 Le poète et intellectuel Adam Mickiewicz (1798-1855) est aux polonais ce que Dante est aux Italiens et Goethe aux Allemands : un poète national emblématique, fondateur de la littérature polonaise moderne. Humaniste engagé, il laisse une abondante production littéraire reflet d’un attachement profond à son pays et des diverses causes qu’il défendit. Sa poésie inspira nombre de musiciens tels Paderewski, Tchaikovski, Glinka, Rimski-Korsakov ou Carl Loewe. Le jeune compositeur Benjamin Baczewski né en 1991, s’est emparé à son tour de quelques romances et ballades du poète pour nous proposer cet album signés d’un trio d’interprètes : la soprano Magdalena Witczak, le pianiste Tomasz Jocz aux synthés et Baczewski lui-même à la clarinette et au saxophone. Le style musical de ce dernier emprunte curieusement autant aux comédies musicales anglo-saxonnes (O’Sullivan, Sondheim), à l’opéra américain (Philip Glass), qu’à la musique de film en général. Logique lorsque l’on apprend dans la notice que ce dernier a composé essentiellement pour le cinéma. Alors qu’en est-il ici de la poésie subtile et évocatrice de Mickiewicz ? Nic nie pozostalo. Comme s’il y avait une discordance prévalente entre le langage musical adopté par le compositeur et la synchrasie des textes (hélas non traduits du polonais). (Jérôme Angouillant) Since the release of the album Oczami duszy [Through the Eyes of the Soul], Ballady i romanse [Ballads and Romances] start functioning in a new temporal and emotional space. They cease to be museum artefacts and become a universal collection, still alive and inspiring for contemporary artists. The collection presented on the album combines existential topics with reflection on the emotional expression of a contemporary man. The premise behind the project Oczami duszy [Through the Eyes of the Soul] is to find similarities between the emotionality of a romantic poet and that of a contemporary man. It also provides an answer to the question of whether we are more alike or unlike in this respect. In Baczewski’s compositions, each ballad by Mickiewicz is different, both formally and stylistically. The music perfectly conveys their mood The composer’s vision is orientated by Magdalena Witczak’s contemporised interpretation of Mickiewicz’s texts and by the new titles with which she provided selected ballads.One can find there inspirations with tango, folk music, musical as well as with ethnic, film, and opera music. The whole piece reveals numerous features typical of programme music. The presented collection of pieces is based on a tonal language, soft sonorities, and expressive melodies. Beniamin Baczewski grasped the subject in a modern manner, employing electronics and virtual instruments, combining various musical genres (crossover). The instrumentation of the ballads is based on an orchestral body: strings, wind instruments, and percussion. Significant roles are played by the harp, celesta, and ethnic instruments. The above is enriched with electronic sounds: pads, synthesizers, and textures. The solo part is played by a trio: Magdalena Witczak – soprano, Beniamin Baczewski – clarinet and saxophone (interchangeably), and Tomasz Jocz – keyboard instruments (grand piano, upright piano, harpsichord, electric piano). As the authors of this record, we are constantly moving around the space spreading over the 19th and 21st centuries, connecting the romantic poet’s dreams and inspirations with ours. The evaluation of our creative work is up to our listeners now.
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