Wawel at Dusk

A few words about the music: Małgorzata Janicka-Słysz

Honorary Patronage
Hanna Wróblewska
Minister of Culture and National Heritage

The Wawel at Dusk festival embeds music at a key place for Polish history, which gives it an attractive artistic backdrop. The 18th edition of the festival, which is slated to take place this year, focuses on the process of bolstering the multidisciplinary and sophisticated cultural offering (the art of sound integrated into the architecture of the Wawel Royal Castle) for a broad audience. The open space, which hosts the concerts-events are organised, is very conducive to this purpose. Wawel at Dusk is the only open-air classical music festival in Kraków organised on such a large scale. The songs resonate in a historic and strongly symbolic setting, which fosters a dialogue between Culture, Nature and History.

 

The overarching concept that ties the subsequent editions of the festival together is the stylistic diversity of the music presented during the concerts, which encompasses classical music in the broadest sense of the term, compositions from the 2nd half of the 20th century, Polish film music, and various performers - from soloists to chamber music ensembles, as well as the encounters between tradition in the form of music established as part of the cultural canon, and modernity represented by new or newly interpreted performances. We put emphasis on the works by Polish composers - Frédéric Chopin, Wojciech Kilar and Krzysztof Penderecki - which are embedded in a broader cultural context, and the promotion of Polish performers, including Szymon Nehring, Krzysztof Książek and Mateusz Dubiel, who expand their competencies, work and live in Kraków.

 

The organisers also aim to foster imagination and an understanding way of listening. The outlines of the themes present in the performed pieces, which are provided in Polish and English and have been an integral part of the festival concerts since the first edition in 2008, serve to align and direct the perception of the audience towards an understanding of the music performed, towards a deepened sphere of spirituality and the development of humanistic sensitivity, which are crucial to contemporary human beings.

 

The programme of the Wawel at Dusk festival is also intended to break down barriers preventing understanding of high musical culture in its various stylistic and repertoire manifestations. In summer, WAWEL has its colourful and BEAUTIFUL MUSIC. IN SPECIAL PLACES - IN THE COURTYARDS - at DUSK...

 

The concerts of the 18th Wawel at Dusk festival are intended for audiences representing different generations - youth, adults and seniors. The Wawel Royal Castle attracts audiences of all ages - from Krakow, Poland and all over the world - especially in summer. The historical and cultural attractiveness of places characterised by unique architecture, such as the royal courtyards, can be conducive to the perception of music and aesthetics. The listener not only perceives the music itself, but also absorbs the surroundings and views and the beauty of the castle's architecture, surrounded by the changing colours of the courtyard illuminations. Statistics from the seventeen previous editions of the Festival to date show that the chamber music concerts in the Batory Courtyard are always sold out (with 130 listeners at each event), while the symphonic concerts in the Arcade Courtyard bring in more than a thousand listeners. The Young Pianists' Marathon in the Arcade Courtyard (with free admission) enables thousands of listeners to experience high musical culture.

 

The Wawel at Dusk summer festival combines music with a place of great importance for Polish history, which gives it a distinctive character and a unique setting. The illuminated courtyards of the Wawel Royal Castle - the Arcade and Batory Courtyards - serve as both the venue and the stars of the show. The latter courtyard was opened in 2008 with musical events in mind. Sound is not only audible, but also visible in the form of the ever-shifting colours and lights. Seventeen editions of the festival have been organised to date, bringing together both Polish and international audiences of all generations. Wawel at Dusk is the only open-air classical music festival in Kraków organised on such a large scale. The pieces resound in an open, historically and symbolically significant space, and the unique illuminated dusk scenery makes the architecture of the Wawel Royal Castle stand out and give the concert a new artistic dimension. The guiding themes that continue to link the subsequent editions of the festival and live on in the minds of the audience, are the stylistic diversity of the music presented during the concerts, which encompasses classical music in the broadest sense of the term, compositions from the 2nd half of the 20th century, Polish film music, and various performers, as well as the encounters between tradition and modernity, between datum and novum. The festival puts an emphasis on Polish music presented in a broad cultural context, and the promotion of Polish performers.

reduced ticket 90 zł

available for: persons under 18, students (on production of ID), seniors over 65

regular ticket 140 zł

 

We also ask you not to take photos or record during the concerts. We will be grateful for switching off mobile phones and electronic devices: they may disturb the beauty of the music and the contemplation of the illuminated architecture of the Wawel Royal Castle. 

