the talking bear

Musical Overtones Reviewed

Those of you who read yesterday's entry will know about the concert I went to. The programme consisted of three pieces of minimalist music (by no means meaning that the programme itself was minimal), by Steve Reich, Philip Glass and a lesser-known Polish composer, Tomasz Sikorski.

Each piece was introduced on a large screen (which also served as a multimedia backdrop for the oeuvres) by Polish musicologist Andrzej Chłopecki. Each introduction was in the form of a mini lecture, and because of the musical niche that the programme comprised, I am sure that most of the concert-goers were students at the Music Academy (Akademia Muzyczna) in Kraków.

But on to the music. Tomasz Sikorski's  piece was what the programme declared "a trial for Slavonic minimalism". A trial it was, although the music was sublime, if not subliminal. Much of the audience dozed off for the duration (including myself), not out of boredom, but due to the tonality (and a fair share of minimal atonality that is fairly common in music of this type) and harmony of the piece: Struny w ziemi (Strings in the earth).

Steve Reich's  "Triple Quartet" was played by 12 string players (who would have guessed), although the piece has also been written so that two quartets can be played back from a pre-recorded tape. Luckily we were given a fully live performance. The piece had Jewish overtones in it (although there wasn't the kind of 'wailing' you get in Klezmer music), and was lively enough to get the audience back on track after the dreamy chords of Sikorski's opus. Funnily enough, the piece was especially written for the Kronos Quartet, which played in Kraków not so long ago.

The third and final piece of the concert was Philip Glass' Symphony no.3. It was one of the most beutiful pieces of music I have heard this year. Very typical Glass, with waves of chords and juicy modulations that swung back and forth whilst keeping the audience on their toes. The two outer movements were very calm (one reminded me of a movement Glass had already written for Koyaanisqatsi or a film of similar ilk) with a very crowded inner two movements. I am not a music critic, but anyone who likes Glass would have loved to listen to this piece of music. So rounded and full of extatic sonority... (That's as far as my music criticness extends to: Chłopecki did a much better job of it...)

As far as minimal music goes in Poland, well, it isn't that popular. Yet the concert was a sell-out affair, and it proved how this kind of music can have such a profound effect on the human psyche. But then again, Wagner's music did too, and his music wasn't minimal at all...

Musical Overtones

Going to listen to some Steve Reich and Philip Glass at the Kraków Philharmonia this evening. It's the first time I will've seen Glass publicly performed: I had no idea he wrote symphonies, let alone eight of them! Should be good. It's being played by Sinfonietta Cracovia, and looks interesting... Quick write-up tomorrow, for sure...

Poster from the Orkiestra Sinfonietta Cracovia website

Live Music in Kraków...

Last Saturday in Kraków: 15,000 peeps go to see Jay-Z, including myself. Also got a look-in backstage and interviewed Tatiana Okupnik, of Blue Café fame. All-round blast. Check it out. Sent to Radio Polonia 11.09.2006.

Last Saturday Kraków hosted the Coke Live Music Festival, a new music event that is to put Poland’s southern city on the European event circuit. With the weather promising not to misbehave and a guaranteed audience of around 15000, it hopes to be one of the biggest festivals in the region, as a quick question to Mikołaj Ziółkowski, head of Alter Art, the event’s organiser, proved:

What does the Coke Festival mean for the music scene in Poland?

I think  it will be one of the biggest summer music festivals in Poland specialised in contemporary popular music, so this year it's Jay-Z, Sugababes and Shaggy, so for the first edition it's a great line-up, so for sure it will be one of the biggest and most important event in the country, and every year it will be closing the summer.

Unfortunately the Sugababes didn’t make it to the show, but Jamaican-born Shaggy gave a fine performance and American rapper Jay-Z electrified the crowd with his rhymes and beats. It was good to see that Polish bands also played at the festival. Tatiana Okupnik, famed singer of Blue Café, has recently come back from the United States, where she worked with a new line-up. She has now started her own solo career, and was one of the stars to get the crowd going. I caught up with her backstage after her set.

Tatiana, it was a great performance out there, how was it on the stage?

I felt great because I had a great band, wonderful musicians, and not only great musicians, but they are good people too.

You had great backing vocals...

Yeah, Keesha, Irene and Chris, who is actually singing with me on my record, he's got a beautiful voice, you heard it right?, and we have a collaboration on my album, and the rapper, he's also got a great rhyming style, and he also wrote a few songs for my album.

How do you feel playing on the same stage as Jay-Z later on?

Every artist has got to be proud of who you are, and it doesn't matter if you play with Jay-Z, with somebody who is not known, you've got to just love the music.

And your new album, 'I'm on my own', was that produced in the United States or in Poland?

