Last month, during the span of just two weeks, we had the opportunity to enjoy performances of not one but two outstanding Polish classical guitarists: quite an extraordinary occurrence and a wonderful gift to music lovers.
The first concert was given by Łukasz Kuropaczewski in Ann Arbor on February 17, while Krzysztof Meisinger, who in the opinion of many critics and music lovers from around the world, is “one of the most fascinating and charismatic classical guitar players” performed at the Orchard Lake Galeria on February 28.
Thanks to the Polish Institute of Culture and Research, the concert organizer, the audience of over 80 people had a unique chance to experience the art of Krzysztof Meisinger, who, in 2022, on the British web site uDiscoverMusic, was named one of the 20 greatest classical guitarists of all time. This is just but one of many recognitions this great artist has received.
Born in 1984, Krzysztof Meisinger has been performing all over the world, solo or with orchestras, and has achieved a great measure of success. He collaborated with such singers as a soprano Sumi Jo and mezzosoprano Agnieszka Rehlis, recorded 12 albums, and founded the Meisinger Music Festival in Szczecin, where he resides. The festival has attracted many musical “greats”; among them Ivo Pogorelich and Piotr Anderszewski.
During the Friday recital Krzysztof Meisinger played music composed by famous Spanish masters Francisco Tarrega (Capricho Arabe and Gran Jota Argonesa) and Izaak Albeniz (Malaguena and Asturias), two Mazurkas composed by the Polish composer Edward Jurkowski and Koyunbaba, a fusion of Western and Turkish music by Italian guitarist and composer Carlo Domeniconi (born in 1947).
Composed in 1985 Koyunbaba (the name refers to the 15th century Turkish saint, and means “shepherd”), was described by Meisinger as “a fairytale written not with words but with notes”. It remains one of the most performed pieces in the contemporary guitar repertoire. At the same time, it requires exceptional technical skills, involves intricate fingerpicking patterns and a special tuning: all were on display during last night’s concert.
The musical pieces the artist selected for the evening allowed him not only to play some marvelous music and demonstrate his mastery of the instrument but also to connect with the audience, which in absolute silence took in the music and admired the exquisite artist. The fact that the CDs available for sale after the concert were gone very quickly indicates that the audience was captivated by the beauty and artistry and was not ready to part with neither the music nor the artist when the concert was over.
Between playing, Krzysztof Meisinger talked a bit about the pieces he performed. It was interesting and somewhat amusing to find out that – for instance – the great Spaniard Izaak Albeniz (1860 -1909) managed to sell his composition “Asturias” three times to different publishers, each time under a different title (the other titles are “Leyenda” and “Prelude”.)
The interesting backdrop for the concert was provided by the new PICROL exhibit “Biography, Art History: Polish-American Memories of Great Men and Women” which had its soft opening also on Friday evening. Dr. John Radzilowski, Director of the Polish Institute of Culture and Research and the show’s curator provided the comprehensive written information about the artifacts on display. He explained that having more events at the Galeria during the show’s run is a way of bringing the exhibition to the attention of more people.
The new show presents a variety of artifacts (mostly portraits) pertaining to such people as Tadeusz Kościuszko, Kazimierz Pułaski, Pope John Paul II, Helena Modrzejewska, Clara Świeczkowska and Marshal Józef Piłsudski, described by Dr. Radzilowski as “(…) significant to the history of Polish Americans, whether it be directly or indirectly. Some are commemorated with statues or have landmarks named after them. Others are largely forgotten.” (From the printed information provided at the exhibit.)
One can view this engaging exhibit during the regular Galeria hours, however, Dr. Radzilowski also encourages individuals and groups to arrange for special tours.
All of the items on display come from the Orchard Lake collection. The exhibit is available for viewing until May 18th.
We thank and congratulate the PICROL staff (Dr. John Radzilowski, Elijah Majeski and Ania Bieciuk) for organizing a truly memorable and beautiful evening and for introducing us to a thrilling Polish artist.
Text and photos by Alina Klin
Additional photo by Mietek Oniśkiewicz
One of the CDs available last evening, “Pieśni nocą śpiewane” (Songs sung at night), recorded by Krzysztof Meisinger and the mezzosoprano Agnieszka Rehlis, was composed by Bartłomiej Marsiuk to the poems of Bolesław Leśmian and Leopold Staff. You can listen to one of the songs from “Pieśni nocą śpiewane” here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K20AZdqVow4 )
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