POKOLENIE STALOWOWOLSKIE [pdf] - Radio Katowice SA

String quartet in the artistic
output of „stalowa wola generation”
The phonographic monument comprising of eight compact discs, which we are wish to present here is
a monograph of the pieces written for a string quartet, as well as anything that has been written for
a string quartet as the main performer, and this especially within the history of Polish music, as well as
of the three composers, still participating in the acts molding the shape of this music, who come from
Katowice and who studied composition at the National Music Academy in mid-70s, when it was Henryk
Mikolaj Górecki that was the president of the Academy. Whenever these composers were written being
about, their Katowice-wise character was always underlined. They are, however, also called by the
name of “1951 Generation”, which comes from their common date of birth, or “Stalowa Wola Generation”
from the festival “Young Musicians for the Young Town”, which was held in Stalowa Wola in the late 70s
(1975–1080), and where the presentation of their music took place, and – within the monographic concerts
– their pieces, which very often were commissioned by the Festival, and were to the Festival dedicated,
had their first performance. The late 70s is the time when the notion of “generation” starts being used in
relation to these three composers, and thus all of them become distinguished not only against the older
composers, but also the ones very much of their age. Even though their early pieces had had their first
presentations sometimes at some other festivals, it was the festival in Stalowa Wola that placed them in
the limelight of the public reception, and had them attract the attention of some very significant critical
reflection. And this, consequently, helped their music be presented at the very famed “Music Meetings” at
Baranów Sandomierski (1976–1981), brought their compositions into the programs of the Warsaw Autumn
Festival, as well as let them record and perform with the Polish Radio studios.
Eugeniusz Knapik, Andrzej Krzanowski (died on 1.10.1990) and Aleksander Lasoń. There is no place here for
closely commenting the aesthetic phenomenon of this three-men generation in the context of both Polish
and European music. This is because this kind of diagnosis is presented in other publications, also those
which came out on the occasion of the 60 th birthday of the artists. But since mentioned have been above
the widespread circles of the reception of their artistic output in Poland (Baranów, Warsaw Autumn, Polish
Radio, different contemporary music festivals in Poland, like the Biennial in Wrocław, or Poznań Autumn), it
is worth noting that thhe reception of these three composers’ work started to fill also the European domain,
and we must not forget that the time for Polish music was then exceptionally difficult, if only for the martial
law that was introduced in Poland in 1981, and at the same time we could observe the significant devaluation
of the internationally influential role of the Warsaw Autumn Festival. In 1980, 1 st Symphony for brass
instruments, drums, and two pianos of 1975 was presented with the highest award in the general category
at the International Tribune of Composers of the UNESCO’s International Music Council in Paris, and thus
continuing the former very unique successes of the works by Witold Lutoslawski, Tadeusz Baird, and Henryk
Mikolaj Górecki. A success of the same range made in 1984 String Quartet by Eugeniusz Knapik. It was not
until 2003 that the Tribune awarded with the highest scoring the Concert for the Trumpet and Orchestra
by Hanna Kulenty. The foreign reception of the work by “Stalowa Wola Generation” can be manifested by,
just to mention a few, the very prestigious Beethoven’s Award, presented by The Town Council of Bonn in
1980 for Aleksander Lasoń’s 2 nd “Concerting” Symphony for the piano and orchestra (ex-equo with one
prominent German composer of the same generation Wolfgang Rihm), the invitation of Andrzej Krzanowski
to run the performing and composing accordion workshops organized during the upcoming International
Holiday Courses in New Music in Darmstadt, or, finally, Eugeniusz Knapik’s monumental musical opera
theatre project, realized in co-operation with one outstanding Belgian persona of the modernistic, partly
avantgarde scene of the theatrical, drama, and plastic art, Jan Fabre, and this by commission of, among
others, the Antwerp Opera House, and the very influential in novel and searching arts “Documenta” Festival
in Kassel, which recognized Eugeniusz Knapik – the first Polish composer ever.
*
Against the background presented above, in this CD collection included is the output of these three composers,
designed for the string quartet or the quartet with other instruments. 18 pieces written between
1973 and 2007: seven by Andrzej Krzanowski from between 1973 and 1988 of a 170-minute duration, ten
44–45
by Aleksander Lasoń from between the years of 1980 and 2007 of the similar duration, and one by Eugeniusz
Knapik from 1980, of just 25 minute duration. A quartet collection of one generation – very rich both
in volume and value as far as the outputs of Krzanowski and Lasoń are concerned, though not necessarily
in volume, but certainly valuable, with regard to Knapik’s work (Witold Lutosławski also wrote only one
string quartet, but of such a great importance. Will Eugeniusz Knapik ever write another one? This one
is the question, yet without the answer). The quartet outputs of these three composers deeply penetrate
their catalogue of chamber pieces, which, however, does not mean that they should have this domain of
activity draw the line of the denominator, which distinguishes their output in a very special way. It is then
very important, very intriguing, though not necessarily the leading one.