 

We wish all the audience an unforgettable aesthetic experience!

8 pm - Batory Courtyard

Mateusz Dubiel – piano  

A word on music: Małgorzata Janicka-Słysz

 

CONCERT PROGRAMME:

Fryderyk Chopin (1810-1849):

4 Mazurkas, Op. 41:

 

Scherzo in E major, Op. 54

Waltz in A-flat major, Op. 42 

Polonaise-Fantaisie in A-flat major, Op. 61 

 

Piano Sonata in B minor, Op. 58 

I     Allegro maestoso 

II    Scherzo (Molto vivace) 

III   Largo 

IV   Finale (Presto, non tanto agitato) 

 

8 pm - Batory Courtyard
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Monika Gardoń-Preinl – piano  

Wiesław Suruło – flute 

LLLeggiero Woodwind Trio:

Maksymilian Lipień – oboe   

Piotr Lato – clarinet  

Damian Lipień – bassoon

 

A word on music: Małgorzata Janicka-Słysz

 

CONCERT PROGRAMME:

Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827)

Gassenhauer trio, Op. 11, for oboe, bassoon and piano  

I    Allegro con brio

II   Adagio

III  Tema con variazioni („Pria ch'io l'impegno”: Allegretto)

 

Claude Debussy (1862-1918)

Petite Suite for flute, clarinet and piano  

I    En bateau

II   Cortège

III  Menuet

IV  Ballet

 

André Caplet (1878-1925)

Quintett for flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon and piano  

I    Allegro

II   Adagio

III  Scherzo. Très vite

IV  Final. Allegro con fuoco

 

8 pm – Batory Courtyard
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Piano for 4 hands

 

A word on music: Małgorzata Janicka-Słysz

 

CONCERT PROGRAMME:  

Fryderyk Chopin (1810-1849)

4 Mazurkas, Op. 17: B-flat major – E minor  – A-flat major  – A minor for piano  

 

Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy (1809-1847)

Incidental Music to a Midsummer Night's Dream, Op. 61

arrangement by the composer for piano for 4 hands

Ignacy Feliks Dobrzyński (1807-1867)

Rondo alla polacca, Op. 6 for piano for 4 hands  

8 pm – Batory Courtyard
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Iwona Socha – soprano

Piotr Machnik – piano

 

A word on music: Małgorzata Janicka-Słysz

 

CONCERT PROGRAMME:

Fryderyk Chopin (1810-1849), Polonaise in C-sharp, Op. 26, No. 1

Fryderyk Chopin – songs:

Życzenie, Op. 74, No. 1 – lyrics: Stefan Witwicki

Śliczny chłopiec, Op. 74, No. 8 – lyrics: Bohdan Zaleski

Moja Pieszczotka, Op. 74, No. 12 – lyrics: Adam Mickiewicz

 

Ignacy Jan Paderewski (1860-1941) – songs:

Szumi w gaju brzezina, Op. 7, No. 3 – lyrics: Adam Asnyk 

Siwy koniu, Op. 7, No. 2 – lyrics: Adam Asnyk

Gdy ostatnia róża zwiędła, Op. 7, No. 1 – lyrics: Adam Asnyk

 

Robert Schumann (1810-1856), Children's Scenes, Op. 15

Antonín Dvořák (1841-1904)

from the cycle Gypsy melodies, Op. 55, lyrics: Adolf Heyduk:

 

Rusalka's aria Měsíčku na nebi hlubokém from the opera Rusalka (Act I)

 

 

Fryderyk Chopin (1810-1849)

Polonaise in C-sharp minor, Op. 26  

Mazurkas, Op. 17, No. 1-4

Rondo in C minor, Op. 1

Nocturne in E major, Op. 62, No. 2

Étude in A-flat major, Op. 25, No. 1

Étude in A-flat major, Op. 10, No. 10

Preludes, Op. 28, No.  7-12

Waltz in E-flat major, Op. 18

Ballade in F major, Op. 38

 

Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750), Prelude and Fugue in B-flat minor DWK I

Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827)

Sonata in C major, Op. 53:

I    Allegro con brio

II   Introduzione. Adagio molto

III  Rondo. Allegretto moderato – Prestissimo

Robert Schumann (1810-1856), Abegg Variations, Op. 1

Fryderyk Chopin (1810-1849):

Scherzo in b minor, Op. 20

Nocturne in B major, Op. 62, No. 11

 

Fryderyk Chopin (1810-1849):

Ballade in A-flat major, Op. 47

Étude in G-sharp minor, Op. 25, No. 6

Sonata in B-flat minor, Op. 35:

I    Grave – Doppio movimento

II   Scherzo

III  Marche funèbre. Lento 

IV  Finale. Presto

Andante Spianato and Grande Polonaise in E-flat major, Op. 22

 

8 pm – Arcaded Courtyard
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Mateusz Dubiel – piano  

Marek Bałata – vocal  

Marcin Kaletka – saxophone  

Mateusz Pałka – piano  

Adam Kowalewski – bass  

Grzegorz Masłowski – drums

Sławek Berny – percussion  

 

A word on music: Małgorzata Janicka-Słysz

 

CONCERT PROGRAMME:  

Fryderyk Chopin (1810-1849)

Polonaise in A-flat major, Op. 53 

Étude in A minor, Op. 25, No. 11

Preludes, Op. 28: No: 7 – A major & No. 8 – F-sharp minor

Fantasy in F minor, Op. 49 

Waltz in A-flat major, Op. 34, No. 1  

Prelude in E minor, Op. 28, No. 4

Étude in F minor, Op. 25, No. 2

Mazurka in F minor, Op. 68, No. 4

Mazurka in F major, Op. 68 No. 3

Smutna rzeka (‘Sad River’), Op. 74, No. 3 – lyrics by Stefan Witwicki

Hulanka (‘Spree’), Op. 74, No. 4 – lyrics by Stefan Witwicki

 

8 pm - Arcaded Courtyard
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Iwona Socha – soprano

CORda Cracovia Orchestra (strings) 

Maria Słysz – piano

Bartosz Sałdan – percussion

Katarzyna Zabielska – harp

Sebastian Perłowski – conductor 

A word on music: Małgorzata Janicka-Słysz

 

CONCERT PROGRAMME:

Wojciech Kilar (1932-2013)

Polonaise from the film Pan Tadeusz (arrangement: Dariusz Zboch)

 

Krzysztof Penderecki (1933-2020), Three pieces in the old style:

I   Aria from the film Passacaglia na Kaplicę Zygmuntowską  

II  Minuet 1 from the film Manuskrypt znaleziony w Saragossie

III Minuet 2 from the film Manuskrypt znaleziony w Saragossie

 

In the Old Cinema: a medley of the Polish film songs from between the wars

arrangements: Artur Majewski

 

Wojciech Kilar

Theme from the film Smuga cienia

Waltz from the film Trędowata

Waltz from the film Ziemia obiecana

(arrangements: Dariusz Zboch)

 

Waldemar Kazanecki (1929-1991), Barbara's waltz from the film Noce i dnie

(arrangement: Dariusz Zboch)

 

Andrzej Kurylewicz (1932-2007)

Theme from the TV series Polskie drogi (arrangement: Dariusz Zboch)

 

Henryk Kuźniak (*1936)

Theme from the film Vabank II – riposta (arrangement: Dariusz Zboch)

 

Abel Korzeniowski (*1972)

Stillness from the film A Single Man

 

Michał Lorenc (*1955)

Ave Maria from the film Prowokator (arrangement: Dariusz Zboch)

 

8 pm – Arcaded Courtyard
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Szymon Nehring – piano   

Łukasz Borowicz – conductor

A word on music: Małgorzata Janicka-Słysz

 

CONCERT PROGRAMME:  

Franz Schubert (1797-1828) 

Symphony No. 8 in B minor ‘Unfinished’, D 759

I    Allegro moderato

II   Andante con moto

 

Fryderyk Chopin (1810-1849)

Ballade in F major, Op. 38 for piano solo

Piano concerto in F minor, Op. 21

I     Maestoso

II    Larghetto 

III   Allegro vivace