Estonian Arnold Schoenberg Society
Polish Embassy in Tallinn
Pärnu Town

FRIDAY, 12.01.2007

19.00

Pärnu Town Hall

SIMPLE

Recital for cello solo

Bartosz Koziak (cello, Poland)

[EE]

Krzysztof Penderecki

Cappriccio per Siegfried Palm

Isang Yun

Glissees

Roman Berger

Convergentions 3

Iannis Xenakis

Kottos

Heinz Holliger

Chaconne

Sary Laszlo

… for cello

Peter Sculthorpe

Requiem

SIMPLE

The cello is not a well-known solo instrument. The so-called wide public knows only Bach’s suites and perhaps Kodaly’s Sonate. Its traditional perception as a “romantic” instrument in the context of Brahms’, Chopin’s and Rachmaninov’s Sonates and Dworak’s Concerto makes it difficult to see it as an independent instrument. Whereas the cello, due to its unlimited technical potential, tremendous sound and colour scales and an exceptional power of expression, is a truly extraordinary instrument and performs very well in all kinds of the 20th century works.

Mstislav Rostropovich’s and Siegfried Palm’s extraordinary activity mobilized the greatest composers of the 20th century to write solo compositions for the cello. Numerous works, including solo masterpieces and such famous compositions as Shostakovich’s Concertos and Britten’s Suites, were composed for Rostropovich. Now they constitute the core of the instrument’s contemporary literature.

As regards the solo repertoire, it was obviously the 70th anniversary of Paul Sacher’s birth which was of particular significance. On that occasion Rostropovich ordered twelve short compositions from twelve different composers. Most of them were then included in the repertoire. On the other hand, we owe to Palm compositions which after all those years are still looked upon as “modern”. These are, for example, Nomos by Xenakis or the short Cappriccio by Penderecki, which continue to impress with their courage and innovatory character regarding sonoric potential.

Naturally, there are also other works, which were not composed for Rostropovich or Palm. As a result, they are not so well-known. Still, writing music without the burden which is related to addressing it to some brilliant performer and the technical potential of the given instrument sometimes results in illustrious compositions. Berger’s Convergentions 3 from cycle for three solo instruments are best examples.

In SIMPLE I tried to combine works which were created under very different circumstances and for different performers but are similar in the classical manner the instrument’s use. The program is prepared with the minimum of non-cello means. The instrument is neither acoustically or electronically supported. I wish to make the audience focus its attention on the cello as a solo instrument rather than a chamber one, and on its purest and simplest form by consistent rejection of any compromising and distracting composer’s achievements of the last 50 years, such as the use of voice, tape, amplifying, etc. The result is the clash of two ideas – the idea of the “beautiful” and “perfect” cello through the context of Bach’s Suites with music which consciously changes the definition of esthetics and expression, for which there are no performing, sonoric, formal or any other restrictions. I am convinced that in this context and in such a combination of compositions, the cello gains a new and original meaning.

Bartosz Koziak




Bartosz Koziak, cellist (b.1980) is the winner of the first prize at the 3rd Witold Lutoslawski International Cello Competition in Warsaw in 2001 and of special awards at the Tchaikovsky Competitions in Moscow (for his performance of “Kottos” by Iannis Xenakis) and the ARD in Munich.

Performed in many renowned concert halls, including: the Konzerthaus in Berlin, the Cité de la Musique in Paris, the Teatro Politeama in Palermo, the Witold Lutoslawski Studio and the National Philharmonic in Warsaw. As a soloist he performed with such orchestras as: the NOSPR, the National Philharmonic, Sinfonia Varsovia, Sinfonietta Cracovia, the Orchestra Sinfonica Siciliana, and radio orchestras in Warsaw and Budapest conducted by Krzysztof Penderecki, Jan Krenz, Antoni Wit, Gabriel Chmura and Massimiliano Caldi. He is regularly invited to such famous festivals as: “Warsaw Autumn”, “Mecklemburg Vorpommen”, and “Young Euro Classic” in Berlin. He also makes recordings for the Polish Radio.

Graduated with honours from the Fryderyk Chopin Academy of Music in Warsaw in Professor Kazimierz Michalik and Andrzej Bauer’s class and from the Conservatoire National Superieur de Musique de Paris in Philippe Muller’s class.

For the past several years he has been invited to participate in Krzysztof Penderecki’s concert projects. He took part in the first recording of “Concerto grosso” conducted by the Composer.

Plays on Wojciech Topa’s instrument from 2004.