Poland: Airs and dances alla Polacca!

Description

In the 17th century, musical life picks up momentum in Poland as Polish musicians readily embrace the novelties of Italian Baroque. Mikolaj Zieleński thus spends some time in Venice where he has a collection of sacred works published. As early as 1624, Tarquinio Merula leaves Venice for a post as organist at the court at Warsaw. At about the same time, Marco Schacchi has some of his operas and ballets performed there.
Italian influence shows in the compositions of local musicians such as Marcin Mielczewski, Adam Jarzębski or Sylwester Szarzyński and can even be felt at Gdansk, where Carlo Farina then resides, in the works of composers born from Lutheran communities, such as Crato Bütter or Kapsar Förster. This is probably why, as a remembrance of these contacts with Polish popular music, composers from Italy, as Picchi, or Austria, as Schmelzer, will compose dances said alla Polacca, imitating Polish bagpipes.

Zieleński’s journey to Venice

Biagio Marini (1594 – 1663)
Sonata in Ecco con tre violini

Mikolaj Zieleński (c. 1550 – c. 1615)
Gustate et videte

Alessandro Grandi (1590 – 1630)
Salve Regina


Tarquinio Merula in Warsaw

Adam Jarzębski (c. 1590 – 1648)
Sentinella

Tarquinio Merula (1595 – 1665)
Intonazione del nono tono
Favus distillans

Marcin Mielczewski (c. 1600 – 1651)
Canzona à 4

Tarquinio Merula
Su la cetra amorosa – Ciaconna

_______ entracte ??

Impressions of Poland

Giovanni Picchi (c. 1571 – 1643)
Ballo alla Polacca

Johann Heinrich Schmelzer (c. 1620 – 1680)
Pölnische Sachpfeifen


Gdansk, the Baltic Sea port

Crato Büttner (1616 – 1679)
Ich suchte des Nachts

Carlo Farina (c. 1600 – 1639)
Pavana tertia

Kaspar Förster (1616 – 1673)
Vanitas Vanitatum (extract)


The enigmatic Szarzyński

Stanisław Sylwester Szarzyński (fl. 1692-1713)
Sonata à 2
Ave Regina

With the participation of Maïlys de Villoutreys, soprano

Clematis
Stéphanie de Failly, violin and direction
Amandine Solano, violin
Ellie Nimeroski, violin and viola
Marion Martineau, bass viol
Brice Sailly, harpsichord, organ and direction