We invite you to an evening of beautiful and intriguing works penned by Norwegian, Polish, English, and American composers. The NFM Wrocław Philharmonic will perform under the baton of Maciej Tomasiewicz.

We will begin the concert with the Morning Mood from Peer Gynt Suite No. 1, which is not only one of Edvard Grieg’s most popular compositions, but also one of the most recognizable themes of music commonly referred to as classical. The beautiful, pentatonic flute melody that opens the work is believed to have a power of evoking images of the Norwegian landscape, but this understanding is misleading. In Ibsen’s play, it shows the moment when the title character wakes up ... in a Moroccan desert, under acacia and palm trees!

Stefan Kisielewski is one of the most recognizable figures of Polish culture. Although he became famous mainly for his literary works and political involvements, he was also a composer. However, he did not take this activity very seriously. He created many pieces that are light, witty and completely devoid of pathos. A good example of this is the Concerto for Chamber Orchestra, written in the 1940s. We can find in it both singing melodies as well as a bit of reflection and melancholy, but the dominant is humour – carefree and in stark contrast to the difficult times in which this composition was created. Shepherds’ Fun, In a Mountain Meadow and Bagpipes are the movements of the Little Highlander Symphony “Pictures on Glass” by Michał Kondracki from 1930. It is raw, rough, and wild, music.

Next will be a work of the English composer Ralph Vaughan Williams written for Aristophanes’ comedy Wasps in 1909. The Overture, full of energy, often performed independently of the other parts, is the most popular. Its main theme is a melody written in the pentatonic scale. The ballet Appalachian Spring by Aaron Copland was written from 1943–1944 at the request of the famous dancer Martha Graham. The artist tentatively called it “Ballet for Martha” and then started working. The title Appalachian Spring was suggested to Copland by Graham, delighted with Hart Crane's poem The Dance from The Bridge collection. Years later, the composer recalled that he was very amused when the audience marveled at how accurately he conveyed the mood of Spring in the Appalachian Mountains, while writing the music Copland in fact had no idea what title to give to the whole!