Fryderyk Chopin – 19 Polish Songs op.74 (1829–1847)
in reverse chronology order
00:00 – Melodia
02:22 – Nie ma czego trzeba
07:14 – Dwojaki Koniec
09:30 – Śliczny chłopiec
12:15 – Dumka
13:50 – Wiosna
16:24 – Moja pieszczotka
18:27 – Pierścień
20:32 – Leci liście z drzewa
25:29 – Narzeczony
27:47 – Smutna rzeka
31:20 – Poseł
34:21 – Przecz z mojich oczu
37:59 – Hulanka
40:04 – Piosenka litewska
43:04 – Wojak
45:16 – Czary
48:09 – Życzenie
50:19 – Gdzie lubi
Andrzej Bachleda – tenor
Stefania Woytowicz – soprano
Wanda Klimowicz – piano
(1960)
The Chopin songs are interesting for a number of reasons; the first being the fact that we even have them in the first place – as only two were published during Chopin's lifetime and he instructed his sister Ludwika to destroy all his unpublished manuscripts after his death. She, thankfully for us, didn't honor her brother's final wishes, thus enabling us to enjoy this wonderful set of lieder – which is no more intended to be presented as a set than the songs are to be presented publicly in general. One can see the unfinished nature of these works particularly in 'Nie ma czego trzeba' (02:31) and 'Dumka' (12:15), which are clearly two different revisions of the same piece, and seem to be heavily inspired by Schubert's 'Tod und das Mädchen'.
The second is that these are the only works Chopin ever wrote for the voice, despite his lifelong admiration of opera and bel canto singing which clearly inspired the surging melodies present throughout his ouvre; and his melodic writing here is no less captivating than in the nocturnes. Chopin chose the poems from contemporary Polish authors – most notably Adam Mickiewicz and Stefan Witwicki. The text is, quite typically for Slavic poetry of the Romantic era, filled with themes of patriotism and national identity, which was at the time, in Poland's case, suppressed by the Russian Empire. But the text isn't the only link with Poland – many of these songs are set to the rythm of Polish folk dances; for instance 'Śliczny chłopiec' (9:30), 'Moja pieszczotka' (16:24), and 'Życzenie' (48:09) are all works that, arranged for solo piano, would make admirable additions to Chopin's canon of over 50 Mazurkas.
Artwork:
Andrew Wyeth – Breakup (1994)
