Izmir Festival > Program > TURKIYE - POLISH FRIENDSHIP CONCERT
Thursday, June 24, 2025 ● AASSM Grand Hall ● 21.00
TURKISH-POLISH FRIENDSHIP CONCERT
Rafał Kłoczko, piano
Simon Ximeng Zhu, violin
Elżbieta Nowotarska-Leśniak, soprano
Program
Violin with piano:
Stanisław Moniuszko – Countess – Polonaise
Henryk Wieniawski – Variations on an Original Theme
Ludwig van Beethoven – Romance in F major
Henryk Wieniawski – Kujawiak
Soprano, violin, piano:
Stanisław Moniuszko - Flis – Dumka Zosi in a duet with violin
Fryderyk Chopin –Separation in a duet with violin’
Mieczysław Karłowicz – A Sad Story, F sharp minor, Op. 13
Soprano with piano:
Karol Szymanowski – Le Muézin passioné, op. 42
No. 1 – Allah Akbar
No. 2 – Ô bien aimé
No. 3 – E peine l'aurore
Cemal Reşit Rey – 12 Anadolu Türküsü
No. 5 – Ayın Ondördü
No. 6 – Kozanoğlu
No. 1 – 1Çeşme
Elżbieta Nowotarska-Leśniak (soprano)
Elżbieta Nowotarska-Leśniak (soprano) is a graduate of the Berlin University of the Arts and the Karol Lipiński Academy of Music in Wrocław, Poland, where she studied vocal performance. A recipient of many scholarships (from the Polish Security Printing Works, the Foundation of Polish Culture, and the Paul Hindemith Society in Berlin), she has refined her vocal technique under the guidance of such renowned artists as Fedora Barbieri, Teresa Żylis-Gara, and Irina Gavrilovici, and currently continues her artistic development with Jagna Sokorska-Kwika.
Elżbieta made her operatic debut as the Countess in Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro for a student production at the Wrocław Opera, and later performed the same role at Opera Nova in Bydgoszcz as part of the Opera Youth Forum.
Performing extensively in Poland and abroad, including in Germany, Turkey, and China, her artistic activity includes operatic productions, cantata and oratorio performances, as well as vocal recitals. Elżbieta is a regular participant at international music festivals in Poland, - such as the International Organ Festival in Zakopane, the Mozart Plus Festival in Zielona Góra, and the
International Organ Festival in Koszalin.
She has performed at many prestigious venues, including Warsaw’s Royal Castle, Grand Theatre, and the Ignacy Jan Paderewski Museum of Polish Emigration, the Konzerthaus in Berlin, Istanbul’s Albert Long Hall at Boğaziçi University as well as the Cemal Reşit Rey Concert Hall. She also collaborates with cultural institutions to promote Polish music internationally.
Elżbieta has been researching 20th-century Turkish music, including the works of Cemal Reşit Rey, whose songs and arias she has successfully performed in both Turkey and Poland.
In 2016, she was invited to record a selection of Fryderyk Chopin’s songs, accompanied by a historical Broadwood piano from 1847—the era of the composer. The recording, Fryderyk Chopin – Songs, was released by DUX Recording Producers.
Elżbieta Nowotarska-Leśniak’s repertoire includes operatic, operetta, cantata, and oratorio arias, as well as Artsongs for voice and piano.
Rafał Kłoczko, manager, conductor, composer, arranger, and Doctor of Musical Arts.
Kłoczko studied in Gdańsk, Kraków, and Vienna under the guidance of R. Delekta, W. Michniewski, J. Przybylski, M. Guidarini, J. Kaspszyk, and C. Metters, among others. He received the Decoration of Honor "Meritorious for Polish Culture" and is a laureate of several programs organized by the National Institute of Music and Dance, including Conductor-in-Residence, Composer-in-Residence, and Compositional Commissions.
Rafał has conducted several hundred chamber and symphonic concerts and, as music director, led numerous opera productions, - including works such as Il Trittico by G. Puccini, Così fan tutte by W. A. Mozart, Orfeo ed Euridice by Ch. W. Gluck, and the Polish premiere of Francesca da Rimini by S. Rachmaninoff.
He collaborates regularly with many institutions in Poland and abroad, notably the Grand Theatre – National Opera in Warsaw, the Grand Theatre in Poznań, and the ensemble Cappella Gedanensis. Particularly passionate about opera, Rafał devoted his doctoral research to Ludomir Różycki’s forgotten work Eros and Psyche, which he successfully staged in 2015 for the Baltic Opera in Gdańsk.
