Julita Mirosławska

Soloists

Joanna Talarkiewicz

Łukasz Baltazar Kózka

Aleksander Rewiński

Mikołaj Zgódka

Piotr Chwedorowicz

Voice

Soprano

Conductor

Jakub Burzyński

Others

The Chorus Of The Polish Royal Opera

Zespół Instrumentów Dawnych Polskiej Opery Królewskiej Capella Regia Polona

Polska Opera Królewska

In Festo Purifications – Vasa Mass For The Feast Of The Presentation Of The Lord

Warsaw

Poland

In Festo Purifications – Vasa Mass For The Feast Of The Presentation Of The Lord: Concert Various

Public

Lumen ad revelationem

Opera omnia II

Felix namque

Concerto Primo à 2

Responsum accepit

Motetti e sonate concertati, Op.6

Approved

Since the early days, music has been an integral part of the Holy Mass – the most important liturgy of the Western Church. Initially, it appeared in the form of chorale songs, then it took the shape of elaborate polyphonic arrangements and, finally, complex vocal and instrumental compositions. The heyday of Polish sacred music took place during the reign of the kings of the Vasa dynasty, which must have been particularly visible during important church ceremonies. One of these was undoubtedly the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord. In the extraordinary form of the Roman Rite introduced by the Council of Trent in 1570, the feast was known as Festo purificationis, and in the Polish tradition, it is still commonly known as Candlemas. The program of the concert consists of works by leading composers who shaped the musical repertoire of the Republic of Poland in the 17th century. Arranged in an order that reflects the musical sphere of the solemn liturgy, they give an idea of the refinement of the mass crowning the joyful Christmas season.

The ordinary was taken from Missa Sancta Anna by Marcin Mielczewski, a 17th-century composer who was famous both in Poland and throughout Europe. The mass, based on the melody of the then-popular song O Maryja cna dziewica, is scored for a six-voice choir, coro capella of the same size, and an instrumental ensemble. Reconstructing the musical order of the entire service also requires the selection of adequate proper, i.e. pieces arranged to texts appropriate for a given holiday. The processional entrance by candlelight will be accompanied by the eight-voice Lumen ad revelationem by Giovanni Francesca Aneria, derived from a chorale melody, and Pacelli’s ten-voice Ave Maria will act as the introit. Both Italians served as maestro di capella at the courts of Polish rulers and introduced the latest Italian compositional techniques to Polish musical practice. The first Polish composer to implement stile moderno in his work was Mikołaj Zieleński. The Offertory and the Communion come from his famous collection published in Venice in 1611. We will also hear instrumental compositions by Polish bandmasters – Franciszek Lilius and Adam Jarzębski, as well as dignified traditional chorale fragments.

English

In Festo Purifications – Vasa Mass For The Feast Of The Presentation Of The Lord by Anerio, G. F., Lilius, Zieleński, Jarzębski, Merula, Fri 26 May 2023, From (2023/2023), Conductor Jakub Burzyński

Performance credits (Cast & Crew )

Cast

Ensemble

Programme, About & Synopsis

Photos

Further reading

Performance Dates & Venues

Venues