Everything was done in the States, so, yeah, in the States!

The wildly-dressed Miss Okupnik is veering away from the style of her former band and has initiated a new kind of music that will hopefully get people rocking on both sides of the Atlantic: a mix of R&B, soul, funk and rhymes. She told me more:

They call me 'Euro-Soul', they said that this is my genre, so girls are singing, Tatiana is banging all around the world with a new style called Euro-Soul…

You got to love it though, and will the single come out first in the States or in Poland?

In Poland first...

Thank-you very much, dziękuję bardzo

Dziękuję, thank-you, merci, spasibo!

Miss Okupnik is shortly going to reveal when her new album will come out. Is Poland about to export a new star? Let us hope so.

The Coke Live Festival is planned to take place over two days next year, although the line up is not yet known. All in all, the concert was a great way to end the summer on a high note.

Morrismen in Kraków

Material for the 43rd Beskidy Highlander's Festival, 03.08.2006

My first report for Radio Polonia done in Kraków.

This year brings the 43rd Beskidy Highlanders’ Week of Culture. The main idea behind the events that make up the festival is a return to the traditions that are now often lost in these times of globalisation and modern lifestyles.

The festival began in Wisła in 1964, and has since then attracted many local music and dance groups from the Beskidy area and also now from around the world.

Every year there are about four thousand dancers and singers that take part, over one hundred groups, and for nine days in five towns there are forty five main concerts.

One of the groups that is taking part in this year's festival are the self-styled "World Famous" Chameleonic Morris Men from England. These men have toured the world showing their dancing and playing their music, having visited places like Japan, Kazakhstan, most of Europe and even further-off places like the USA or Inner Mongolia!

I caught up with them on their day off in Kraków...

We're here as part of the International Folk Festival here in the Beskidy region, and we're here on our day off, but when we go for our day off we like to do some dancing and singing, playing, so, we've been in Kraków all day, and we've been enjoying the city, enjoying the beers, and been playing some music and dancing.

We went down the Salt Mines, and we danced down the Salt Mines, and we've been here for the rest of the day, and we'll be going back this evening to Szczyrk.

And what do you think of Polish folk music, have you listened to any?

We have indeed, and we've been very impressed with what we've seen, with the dancing and the music, the costumes, and the pretty young girls.

Of course!

The festival is open to all visitors until the 6th August, with concerts and other events going on until then. The main venues are in Wisła, Szczyrk, Żywiec, Oświęcim and Maków Podhalański with activites going on in other towns of the Beskidy region, such as Ujsoły, where the St.Lawrence Bonfire will be held on Saturday 5th August, and Jablunkov in the Czech Republic. More information can be found at the organiser's website at www.tkb.art.pl.

Cracovian Architecture &c.

May week-end a success. The sun in the Beskid Żywiecki was particularly awesome, resulting in mild sunburn...

Of course, to make up for two lost days students decided to pile it in before the week was up, making me go ever so slightly mad. What one does in the name of a few złoty, I tell you. To really finish me off, I've sung every day since I got back, too. Being in two choirs is good fun, but when you have to sing endlessly it does become somewhat tiring. Practice on Weds with Olim Pueri Cantantes, Thursday Mass on Św. Krzyża (Church of the Holy Cross), Friday practice with the Cathedral and Cecylian Choirs, today a break, but tomorrow... Tomorrow is St. Stanislaus' day (Św. Stanisław), patron saint of Poland. The Mass on the Skałka is going to be televised. My boots are trembling.

Apart from running around like a total madman, I have also set up a photoset in Flickr of interesting buildings and architecture in Kraków. The set doesn't have many pictures now, but I'll soon rectify the situation. There's a lot to see, and some of the most beautiful buildings are hidden in the maze that is the Old Town. You can see for yourself here.

And one last thing. The election in the UK. I voted (by proxy). I wasted more paper for a vote that wasn't going to make a difference anyway. Time for PR in the UK? I should think so...

Anyway, in light of tomorrow, here is are the first two verses of the hymn written in memory of St Stanisław, Bishop of Kraków, who was "hacked to pieces" in 1078 by Bolesław II...

Gaude Mater Polonia
Prole foecunda nobili
Summi Regis magnalia
Laude frequenta vigili

Cuius benigna gratia
Stanislai Pontificis
Passionis insignia
Signis fulgent mirificis

Until the next time...

A moment for reflection...

Decided not to go to Prague for breakfast: on the other hand, did lots and lots of photos of the snow in Kraków and am listening to DDT (ДДТ: thanks Dad:) and Fairport Convention. Just the thing for those Central European Blues:
A few pictures taken around midnight:

Take it easy. M.