Witold Lutosławski, Andrzej Panufnik, Grażyna Bacewicz, Czesław Niemen, Henryk Wars, Mieczysław Weinberg, and Stanisław Moniuszko – the new album Sinfonia Varsovia. Chamber Way features Sinfonia Varsovia’s chamber ensembles performing pieces by Warsaw-based composers. The Orchestra’s strength lies in its musicians, who excel in both symphonic and chamber music. The album showcases the talents of our chamber ensembles.
Warsaw was an obvious choice for the album’s theme. This is we come from and where we invite audiences to our concerts, be it our headquarters at 272 Grochowska Street or concert halls in other parts of the city. To show the rich and varied music of the city, the album spans pieces from the interwar period and the times of the occupation and extends into contemporary music.
The album features two string quartets performed by the Sinfonia Varsovia String Quintet: Aria and Capriccio by Mieczysław Weinberg, a Varsovian of Jewish descent, who composed the pieces in the Soviet Union. The ensemble is joined by the members of the Sinfonia Varsovia Wind Quintet in the folk-inspired Dance Preludes by Witold Lutosławski. We will also hear a new interpretation of one of the most popular excerpts from Stanisław Moniuszko’s Halka – the Highlanders’ Dances. What is more, the musicians recorded two pieces composed in Warsaw – Grażyna Bacewicz’s Quintet for Wind Instruments from 1932 and Andrzej Panufnik’s Quintetto Accademico from 1952. The album is compositionally framed by recordings from the Sinfonia Varsovia Brass. It opens with the Variations on a Theme of Paganini by Lutosławski and closes with Czesław Niemen’s iconic Song about Warsaw as well as a jazz medley of the greatest hits by Henryk Wars.
The album Sinfonia Varsovia. Chamber Way is available at the price of 30 PLN from 10 December in Sinfonia Varsovia’s online shop and on streaming platforms.
Download the CD booklet in PDF format.
Tracklist:
Witold Lutosławski Variations on a Theme by Paganini (1941, arr. by Roger Harvey)
perf. Sinfonia Varsovia Brass
Andrzej Panufnik Quintetto Accademico for Flute, Oboe, Two Clarinets and Bassoon (1952, rev. 1956)
I. Quasi preludio
II. Old Polish Triptych
III. Postlude
perf. by Sinfonia Varsovia Wind Quintet, Karol Sikora – clarinet
Mieczysław Weinberg Aria for String Quartet, Op. 9 (1942)
perf. by Sinfonia Varsovia String Quintet
Mieczysław Weinberg Capriccio for String Quartet, Op. 11 (1943)
perf. by Sinfonia Varsovia String Quintet
Stanisław Moniuszko Highlanders’ Dances from Halka (1858, arr. by Piotr Kamiński)
perf. by Sinfonia Varsovia Wind Quintet
Grażyna Bacewicz Quintet for Wind Instruments (1932)
I. Allegro
II. Air. Andante
III. Allegretto
IV. Vivo
perf. by Sinfonia Varsovia Wind Quintet
Witold Lutosławski Dance Preludes for 9 instruments (1954, new arr. 1959)
I. Allegro molto
II. Andantino
III. Allegro giocoso
IV. Andante
V. Allegro molto
perf. by Sinfonia Varsovia String Quintet, Sinfonia Varsovia Wind Quintet
Henryk Wars Wars Medley (pieces from 1935–1938, arr. by Miłosz Gawryłkiewicz)
perf. by Sinfonia Varsovia Brass
Czesław Niemen Sen o Warszawie (1966, arr. by Roger Argente)
perf. by Sinfonia Varsovia Brass
