Home Songbook: Songs and Ballads by Stanisław Moniuszko

“Songs live in all of us.” These words by Prof. Mieczysław Tomaszewski are recalled by Katarzyna Oleś-Blacha, soloist with the Kraków Opera and artistic director of the cycle Songs – Theatre of Words, opening the second instalment of meetings with music and poetry, organised by the Kraków Opera. This season of the event is dedicated to Polish music; the inaugural concert “Home Songbook”: Songs and Ballads by Stanisław Moniuszko (25 February, Wieliczka Salt Mine) presents music by the father of Polish national opera and the originator of Polish art song tradition. A selection of melodies from the extensive Songbook cycle is presented in a semi-theatre setting by soloists Wioletta Chodowicz, Robert Gierlach and Michał Kutnik accompanied by Olga Tsymbaluk on piano. Songs – Theatre of Words returns on 10 March with masterpieces of vocal lyricism in a symphonic setting (Lutosławski, Penderecki, Szymanowski) and again during the Holy Week with the programme Ecce lignum crucis… (This is the wood of the cross). (Barbara Skowrońska)