Kłoczko’s production of Moniuszko’s Jawnuta was honored with the International Opera Award in the "Rediscovered Work" category. Kłoczko actively supports Polish musical culture, regularly initiating world premieres and recordings, particularly of Tadeusz Baird’s works. Among his most notable achievements are his participation in the 2016 Salzburg Festival and his conducting internship at the Vienna State Opera in 2017. Since 2021, he has served as Director of the Zielona Góra Philharmonic.
Simon Ximeng Zhu, violin
Simon Zhu is a rising violinist with a versatile repertoire whose successes are remarkable.
In October 2023, he won 1st prize at the 2023 International Violin Competition “Premio Paganini” in Genoa, Italy, and the special award for the best Paganini concerto, as well as receiving a number of important concert engagements – including the rare opportunity to perform on Paganini’s own violin “Cannone”, crafted by Giuseppe Guarneri del Gesù in 1743.
In May 2021, he won Second Prize at the Menuhin Competition in Richmond, Virginia, as well as the Mozart Prize and the European Community EMCY Award for his outstanding performance there.
He was awarded First Prize at the 13th International Georg Philipp Telemann Competition in Poznan, Poland in 2016, and also received the Bruno Frey Foundation’s Music Prize in that same year, in Ochsenhausen.
In 2017, Simon won First Prize at the 17th International Violin Competition in Kloster Schöntal, First Prize at the 34th International Violin Competition Valsesia Musica (2018), First Prize at the Zhuhai Mozart Competition (2019) and First Prize at the 7th International Chamber Music Competition Bydgoszcz (2020) with his duo partner, Adam Tomaszewski.
Simon Zhu made his debut at the Berlin Philharmonic Hall in 2015 and has since performed there several times as a soloist with orchestra. He was a guest at the International Young Masters Violin Festival on Lake Constance and is a scholarship holder of the Menuhin Festival & Academy. He has given concerts in Germany, England, France, Belgium, Poland, Romania, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Korea, and China, performing with renowned orchestras including the Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields, the Berlin Symphony Orchestra, the Salzburg Chamber Soloists and the Orchestra del Teatro La Fenice, collaborating with such celebrated conductors as Sir Antonio Pappano, Sir John Eliot Gardiner and Stanislav Kochanovsky.
October 15, 2024 was an important moment in Simon’s recorded history.
He performed with the London Symphony Orchestra and Maestro Antonio Pappano at the Guildhall in London, England, using the II Cannone that Paganini used during his lifetime. The King, His Majesty, Charles III attended the concert and received him afterwards.
Simon is a scholarship holder at the International Academy of Music in Liechtenstein and takes part in intensive music weeks and activities of the Academy. He has been a scholarship recipient of the German Music Foundation since 2016. He was an academist at the Hope Music Academy 2020 and at the Walter Stauffer Academy Cremona 2020-2022, where he worked with
Salvatore Accardo.
He is currently studying at the HMTM Munich with Prof. Ana Chumachenco, as well as receiving guidance from famous violinist Ning Feng.
In the years 2020-2023, Simon has performed on a fine old Montagnana violin, generously loaned by the Florian Leonhard Fellowship.
Simon now plays an important violin by Zosimo Bergonzi, from Cremona c1760. The instrument is on generous loan from a member of the Stretton Society.
Stanisław Moniuszko
Hrabina – Polonez
The Countess (Hrabina) is an opera in three acts by the Polish composer Stanisław Moniuszko. The libretto was written by Włodzimierz Wolski (who also wrote the libretto of Moniuszko's Halka). The opera was first performed at the Great Theatre, Warsaw on 7 February 1860. Although The Countess is acknowledged as Moniuszko's first fully mature musical composition, the libretto was criticized at first for its use of clichés. However, the opera became extremely popular. This was due, in part, to the splendid music, as Moniuszko shows great prowess in many sections, - e.g. the polyphonic sextet at the end of Act I. Another reason for its success was the nationalist subject matter - as this was only 3 years before the January Uprising. A third factor was possibly the incorporation of some popular melodies - such as Pojedziemy nałów! (Go Hunting) in Act III.
