Romuald Twardowski, Warsaw, 26 February 2010, photo by Marek Dusza
Romuald Twardowski was never a follower of the avant garde, though he did use elements from the new composition techniques to create a unique musical
language of his own, in which there are reminiscences of music from past epochs. This attitude most probably stems from the composer's studies of the Gregorian chant and medieval polyphony in 1963 and 1966 under the guidance of Nadia Boulanger in Paris.
Romuald Twardowski first studied piano and composition with Julius Juzeliunasi at the State Conservatory of the Lithuanian SSR in Vilnius in 1952-57. He continued his composition studies in 1957-60 at the State Higher School of Music in Warsaw under Bolesław Woytowicz. In 1963 and 1966 he studied Gregorian chant and medieval polyphony with Nadia Boulanger in Paris.
The genre and style of religious music is something characteristic for Romuald Twardowski's work, representative of this being also such pieces like "Psalmus 149" per coro misto (1962), "Little Orthodox Liturgy" for vocal ensemble and 3 groups of instruments (1968), "Laudate Dominum" a dialogue for 2 mixed choirs (1976), "Sequentiae de ss. Patronis Polonis" for baritone, choir and instrumental ensemble (1977), "Chwalitie Imia Gospodina (Praise the Name of the Lord)" for mixed choir (1990), "Tu es Petrus" for baritone, mixed choir and symphony orchestra (1991), "Hosanna I" for mixed choir (1992), "St. Mary's Songs" for soprano and small symphony orchestra (1993), "Canticum Canticorum" for soprano, flute, clarinet and strings (1994), "Regina coeli" for mixed choir (1996) and "Hosanna II" for mixed choir (1997). The "Little Orthodox Liturgy" that draws upon orthodox church music, particularly stands out among these compositions. However, the work of Romuald
Twardowski is quite diverse with respect to genre and trends. In his memoirs "It Was, but It Is Not Gone" published in 2000 in Warsaw, he describes his approach to music:
As opposed to the mad apologists who stand for all that is new at all costs, I did appreciate the role and significance of tradition, finding in it inspiration for my own music. Assuming that extremes do meet, I looked to the medieval times, to the Gregorian chant to find pieces that – when combined with the achievements of the 20th Century of composition technique (aleatorism, cluster) - would result in the desired synthesis of New and Old. This idea guided the music I wrote during the sixties, up until the moment when at the threshold of the seventies, I devoted myself to work on "Lord Jim", which required a different music, a different kind of expression. That is when my music liberated itself from the corset of the different limitations forced by 'neo-archaism', turning into a more personal statement, full of abrupt eruptions and dramatic tensions. It is interesting that both these trends were not separated by a clear time line – it was during the sixties that the very expressive and powerfully dodecaphonic "Cantus antiqui" as well as the very 'Warsaw-Atumnian' "Nomopedia" were written. While the very hieratic and byzantine "Three Frescoes" appeared in the eighties. It is possible to see that both these trends or styles lived side by side with one another from the very beginning...
He is a laureate of numerous awards and distinctions. His "Antifone per tre gruppi d'orchestra" (1961) won First Prize in the Competition for the Young of the Polish Composers' Union, and in 1963 - second prize at the UNESCO International Composers’ Tribune in Paris, he was awarded First Prize in 1966 for his "Sonetti di Petrarca per tenore solo e due cori a cappella" (1965) at the International Composers' Competition in Prague, he received awards during the Prince Rainer International Composers' Competition in Monaco twice - in 1965 for his ballet-pantomime "Sorcerer's Sculptures" (1963) and in 1973 for his musical drama "Lord Jim" (1970-73). In 1994, he received the prize of AGEC – West European Federation of Choral Societies and the annual award of the Polish Composers' Union,while in 2006 – the Ignacy Jan Paderewski Award in Baltimore.
Romuald Twardowski has been a Professor at the State Higher School of Music in Warsaw since 1971.
