Szymon Nehring, Sinfonia Varsovia, Aleksandar  Marković

Chaconne in memoria del Giovanni Paolo II (2005) is an exceptional work in Krzysztof Penderecki’s oeuvre. It is the last chord of his Polish Requiem. It is a symbolic ‘dot over the i’, the final point of his labors on the monumental work. The moving lament dedicated to the memory of Pope John Paul II acquires a universal dimension today. It makes us reflect on the transience of life, its duration and passing. This is Penderecki who appeals to the sensitivity of every listener. It is a beautiful tribute paid by Sinfonia Varsovia to its late Master.

Listening to the F minor Concerto (1830), we think fondly of the young Frycek and his years in Warsaw. It was here that Chopin “ran to the theater”, where he delighted in his virtuosity and reflected on his beloved Constance – the beautiful singer who was an inspiration for the Larghetto from his first concert. Memories of youthful love, visits to the opera, and vacations in the countryside pervade this early masterpiece, whose beauty continues to move us today. How will Szymon Nehring, winner of the Rubinstein Competition and finalist of the last Chopin Competition, play it?

Pyotr Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 5 in E minor (1888) is a fatalistic work. It is a psychological portrait of a composer in mid-life crisis. Against the gloomy background of the neighboring symphonies, however, the Fifth is an oasis of lyricism, with ardent cantilenas, Slavic melancholy and a subtle waltz that lingers in the memory. And only the grim motif of fate returns here like a memento mori. Will it dominate this romantic tale? And what will the conductor of the Festival’s finale, maestro Aleksandar Markovic, read from it?  

Róża Światczyńska

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