On December 30, 2025, the album Maciej Kabza. Szczęście (DUX 2165) will be released by DUX Recording Producers. The young composer, a laureate of prestigious competitions, seeks an answer to the question of what happiness is in a song cycle for high voice and piano to texts by Julian Tuwim.
The album features eight songs which, in the composer’s view, form “a story about the stages of life, about the richness of experiences that make up the multidimensionality of life and its many shades of gray.” The texts approach the subject in an unobvious way—subjective experiences of happiness are accompanied by a broad spectrum of emotions and associations. The moods range from nostalgia and static contemplation to trance-like, mechanical, even aggressive sonorities.
The composer employs contemporary vocal techniques: controlled vibration, Sprechgesang, rustling speech, and screams drawn from metal music. The piano undergoes subtle preparation, at times transforming into a percussion instrument. An electronic layer also appears in the score of the cycle.
Kabza’s songs are exceptionally demanding in terms of technique and cohesive interpretation, which allowed soprano Paulina Glinka and pianist Sylwia Michalik to showcase their outstanding performance artistry.
Media patronage: Polish Music Information Centre POLMIC
The album available from December 30 at Empik stores, music shops and at https://www.dux.pl/, as well as on all streaming platforms:
h:https://lnk.fuga.com/maciejkabzapaulinaglinkasylwiamichalik_szczcie