Major compositions:
- "Oberek"[version I] for violin and piano (1955)
- "Oberek"[version II] for string orchestra (1955)
- "Suite in the Old Style" for orchestra (1957)
- "Seven Folk Songs" for voice and piano (1957)
- "Small Sonata" for piano (1958)
- "Small Symphony" for piano, strings and percussion (1959)
- "Song of the White House" cantata for mixed choir, 2 pianos and percussion (1959)
- "Songs of Spring" [version I] for female or boys choir (1959)
- "Songs of Spring"[version II] for male choir (1959)
- "Maple-tree Songs" for mixed choir (1960)
- "Nocturnes" for mixed choir (1960)
- "Lullabies" for mixed choir (1960)
- "The Naked Prince", ballet-pantomime (1960)
- "Warmia Suite" for mixed choir (1960)
- "A Warmia Lullaby" for voice and piano (1960)
- "Carmina de mortuis" for mixed choir (1961)
- "Antifone"for three groups of orchestra (1961)
- "Bucolics" for mixed choir (1962)
- "Cantus antiqui" for soprano, harpsichord, piano and percussion (1962)
- "Cyrano de Bergerac", romantic opera (1962)
- "Nomopedia Cinque movimenti" for orchestra (1962)
- "Psalmus 149" for mixed choir (1962)
- "Small Suite" for violin and piano (1962)
- "April Songs" for mixed choir (1963)
- "Sorcerer's Sculptures (Sculptures by Master Piotr)", ballet-pantomime (1963)
- "Miniatures" for mixed choir (1964)
- "Ode 64" for orchestra (1964)
- "Parabolas", pantomime (1964)
- "Two Blackman Songs" for mixed choir (1965)
- "Tragedy or the Story of John and Herod", morality opera (1965)
- "Sonetti di Petrarca" for tenor solo and two choruses a cappella (1965)
- "Tre studi secondo Giotto" for chamber orchestra (1966)
- "Impressioni fiorentini" for four choirs instrumental (1967)
- "Capricci" for piano (1967)
- "Little Orthodox Liturgy" for vocal ensemble and 3 instrumental groups (1968)
- "Ode to Youth" for reciting voice, mixed choir and orchestra (1969)
- "The Fall of Father Suryn", radio musical drama (1969)
- "Lord Jim", musical drama (1970-73)
- "Three Farewell Sonnets"[version I] for bass-baritone and chamber orchestra (1971)
- "Three Farewell Sonnets"[version II] for bass-baritone and piano (1971)
- "Two Playful Songs"[version I] for mixed choir (1972)
- "Two Playful Songs"[version II] for female or boys choir (1972)
- "Prelude, toccata and choral" for symphony orchestra (1973)
- "Triptych of the St Mary's Church" for string orchestra (1973)
- "Preludio e toccata" for mxed choir (1974)
- "A Study in A" for orchestra (1974)
- "Improvvisazione e toccata" for two pianos (1974)
- "Two Landscapes" for symphony orchestra (1975)
- "Sea Impressions" for mixed choir (1975)
- "Polish Landscape"[version I] for bass-baritone and symphony orchestra (1975)
- "Polish Landscape"[version II] for bass-baritone and piano (1975)
- "Laudate Dominum", a dialogue for 2 mixed choirs (1976)
- "Sequentiae de ss. Patronis Polonis" for baritone, choir and instrumental ensemble (1977)
- "My Sword is My Hand", three poems for solo tenor and mixed choir (1977)
- "Maria Stuart", musical drama (1978)
- "Capriccio in blue" for violin and orchestra (or piano) (1979)
- "Lamentationes" for mixed choir (1979)
- "Face of the Sea", 5 songs for bass-baritone and piano (1979)
- "Preludio, recitativo ed aria con variazioni" for harpsichord (piano) (1979)
- "Sonata breve" for harpsichord (piano) (1979)
- "Village Concert" for mixed choir (1980)
- "Musica concertante" for piano (1980)
- "Small Concert" for piano and instrumental ensemble (1980)
- "On Four Strings" for violin and piano (1980)
- "Three Songs from Kurpie" for mixed choir (1980)
- "The Story of St Catherine", musical morality (1981)
- "Fantasia" for organs (1982)
- "Polish Fantasia" for 2 violins (1982)
- "Salve Regina" for female choir and organs (1982)
- "Three Pieces" for organs (1982)
- "Ave Maris Stella"[version I] for make choir and organs (or piano) (1982)
- "Erotics" for voice and piano (1983)