Henryk Wieniawski
Variations on an Original Theme Op. 15 for violin and piano
"Variations on an Original Theme" Op. 15 was written in 1854 and published in the same year by Breitkopf und Hartel in Leipzig. The composition based on the variation technique has an unusual form. The theme with three variations (in major) is preceded by a minor introduction with cadenza elements. This fragment reappears after the variations, followed by a finale in the form of a brilliant waltz, ending with an effective coda. ";Variations" - like other compositions by Wieniawski - require the violinist to be free in chordal and octave playing, to be able to perform various staccato forms, brilliant passages or other elements of virtuoso technique, as well as
to purity of intonation of harmonics.
Ludwig van Beethoven – Romans F-dur
Not published until 1805 (Bureau des Arts et d'Industrie, Vienna), the Romance in F was probably first performed in November 1798; so, although it bears the designation, "Romance No. 2, " and a later opus than its G major sibling, it is actually the earlier of the two compositions. The orchestral scoring Beethoven chose for the Romance in F major is the same as that for his early Piano Concerto in B flat, Op. 19 (one flute, two oboes, two bassoons, two horns, and strings). Possibly because of its early conception, the Romance in F is less adventurous in conception than the later Romance in G, Op. 40, and still includes lengthy transitions between sections. However, the Romance in F contains a richer harmonic vocabulary than its later counterpart.
As he would for his Romance in G, Beethoven chose a two-episode rondo format (ABACA coda) for the brief, lyrical Romance in F. The rondo section (A) features an antecedent-consequent theme performed first by the soloist, with orchestral string accompaniment, then by the entire orchestra. The melody itself is highly decorated, with numerous trills, turns and grace notes. A forceful, dotted-rhythm figure that closes each appearance of the rondo acts as a transition to the ensuing episode. Episode B maintains the lyric character of the rondo theme, adding large, dramatic leaps followed by descending scales and arpeggios. A glimpse of F minor precedes a literal return to the rondo, this time performed with a lighter accompaniment. The minor mode at the end of episode B proves to be portentous, as episode C begins in the tonic minor. Beethoven makes full use of the "flat" key area by presenting the rondo theme on D flat major, initiating an extended transition back to F major for the final return of the rondo theme. The coda, while never venturing from the tonic, acts as something of a summation when the soloist borrows the triplet motion prominent in episode C and performs a dramatic, trilled figure from the end of episode B. Description by John Palmer
Henryk Wieniawski,
Kujawiak
Virtuoso music was an inseparable element of the musical culture of the 19th century. Among the violin virtuosos who delighted listeners with their playing, Henryk Wieniawski comes to the fore. At concerts, he also presented his own compositions, which during the performances could fully convey both the technical possibilities and the emotions of the creator. An example of one of them is the Kujawiak in A minor, combining high technical requirements with the influence of national music. The piece contains a melody typical of this dance and a lyrical, melancholic mood.
Kujawiak - is a national dance originating from folk wedding dances from the Kujawy region. The atmospheric, lyrical melody in triple meter gives it a flirtatious character. The dance steps are based mainly on gentle walking and turns, only the musical accents are emphasized by stronger stomping.
Stanisław Moniuszko,
Flis – Dumka Zosi in a duet with violin
Stanisław Moniuszko’s second opera after “The Ring” Flis. This opera was written with the Warsaw stage in mind because after the enthusiastic reception of “The Ring” by the audience, the then director of the Warsaw Theatres, Ignacy Abramowicz, nominated Stanisław Moniuszko for the position of director of Polish opera. This one-act comic opera, which tells the story of the raftsmen, was largely created in Paris during Moniuszko's creative period.
The libretto of the one-act opera is by Stanisław Bogusławski. The action takes place in a village on the Vistula River in the 19th century, and the characters are the raftsmen, the villagers, and a newcomer to the city, a hairdresser named Jakub. The work premiered on 24 September 1858. The opera was a great success and the composer received great applause, but contemporary critics were hesitant in their assessment of the work.
From Agnieszka Okupska’s article. May 2011.
Mieczysław Karłowicz
A Sad Story, F sharp minor, Op. 13
A Sad Story, F sharp minor, Op. 13 is the fifth of Mieczysław Karłowicz's six symphonic poems and his last completed work , as the Epizod na maskaradzie, Op. 14, was not yet completed at his death.
Smutna opowieść is Polish for A Sorrowful Tale/A Sad Story, and Preludia do wieczności means Preludes to Eternity.
