A meeting of two masters – the Romantic elegance of Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy and the emotional, hypnotic imagination of Wojciech Kilar – will take centre stage in a concert by the Silesian Chamber Orchestra. The evening will be led by Piotr Pławner, a prize-winner at some of the most prestigious violin competitions, including the ARD International Violin Competition in Munich and the Henryk Wieniawski International Violin Competition. He will also perform as a soloist, joined by pianist Piotr Sałajczyk, winner of the Fryderyk and Orpheus awards for outstanding performances of Polish music.
The concert will open with Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy’s Symphony No. 3 in E minor for string orchestra – a work composed by the composer when he was just twelve years old. Even in this youthful piece, one can hear remarkable musical maturity, a lightness in melodic writing and the elegance of form characteristic of Mendelssohn. The symphony delights with its energy, clarity of texture and melodic freshness, foreshadowing the mature style of the composer of the Italian Symphony and the Violin Concerto in E minor.
Wojciech Kilar’s Piano Concerto No. 2 is among the composer’s most moving and personal works. Written fourteen years after his Piano Concerto No. 1, the piece was scored for piano, string orchestra and percussion, giving it a distinctive, austere and concentrated sound. The composition opens with a slow, meditative introduction evoking the tolling of bells and creating an almost funereal atmosphere. This reflective character returns in the third movement, contrasting with the vibrant, dynamic second and fourth movements.
Kilar’s individual musical language is clearly audible throughout the concerto – his economy of means, repetition of motifs and long, hypnotic harmonic planes create a distinctive sense of suspended time.
The concert will conclude with Mendelssohn’s Double Concerto for Violin, Piano and Orchestra – a remarkable work both for its history and its instrumentation. The composer wrote it as a teenager for himself and his sister Fanny, with whom he often made music. The piece captivates with youthful energy, sparkling dialogues between the violin and piano, and graceful melodic writing. The solo parts will be performed by Piotr Pławner and Piotr Sałajczyk, creating a musical dialogue full of virtuosity and Romantic brilliance.
Performers:
Piotr Sałajczyk – piano
Piotr Pławner – violin / conductor
Silesian Chamber Orchestra
Programme:
Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy – Symphony No. 3 in E minor for string orchestra
Wojciech Kilar – Piano Concerto No. 2
Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy – Double Concerto for Violin, Piano and Orchestra
The concert is not included in the festival pass. Tickets are available at the Silesian Philharmonic box office and online at ebilety.filharmonia-slaska.eu.