The Festival "Chain XVII" will run from 25 January to 8 February 2020 at the Witold Lutosławski Polish Radio Concert Studio in Warsaw. The Festival's programme revolves around the work of Lutosławski and the circle of artists associated with the composer.
The plan of the "Chain XVII" is not quite accidental: it proposes a specific network of connections. The thought of color and harmony as interconnected and interpenetrating elements, so important for Lutosławski, recalls here the close Chopin-Debussy constellation, but also Messiaen's rainbow harmony and the colouristic structuralism of Webern's works. Chain II and Double Concerto expose the equal connection between cantilena and ornament; a connection leading across the ages back to romanticism (Chopin), classicism (Mozart) and to Scarlatti's keyboard sonatas. The peculiar, lyrical-grotesque tone of the Concerto and Chain connects both compositions with Prokofiew (Op. 19). The idea of a purely instrumental drama and great form associates Lutosławski's Quartet and Symphony with the Great Fugue and Sonata op. 109 by Beethoven. Krzysztof Penderecki's Symphony No.1 also belongs to this domain.
The above mentioned works will be presented during symphonic concerts performed by NOSPR, Sinfonia Varsovia, Polish Radio Orchestra in Warsaw, and chamber concerts by Chain Ensemble, Royal String Quartet and Jan Krzysztof Broja.
The festival is co-organized by the Programme 2 of Polish Radio and co-financed by the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage from the Culture Promotion Fund under the "Music" programme implemented by the Institute of Music and Dance.
Full programme available at: www.lutoslawski.org.pl