Mikołaj Zieleński

One of the albums that make up the Music First. Music of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth prepared under the direction of Andrzej Kosendiak. The album, recorded by Wrocław Baroque Ensemble in a rich vocal and instrumental line-up, has gained wide recognition among music lovers and critics.

The CD includes a selection of fifteen pieces from the collection Offertoria et communions totius anni, published in Venice in 1611. Zieleński’s work is closely connected with Wrocław – until 1942, the only complete set of part books in the world constituting the Venetian edition was kept in the local City Library (Stadtbibliothek).

Album release date: 2020

Publishers: National Forum of Music, CD Accord

Performers:

Andrzej Kosendiak – conductor

Wrocław Baroque Ensemble

We present to you another CD with the music of the First Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, featuring the works of Mikołaj Zieleński, his Offertoria and Communiones published in Venice in 1611. I had to make a choice among Zieleński’s 113 surviving works, so I adopted a narrative based on the history of salvation, or more precisely – the fulfilment of the Scripture in the coming of Jesus Christ – the Messiah. The texts of the featured compositions refer both to the Old Testament events, the Gospel and to the descriptions contained in the Acts, from the Annunciation and Visitation of St Elizabeth, Nativity, Slaughter of the Innocents, Presentation of the Lord, to Golgotha, Resurrection, the Doubt of St Thomas, Ascension, Martyrdom of St Stephen, and Glory to God. At the same time, I tried to show the diversity of line-ups and styles of Zieleński’s works from the 12-part Magnificat and the double choir (eight-part and six-part) works to works for solo voice, while also differentiating the instrumental line-ups, and especially the basso continuo, which is performed by two theorboes, organ, harpsichord, harp, viola da gamba, violone and dulcian in various configurations. In the vocal parts, the highest are performed by female sopranos, probably contrary to the practice of the turn of the 16th and 17th centuries. We denied the doubtful St Thomas his voice in Mitte manum tuam by performing this duo only on instruments, believing without words in the Resurrection. The featured works by Zieleński are masterpieces of musical art of the early 17th century, withstanding comparisons with compositions of the greatest masters of the era.

Andrzej Kosendiak

Awards: Fryderyk 2021, Nomination for International Classical Music Awards 2021 in the Baroque Vocal category