2026-09-03

This autumn, with the September premieres of the latest Polish music, we are stepping forward neither boldly nor timidly – in keeping with Gdańsk’s motto. It is in this city that the first world premieres will take place. In September, we will be listening to new works by Polish composers in Gdańsk, Warsaw and Valencia. For the first time, we will hear works by Tadeusz Wielecki, Lidia Zielińska, Krzysztof Knittel and Agata Zubel.

When the carillon sounds, things are going well

On 5 September in Gdańsk, as every year at this time, the world premieres of two new carillon pieces took place. The compositions by Lidia Zielińska and Tadeusz Wielecki, commissioned by the City of Gdańsk and the Gdańsk Museum, were performed by the city’s carillonneur, Monika Kaźmierczak. At the stroke of midday, Tadeusz Wielecki’s piece Łagodne echo błękitu rang out for the first time from the tower of the Main Town Hall.

The piece was composed to mark Gdańsk’s designation as a UNESCO City of Literature. The composer dedicates it to all those who contribute to the city’s literary heritage and its culture of free speech and dialogue. – When the carillon can be heard echoing through the city, it means things aren’t so bad after all: affairs are going well, there is time for work and time for respite, life is proceeding on a steady course, and one senses the continuity of culture and a living tradition – both communal and artistic. But as I gaze at the tall tower against the backdrop of a calm sky and listen to the carillon, an image from Norwid comes to mind: ‘the gentle eye of the blue sky – washed by rain, stirred by thunder’. Be that as it may, the drama of history unfolds. The music makes use of the long duration of the bells’ sound and the echo effect – as metaphors for memory – explains Tadeusz Wielecki.

At 3.00 pm, the world premiere of Lidia Zielińska’s piece Nec temere, nec timide took place on the carillon of St Catherine’s Church. The composition is dedicated to Daniel Chodowiecki. Born three hundred years ago, in 1726, in Gdańsk, the painter and draughtsman was one of the most outstanding European printmakers of the 18th century. As the composer recalls: ‘Nec temere, nec timide’, meaning ‘Neither rashly nor timidly’, is Gdańsk’s historical motto. The inscription on the Golden Gate became the title of my piece; I could also adopt it as my own life motto. The carillon – an instrument that is, in a sense, exotic to me – prompted me to reflect as a composer on its unusual harmonic possibilities, whilst the title inspired me to create two contrasting soundscapes, suggesting opposing emotions which, under the right conditions, can become one.

The concerts were preceded by discussions with composers, the carillonneur and invited guests. The event was organised in partnership with GIWK, and the sheet music was published by Polskie Wydawnictwo Muzyczne. Carillon music in Gdańsk has been included on the National List of Intangible Cultural Heritage. Details of the event are available on the Gdańsk Museum website.

Recognising and reading signs. Refreshing their meaning and defining their significance

The aim of this year’s 69th edition of the International Festival of Contemporary Music ‘Warsaw Autumn’ is to shake us out of our purely musical habits and draw our attention to the fact that, as art audiences, we are immersed in a sea of signs – both those shaped over the centuries and enshrined in culture, and those emerging before our very eyes.

We shall witness a study of signs – conducting gestures that trigger improvisation – during the world premiere of Krzysztof Knittel’s latest work, entitled forMIA. The piece, composed for improvised violin, percussion, electronics and a chamber orchestra, was commissioned by Warsaw Autumn. – The original intention was for a piece for a small improvising orchestra and two improvising soloists (on violin and electronic instruments). Whilst working on it, a third solo part emerged – the percussion part – so it is now a piece for three soloists. It was also clear from the outset that the orchestra’s improvisation would be conducted using the Conduction method, devised years ago by an outstanding jazz musician Lawrence ‘Butch’ Morris. With his permission, I have been using this method for almost twenty years, gradually developing it in my own way, comments Krzysztof Knittel. The piece forMIA is dedicated to the violinist, outstanding improviser and composer Mia Zabelka, who will be joined in improvisation by the excellent percussionist Hubert Zemler, Krzysztof Knittel – responsible for conducted improvisation and electronics – and the unrivalled musicians of the NOSPR from Katowice. The world premiere will take place on 18 September at 7.30 pm in the Concert Hall of the National Philharmonic in Warsaw, whilst a meeting with the composer and composition workshops will be held the following day at 12 noon and 3 pm at the Austrian Cultural Forum.

PWM Edition is a partner of the 69th ‘Warsaw Autumn’ International Festival of Contemporary Music. A detailed programme is available on the website.

The Beast Has Many Heads

The mythical creature known as the multi-headed dragon has featured for centuries in the beliefs and mythologies of various cultures – from Christian tradition and Greek mythology to Slavic beliefs. Its image has also endured in literature, art, computer games and contemporary pop culture around the world. It is a mighty creature, most often depicted as a reptile with anywhere from a few to as many as a hundred heads. According to some accounts, cutting off one head causes more to grow back, making the dragon almost impossible to defeat.

The multi-headed dragon symbolises multiplied evil and power, chaos and the unbridled forces of nature, but also sin and temptation. Its regrowing heads can also be a metaphor for intractable problems – those which, rather than disappearing, keep reappearing in new forms.

Multi-headed dragon for ensemble is Agata Zubel’s latest composition, the premiere of which will be one of the highlights of this year’s Ensems Festival in Valencia. Spanish audiences will hear the composition on 27 September at 5.30 pm at Les Arts – Aula Magistral, performed by the Spółdzielnia Muzyczna contemporary ensemble, one of the leading contemporary music ensembles.

The concert, entitled ‘New Polish Women’s Wave’, will take the audience on a journey through a selection of the most innovative trends in contemporary Polish music. Alongside Agata Zubel’s piece, the programme will feature compositions by Barbara Zach and Żaneta Rydzewska. The programme showcases diverse approaches to exploring new musical languages – ranging from sonic experiments and unconventional instrumental techniques to compositions in which timbre, space and the narrative potential of sound take on particular significance. Further information can be found on the festival’s website.