‘Polish Songs’ – Frédéric Chopin (1810-1849)
Ursula Kryger – mezzo-soprano
Charles Spencer – piano
Chopin composed 30 works between 1829 and 1847. 19 of them were complete, 11 of them were sketches. He did not consider publishing them. It was his schoolmate Julian Fontana who recovered the manuscripts from the estate and published 17 of them in 1859 in Warsaw as opus posth. 74. In this broadcast, we’ll be listening to all 17 of them, besides to separate pieces.
1. Frédéric Chopin – 6 songs from: op.posth.74 1. The girl’s wish (“Życzenie”) Stefan Witwicki 2. Spring (“Wiosna”) Stefan Witwicki 3. The Sad River (“Smutna Rzeka”) Stefan Witwicki 4. Making merry (“Hulanka”) Stefan Witwicki 5. What she likes (“Gdzie lubi”) Stefan Witwicki 6. Out of My Sight (“Precz z moich oczu”) Adam Mickiewicz
2. Frédéric Chopin – 6 songs from op.posth.74 7. The Messenger (“Poseł”) Stefan Witwicki 8. Handsome Boy (“Śliczny chłopiec”) Bohdan Zaleski 9. From the mountains, where they carried heavy crosses [‘Melodya]” Zygmunt Krasiński 10. The warrior (“Wojak”) Stefan Witwicki 11. The Double End (“Dwojaki koniec”) Bohdan Zaleski 12. My Darling (“Moja pieszczotka”) Adam Mickiewicz
Adam Mickiewicz – monument in Krakow
3. Frédéric Chopin – 5 songs from op.posth.74 I want what I don’t have (“Nie ma czego trzeba”) Bohdan Zaleski 14. The ring (“Pierścień”) Stefan Witwicki 15. The Bridegroom (“Narzeczony”) Stefan Witwicki 16. Lithuanian song (“Piosnka litewska”) Ludwik Osiński 17. Falling leaves, Hymn of the grave (“Śpiew z mogiłki”) Wincenty Pol.
4. Frédéric Chopin – 1. Enchantment (“Czary”) Stefan Witwicki 2. Contemplation (“Dumka”) Bohdan Zaleski
Stefan Witwicki
5. Franz Liszt – arrangements of ‘chants Polonais’ op.74 by Frédéric Chopin. Rian de Waal on piano
The Polish lyrics are performed by tenor Boguslaw Fiksinski
