Posts

Easter in Poland

Image
  Easter in Poland One of the beautiful wooden formerly Orthodox (now Roman Catholic) churches in the remote Bieszczady region of  S-E Poland B elow is an extract from Chapter 16   Vistula – Of Dragons, Martyrs and Lovers    taken from the book     A Country in the Moon: Travels in Search of the Heart of Poland  by Michael Moran (London 2008)  In Poland I feel strongly surrounded by the atmosphere of religion particularly at Easter. During my first experience it was as though childhood religious feelings had burst upon me with renewed vigour.  The haunting feeling of Christ in his sepulchre lay heavy in the air. Easter is one of the greatest Roman Catholic festivals in Poland. In the Kazimierz Dolny parish church on that Good Friday rivulets of 'blood' ran to the floor from the body of Christ twisted in agony on the cross. His tomb was guarded by a pair of weary firemen in brass helmets holding silver axes. Three nuns were ferventl...

Poland and Iran - Sarmatia and Sarmartism - a remarkable but largely forgotten historical connection

Image
Jacek Malczewski (1854-1929) Self-portrait 1914       The profound, historic, arguably fanciful relationship between Poland and Iran should be re-examined at this appalling time. I fully realize there can be no direct practical relevance to the present murderous brutality but the context in past time adds some substance to the present picture. There is a common, modern pejorative criticism of Sarmatism and its ideology. The anthropological truth or otherwise of the alleged Polish descent from this tribe does not alter the long-lasting influence of the  szlachta [1]   and their beliefs   on Poles and Poland. This war has put me mind of the once, now rarely referred to, predominant myth of Polish origins being Sarmatia and possibly Iran (known to Europeans as Persia). This elaborate and engaging history endured for hundreds of years. Most extraordinary and notable to my mind, was noted in behavior during the various tragic and misguided Middle ...

Chopin and His Europe 2026. Outstanding interpretations, a concentrated format

Image
  Chopin and His Europe 2026  Outstanding interpretations  A concentrated format The 22nd International “Chopin and His Europe” Festival will feature fewer concerts than in previous years, but will welcome magnificent major symphony orchestras from Canada, the United States and Europe. Each evening will be an artistic event in its own right, and together the programmes will form an attractive offering for every music lover – a hallmark of our musical celebration for nearly a quarter of a century. In brief: • Polish music will, of course, remain at the heart of the Festival, as it has since its very first editions. Alongside Chopin, audiences will hear works by Feliks Janiewicz, Karol Mikuli, Mieczysław Karłowicz, Karol Szymanowski, Grażyna Bacewicz and Krzysztof Penderecki. • Giants of the international stage – the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra and the Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal – will perform Polish music with prize-winners of th...