K. Szymanowski: Symphony no. 3 "Song of the Night" (Wit - Minkiewicz)

Karol Szymanowski's Third Symphony "The Song of the Night (Piesn o Nocy) performed by Antoni Wit and Ryszard Minkiewicz, the best version of probably the best symphony of all the 20th century IMO.
The website karolszymanowski.pl about the Symphony:
In the summer of 1916, after two years of working on it irregularly (interrupted mainly during 1915 by ideas for new compositions), Szymanowski finished his Symphony No. 3 "Song of the Night" op. 27 for solo tenor, mixed choir and orchestra. The author of the text is the thirteenth-century Persian poet, mystic and Neoplatonist, Jallal-al-din Rumi. The Polish translation by Tadeusz Miciński (of the poem Song of the Night (based on a German translation) appeared in 1905 in the Warsaw monthly "Chimera", devoted to literature and art.
This mystical-pantheistic text of an Eastern poet must have seemed to Szymanowski to provide the ideal subject in a period of the birth of a new style, as well as providing support for his aesthetic needs and long-cherished desire to write a solid poem-symphony, which would give vent to his tendencies toward expression full of ardour and ecstatic raptures. The vision of "this night", which brings with it the great revelation, illuminating the mystery of God and Being, the rapture and dazzlement which accompany it, the feeling of the extraordinary, all this provided opportunity and stimulus to create music of exceptional emotional power, reaching a state of ecstasy; at the same time this music was new, strange, uncommon, fantastic, far-removed from the old conventions and even -- in its mysterious depth and mood -- unique and unrepeatable. At the same time, the beauty of the starry sky and universe being extolled in the poem added a physical dimension to the mystical thrill, which might have corresponded to the very sensual character of Szymanowski's expression and the modern colour of his music. Finally, using a work by a Persian poet gave the composer a reason for introducing oriental accents, which attracted him at that time, such as characteristic melodic phrases or the sumptuousness of the ornamental patterns, which can at times be heard in the orchestra.
Melody plays an important part in this work, and Szymanowski exhibits great inventiveness in this area -- above all in the widely stretched violin phrases in high registers, flowing imaginatively and filled with strong emotion, their interval structure (similar to Songs of Hafiz) possibly bringing associations with some original ephemeral scales which do not stabilise; of greater importance, however, are certain distinctive and recurring motifs. These melodies -- exceptionally beautiful, each one different, lyrically songful and new in structure -- are contrasted with others -- simpler, compact and forceful phrases made up of a few notes; through habit we perceive them tonally and attempt to refer mentally to a particular tonality which, however, does not reveal itself; what is heard instead is the repetition of certain recurrent, sparse-sounding motifs, which creates an individual expressive effect.
Paintings:
Edvard Munch: Moonlight
Gustav Klimt: Bewegtes Wasser
Vassili Kandinsky: Composition VI
Tomb of the poet Hafez in Iran
René Magritte: L'Heureux Donateur
Gustav Klimt: Danae
Bernini: The Ecstasy of Saint Teresa
Gustav Klimt: Die Hoffnung II
Caspar David Friedrich: Der Träumer
Vincent van Gogh: La nuit étoilée
Caspar David Friedrich: Vision der Christlichen Kiche
Edvard Munch: The Sun

[@markdarnell614]

Arcane, Ethereal, and Profound! NOT for the Weak-Hearted! - MAGNIFICENT!!!

[@hannastaszak1684]

W 140 rocznice urodzin Karola Szymanowskiego, cudownie jest patrzeć jak dzieła wielkiego, polskiego kompozytora są podziwiane i chętnie wykonywane na całym świecie przez wszystkie pokolenia muzyków ❤

[@philippecirse4872]

It is a very deep and beautiful music, played with exceptional skill and an impressive interior feeling. A delightful listening experience!

[@hamishgallie3545]

Szymanowski was certainly ahead of his time in automatically rivalling the commentary of the voices with the violin concertino style. It is a truly new symphonic, almost film like voice he has. It is beyond purely instrumental music. Profound.

[@whoopsala2589]

Listen to Scriabin Szymanowski tried imitate his style and harmonies, and he composed earlier than szymanowski

[@scriabinismydog2439]

@@whoopsala2589 Yes! I find this to be very similar to Prometheus. Certainly Szymanowski was influenced a lot by late Scriabin.

[@grzegorzkolodziej1781]

@@whoopsala2589 Szymanowski was undoubtedly influenced by Scriabin (as well as by Richard Strauss and Debussy) but no more than Scriabin was influenced by Chopin. They both developed their own musical language late in their careers. This is an early period of Szymanowski; it does sound like Scriabin poems. “Ahead of time”, “behind of time” - IMO this is not the right way of assessing their music. Both were avant-garde, Szymanowski was influenced by Scriabin but if we were to be strict in “ahead of time”, both were behind of Schoenberg or Webern, who were behind Ciurlionis - but this is not to say what is more worthy. I think 3 symphony and Prometheus are roughly at the same musical level but Prometheus was first. I actually think that Prefatory Action is Scriabin’s best work; Boulez named Jeux as the beginning of contemporary music but I would actually say Prefatory Action is.

