Polish contemporary music magazine NO. 7(14), SEPTEMBER 2012 | ISSN 2080-4598
“I’m not convinced as to whether an artist should ever grow up...” A conversation with
Justyna Kowalska-Lasoń Photo: M. Filipczyk
Anna Domańska
CONTENTS: 1-4
The first monographic album of Justyna KOWALSKA-LASOŃ
4
Paweł ŁUKASZEWSKI’s “Symphony of Angels” in Riga
5-7
Zbigniew BARGIELSKI – a prestidigitator and a mystic
8-10 The inspiring Tatra Mountains 11-13 The operas of Zygmunt KRAUZE 13
Wojciech KILAR’s film music live in Kraków
14-15 “King Lear” – the new opera of
Paweł MYKIETYN
“
A
s an introverted personality type, she exudes no ideas, on the contrary – the listener feels he has been shown just part of her secret, deliberately limiting resources and focusing on the power of expression”, Joanna Wnuk-Nazarowa said of the young composer. Words of appreciation for Justyna Kowalska-Lasoń from the mouths of music authorities are not uncommon. Polish critics point out the exceptional maturity of her music, great technical craftsmanship and individualism, while the 27-year-old Justyna believes in the power of her creative intuition and wins yet another prize in a composition competition. [U. Mieszkieło]
Anna Domańska: You have just finished working over your first monographic album. Can you reveal some details concerning it?
quarta • September 2012
Justyna Kowalska-Lasoń: The album Śpiewam nowoczesnego człowieka [The Modern Man I Sing], consists of compositions that constitute the most important points in my creative journey so far. The order the works have been arranged in is crucial in relation to the dramaturgy. It all begins with a huge blast of a symphony orchestra (The Modern Man I Sing). Next, through the sound of a mixed choir (Sanctus) we come to the smallest group – a string quartet of a hushed character (A light exists in Spring). Then, the power of the sound increases gradually again – from a string orchestra (Te frazy...Te pieśni...Te arie...) to a large symphony orchestra (Obraz 1929 – Zdzisław Beksiński in memoriam). In the album’s booklet there are computer graphics of my design. The abstract graphic art completes the sound stream.
continued on page 2