„Słopiewnie” by Karol Szymanowski

Dorota Szczepańska / soprano
Justus Zeyen / piano

Mix&Mastering – Sebastian Seuring
RJS Hannover

„Szymanowski got fascinated with its modality, simplicity, vitality and energy going side by side with lyrical expression, and Słopiewnie were the first demonstration of this fascination. Representing his own, individual style, Szymanowski’s music is in ideal harmony with Tuwim’s poetry of extreme grace and rich in resounding neologisms that resemble the Polish speech. While striving to capture the specific features of the Podhale folk music, Szymanowski never directly quoted or plainly styled any folk tunes. Instead, he evoked the characteristic mood with sparing means, such as simplification of motifs, elimination of vivid colours and use of uncomplicated, melodic phrases based on modal scales. Despite such „limitations” Słopiewnie carry a huge emotional load. The first song, Słowisień, delights with its lyricism and subtle, almost ascetic, sound – in contrast with the more expressive and picturesque second song Zielone słowa. The third song, Święty Franciszek, starts with the characteristic turns of melody and ornaments in the piano part that emulate the singing of the birds, and introduces the famous Sabała tune which will appear in the ballet Harnasie a few years later. The fourth song, Kalinowe dwory, introduces the special, exuberant rhythm of mountaineer dances that culminates with the vigorous, youthful ‚Hey!’. Wanda, the last song, its mood that of a quiet lament evoking the monotonous folk wailing, moves one with profundity of emotions achieved with a minimum of means, that is with single piano sounds intricately interlaced with voice in piano dynamics.”
Anna Iwanicka-Nijakowska