- "Joannes Rex", a cantata for baritone, mixed choir and orchestra (1983)
- "Concert for piano and orchestra"(1984)
- "Fun Fair" for piano (1984)
- "Spanish Fantasia"[version I] for violin and orchestra (or piano) (1985)
- "Spanish Fantasia"[version II] for cello and piano (1985)
- "Little Triptych" for wind quintet (1986)
- "Three Frescoes" for symphony orchestra (1986)
- "Allegro rustico" for oboe and piano (1986)
- "Symphonic Variations on the Theme of George Gershwin" for solo percussion and orchestra (1986)
- "The Kitten and the Dragon", 7 songs for voice and piano (1986)
- "Trio for violin, cello and piano"(1987)
- "Old Polish Concert" for string orchestra (1987)
- "Three Songs to the words of Stanisław Ryszard Dobrowolski" for baritone and piano (1987)
- "Small Concert" for vocal orchestra (1988)
- "Lithuanian Variations" for flute, oboe, clarinet, horn and bassoon (1988)
- "Michael Angelo Sonnets" for baritone and piano (1988)
- "Bell Symphonies" for piano (1988-91)
- "Italian Album" for orchestra (1989)
- "Old Polish Dance" for 3 guitars (1989)
- "Espressioni" for violin and piano (1990)
- "Alleluia" for mixed choir (1990)
- "Chwalitie Imia Gospodina (Praise the Name of the Lord)"[version I] for mixed choir (1990)
- "Three Sonnets to Don Quixote" for bass-baritone and piano (1990)
- "By the Neris" for baritone and piano (1990)
- "Niggunim", Hassidic melodies for violin and symphony orchestra (or piano) (1991)
- "Tu es Petrus" for baritone, mixed choir and symphony orchestra (1991)
- "Hosanna I" for mixed choir (1992)
- "Pleiades" for violin and piano (1993)
- "Teenage Trio" for violin, cello and piano (1993)
- "St Mary's Songs" for soprano and small symphony orchestra (1993)
- "Sonatina for Two Violins"(1993)
- "Canticum Canticorum" for soprano, flute, clarinet and strings (1994)
- "Concert for cello and orchestra"(1995)
- "Wsjakoje dychanije (All Breath)" for mixed choir (1996)
- "Invocation and capriccio" for 2 cellos (1996)
- "Regina coeli" for mixed choir (1996)
- "In the Green Grove", 5 miniatures for piano 4 hands (1996)
- "Hosanna II" for mixed choir (1997)
- "Concerto breve" for string orchestra (1998)
- "To You Władyka" for mixed choir (1998)
- "O gloriosa Domina" for mixed choir (1999)
- "Hommage à J. S. Bach", cycle of pieces for piano (2000)
- "Two Christmas Carols" for boys choir (2000)
- "In Thy Kingdom" for mixed choir (2000)
- "Praise My Soul" for mixed choir (2000)
- "Intermezzo" for piano (2000)
- "Introduction and Allegro" for violin and piano (2001)
- "Missa "Regina caeli"" for mixed choir (2001)
- "Capriccio" for violin and piano (2001)
- "O salutaris" for mixed choir (2001)
- "Jubilate Deo" for mixed choir (2001)
- "Ave Maris Stella"[version II] for male choir (2002)
- "Pastorals and Humoresque" for oboe and piano (2002)
- "Praise the Name of the Lord"[version II] for male choir (2002)
- "Musica festiva" for organs (2002)
- "In a Chinese Garden" for percussion ensemble (2002)
- "Toccata and choral" for organs (2002)
- "Jesus, I Trust in Thee. The Mystery of God's Mercy" for soprano, baritone, 2 reciting voices, mixed choir and orchestra (2002)
- "Im ZOO" for violin and piano (2002)
- "The Elegant Hedgehog and the Hoopoe" for voice and piano (2002)
- "Three Sketches" for violin, viola and cello (2003)
- "Serenade" for string orchestra (2003-2004)
- "Three intermezzos" for organs (2004)
- "Summer with Dad" for voice and piano (2004)
- "Tango" for cello and piano (2004)
- "Meditation" for cello and piano (2004)
- "Campane IV" from the "Bell Symphonies" cycle for piano (2004)
- "The White Eagle" for voice and piano (2004)
- "Pater noster" for mixed choir (2005)
- "The Paschal Triptych" for organs (2005)
- "Trio for violin, cello and piano no. 2"(2005)
- "Our Father" for mixed choir (2005)
- "Concert for violin and string orchestra"(2006)
- "Myscerium crucis" for a cappella mixed choir (2006)
- "Popule meus" for mixed choir (2006)