Evento

Polish Music at Polish Hall - Celebration of Mazurkas

Fine regional pianists: Dianne Davies, Ruta Kuzmickas, Mitchell Falconer perform mazurkas of three immortal Polish composers: Fryderyk Chopin, Karol Szymanowski, Roman Maciejewski. MT Duo: Tatiana Kolchanova - violin & Mary Rowell - viola; with selected Chopin mazurkas and traditional Polish folk melodies from Oskar Kolberg collection.
+ Agnieszka Laska Dancers with Mitchell Falconer in excerpts from Chopin Project!

Poland's most distinctive music is as sweet as its finest dessert; Mazur and Mazurek, respectively (Mazurka in English); baked only at Easter time. The weekend before Easter this year, we'll be enjoying both at Polish Hall admission: $15 ($10 student, senior, PLBA member), all inclusive: entertainment and desserts.
Mazurek cakes, baked in local Polish kitchens, will be served with coffee and tea. Selected fine Polish liqueurs will be available (in moderation, of course) at Grandpas' cafe, in the lower level of Polish Hall.

The musical mazurka (in Polish, mazurek ) traditionally accompanies a Polish folk dance in triple meter, usually at a lively tempo, accented on the second or third beat, though there are slower, more lyrical ones as well. We will provide some education about this and Marek Grzelak + Zyta Nagler will demonstrate the traditional dance. Agnieszka Laska Dancers will perform excerpt of acclaimed Chopin Project with Ruta Kuzmickas on piano

Those joining the celebration will be treated to mazurkas by 3 immortal Polish composers: Fryderyk Chopin, (best known), Karol Szymanowski (less well known) and Roman Maciejewski, (least known). His mazurkas, from a 2-volume collection of 39, are very likely Portland concert premieres. Maciejewski was born exactly 100 years after Chopin, was highly acclaimed by Szymanowski, a student of Kaimierz Sikorski and Nadia Boulanger; he is best known from his monumental Requiem for victims of war.