Opera Omnia 08 – Christmas Carols

This album contains 20 carols selected and arranged by Lutosławski in an excellent performance by Aleksandra Kurzak, the NFM Choir and the NFM Wrocław Philharmonic under the baton of Antoni Wit.

Album premiere: 2021

Publishers: National Forum of Music, CD Accord

Conductor: Antoni Wit

Performers: Aleksandra Kurzak, NFM Choir, NFM Wrocław Philharmonic

Lutosławski’s 20 carols are not a “Top Twenty” collection. Some very popular carols, such as Wśród nocnej ciszy, Mędrcy świata or Pójdźmy wszyscy do stajenki, are not here. But the album contains little-known pieces. […] Our selection represents the main varieties of the genre well. There are two basic models here: the lullaby and the pastoral (sometimes considered a separate genre – as is the case in Mioduszewski’s work). The boundaries between a carol and a pastoral are fluid; the mere presence of the shepherd’s, recorded in the Gospels, does not determine affiliation. However, in my opinion, it is possible to find a specific determinant: it would be the individualisation of shepherds, including giving them names, a greater role for the details of everyday life and an element of dialogue. The pastoral may be – as in other countries – a paratheatrical genre, and its sources can be deep: we find, also in Poland, direct references to the ancient Arcadian scenery, including Greek names. […] Lullabies are more familiar and undoubtedly something of Slavic lyricism is the basic ingredient here. Gdy śliczna Panna, Jezus malusieńki, Dziecino mała and, of course, the extremely popular Lulajże, Jezuniu (paraphrased by Chopin) have a clear ethnic stamp both in the text and in the music.

Some melodies, however, do not fit into this dichotomy. This is already the case with the first carol on the album, the chorale Anioł pasterzom mówił; it is also the case with the solemn and rather shaped-by-learned hands Gdy się Chrystus rodził, and also of the aristocratic Bóg się rodzi – the only carol born under the pen of the outstanding poet Franciszek Karpiński (1741–1825), a leading figure of the Polish Enlightenment and pre-Romanticism. His elaborate poem, based on a series of oxymorons, became almost a national anthem and it became a tradition to sing it at the end of services during the holiday season. The composer has not been identified – some see it as a remake, but in any case the entire thing suggests the work of a professional.

Rafał Augustyn

The unique series ‘Witold Lutosławski. Opera omnia’, released by the NFM and CD Accord, is a project presenting all the works of this outstanding Polish composer. The albums in this series are exclusive in terms of performance, production and editing.