[@nathaliegreck6775]

Inquiétante, mystérieuse, effrayante symphonie...A l'image de cette nuit qu'elle personnifie....

[@gerardbegni2806]

Vouss la trouvez inquiétante? Pour quelle raison? L'incertitude tonale? la thématique? Je n'arrive pas à partager c sentiment.

[@tomgoff6867]

Certainly a magnificent symphony; I own this version. There is a group picture of the composers represented in a music festival c. 1924 in Prague which shows Szymanowski seated beside English composer Arnold Bax; they evidently got on quite well, and I would pair them both as approximate equals in greatness. Both are powerful and also lyrical, but Bax is a quite humanistic genius, full of humor or moodiness, and filled with Irish and even Russian folklore. Szymanowski, while every bit as humane a person (I believe) often summons forces that seem to flood straight from the transhuman cosmos: he can pack an even bigger wallop at times than Bax.

[@carlhale4089]

I agree. Bax is worldly passion, earthly energy, even transcendence at times, but Szymanowski is other worldly, ethereal, touching the spheres, the Kingdom higher than ours, where the Almighty and His Son dwell in glorious light.

[@systemrideo]

I had a dream that Jason Pargin told me to listen to Szymanowski number 3. I woke up and googled it and started to panic.

[@louisgorrini]

Beksiński loved this Symphony

[@123must]

Beautiful composition ! Thanks

[@licenselessrider4486]

AMAZING

[@christianroy7459]

It starts just like Mahler's own "Song of the Night", the Symphony No. 7 of a decade earlier!

[@MrDelfin345]

Piękna polska muzyka

[@뚜두뚜두팬보이]

Antoni Wit, Simon Rattle two of the best for Szymanowski. Can anyone recommend any others?..

[@imcpan2590]

Today? Only Kaspszyk, Boreyko and maybe Klauza. And only two choirs: National Philharmonic form Warsaw and NFM Choir (from Wroclaw).

[@licenselessrider4486]

amazing

[@malgorzatabator-schreiber817]

I. Moderato Assai II. Allegretto Tranquillo III. Largo Ryszard Minkiewicz - tenor Warsaw Philharmonic Choir Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra Chorus Master - Henryk Wojnarowski Antoni Wit - conductor Recorded in the Philharmonic Hall, Warsaw, Poland, from 16th to 19th April, 2007 "Pieśń o nocy" O, nie śpij, druhu, nocy tej. Tyś jest Duch, a myśmy chorzy nocy tej. Odpędź z oczu Twoich sen! Nocy tej! Tajemnica się rozwidni. Nocy tej! Tyś jest Jowisz na niebiosach, wśród gwiazd krążysz firmamentu, nocy tej! Nad otchłanie orła pędź! Bohaterem jest Twój Duch nocy tej! O, nie śpij, druhu, nocy tej! Jak cicho. Inni śpią. Ja i Bóg jesteśmy sami, nocy tej! Jaki szum! Wschodzi szczęście, prawda skrzydłem opromienia nocy tej! Nie śpij, druhu, nocy tej, Gdybym przespał aż do ranka, już bym nigdy nie odzyskał nocy tej! Targowiska już ucichły, Patrz na rynek gwiezdnych dróg nocy tej! Lew i Orion, Andromeda i Merkury krwawo lśni nocy tej! Wpływ złowieszczy miota Saturn, Wenus płynie w złotym dżdżu nocy tej! Zamilknięciem wiąże język, lecz ja mówię bez języka nocy tej!

[@ericnk58]

Lovely recording! We need the text and translation though ...

[@ivancaragia9993]

12:00 What else do you need(?)

[@nellycouderq3810]

o mój Pan Rektor tu śpiewa

[@grafplaten]

I wonder why Szymanowski was so attracted to Persian poetry? 😉😏

[@leocadieux6781]

grafplaten He was homosexual and Persian poetry has a lot of homoerotic poems.

[@leocadieux6781]

Victor Robin Uh... Tchaikovsky was homosexual and it was indeed proven since years! The same goes for Szymanowski, who even wrote a homoerotic and partly autobiographical novel: Efebos. Next time inform yourself before writing such falsehoods.

[@leocadieux6781]

Victor Robin Je me demande bien quelles sont tes sources 😂😂😂😂😂 Tchaïkovsky n’a jamais rencontré Von Meck, leur relation était purement épistolaire... Mais bon impossible de prendre tout ce que tu as dit au sérieux 🤦‍♂️

[@leocadieux6781]

Victor Robin Un peu misogyne, peut-être? 🤨

[@Prometeusz]

@@victorrobin642 Let's make competition which composer fucked more woman in his lifetime:)

[@hanahana-nb3cw]

czyj to obraz w tle? jest ciekawy.

[@pepa38314]

nie to koszula tego cwaniaka, co nagrał na ipad te muzyczkie. ...logiczne?

[@Art.B]

Zdzisław Beksiński.

[@Pados_music]

While listening to this music sudenly a silly voice tells you to drink coca - cola (disgust) so you can enter the christmas mood. I hate disney's and wall mart christmas. I hate coca - cola.

[@josemariallovetabascal9559]

It looks like you are consuming lots of coke.

[@andrewedwards4327]

Amazing