Gothic Concert was composed by Andrzej Panufnik in 1951 as musical illustration for the film Wit Stwosz, telling the story of St. Mary’s Church in Kraków. By creating works referring to the old traditions of Polish music, Andrzej Panufnik tried to escape from the prevailing dictates of social realism. After his departure to Great Britain, the composer changed the work’s name to Concerto in Modo Antico, and it began to act as a fully independent composition. The composer quoted fragments of, among others, the Cracovia Civitas anthem, and Song on the Birth of Our Lord by Wacław of Szamotuły. Adam Jarzębski’s Tamburetto is also featured in its entirety.
In his foreword to the London edition of all of his works based on early music, he wrote:
My main intention was to revive the spirit of Poland of those times and make these precious fragments – which otherwise would have remained lifeless and hidden on library shelves – useful.
Christopher Martin, who is to play the lead trumpet on Panufnik’s archaic work, said:
I must say that this work sounds like no other I’ve ever performed. I'm very grateful to maestro Muti for choosing me to play at his concert, if not for that, I’d probably never have got to know about it.
The programme also features works by Russian composers: the suite from Igor Stravinsky’s Firebird, and Symphony No. 3 by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. The concerts are to be performed three times: on 2nd, 3rd and 4th September. Each will be preceded by a meeting with the widow of Andrzej Panufnik, Lady Camilla Panufnik, and will take place in the Chicago Symphony Center.
Source: Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Panufnik.polmic.pl, ed. szm