Harmonically, it is the most innovative of all his compositions, while stylistically it is close to the aesthetics of expressionism. It is also the shortest of his symphonic poems, with only 221 bars and about 11 minutes long. Karłowicz began working on the piece in late 1907. It took shape in April–July 1908 and was completed during his stay in Zakopane. The first performance was by the Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Grzegorz Fitelberg in the Warsaw Philharmonic Concert Hall on 13 November 1908. The second performance took place a month later (4th December) in the Great Hall of the Vienna Musikverein, and on that occasion the Wiener Tonkünstler Orchestra was conducted by the composer himself.
Just two weeks after Karłowicz's death, Fitelberg conducted this symphonic poem once more in Warsaw, and repeated this at the anniversary concerts of the composer's death in 1910, 1911 and 1913. In 1924, the Poznań Opera staged a ballet to this music, in the finale of which the character representing the composer commits suicide.
The Warsaw Musical Society published the first edition in 1913 by Gebethner and Wolff. Unlike most of Karłowicz's manuscripts, this work survived World War II and is preserved in the Warsaw Musical Society Library.
Karol Szymanowski,
Le Muézin passioné, op. 42
Karol Szymanowski quickly became acknowledged as the leading Polish composer of the early twentieth century. This success attests to his achievement of universal appeal. Though intensely patriotic, Szymanowski never became merely provincial in his interests. Through his combination of disparate influences, Szymanowski created a personal voice of refined beauty. Szymanowski composed Songs of the Infatuated Muezzin in late 1918, setting a collection of poems by the Polish poet Jarosław Iwaszkiewicz (1894-1980). The song cycle was first performed in its original version for voice and piano on January 17, 1922, in Lvov by Stanisława Korwin-Szymanowska (soprano) and Edward Steinberger (piano). In 1934 Szymanowski orchestrated four songs from the larger cycle of six (the first, fourth, fifth, and sixth), reprinted here.
Songs of the Infatuated Muezzin was among the “exotic” works inspired by Szymanowski’s travels in Sicily and North Africa. The poet Iwaszkiewicz was also sensitive to the lure of exoticism as shown in the work’s title: in Islam a muezzin is the man charged with calling the faithful to prayer five times a day through musical proclamations. This infatuated muezzin, however, blends religious devotion with desire for an unnamed beloved. His calls to prayer praise his beloved as much as Allah, claiming Allah created her for the purpose of inspiring the muezzin to prayer. Szymanowski was drawn to this combination of divine and erotic love, responding with music of unusual intensity. The blurring of identity between the sacred and sensual object of desire forms a common theme among Szymanowski’s works ranging from the Love Songs of Hafiz, to the Third Symphony and the opera King Roger.
As in these other works, Szymanowski included allusions to Arabic music throughout Songs of the Infatuated Muezzin. The most prominent of these allusions are improvisatory melismatic vocal lines. Not merely decorative, these coloratura passages signify specific emotional moods. The extended melismas that open and close the first song, for example, demonstrate the muezzin’s passion for both Allah and the beloved. The fact that Szymanowski modeled them on Islamic calls to prayer only emphasizes the emotionally charged atmosphere they create. In the third song, as the city sleeps, the muezzin sings a gentle refrain of “o olali” to improvisatory ornamental figures. In the final song these figures become extended cries of despair as the beloved departs for the “western deserts” beyond the muezzin’s reach. The second song, in contrast to the others, is more rhythmically active. In it Szymanowski employs other stylizations of Middle Eastern music: reiterated dance rhythms above a drone bass, melodies prominently incorporating the interval of an augmented second, and scoring for oboe, triangle, timpani and snare drum in imitation of Arabic instruments. In each song solo woodwind and string instruments weave their own melismatic lines around that of the singer creating a combination of textural delicacy, instrumental color, and emotional intensity.
Songs of the Infatuated Muezzin was Szymanowski’s third and last song cycle on “exotic” themes after the Love Songs of Hafiz and Songs of a Fairy Princess. Only the opera King Roger would continue their blend of exoticism and erotic charge. Szymanowski turned increasingly in his later years to music drawn from his newly independent homeland of Poland. Nevertheless, the idea of a transcendental connection between divine and human love gave rise to some of Szymanowski’s most individual, refined, and expressive compositions. The four orchestral Songs of the Infatuated Muezzin number among his best.
Christopher Little, 2016
Cemal Reşit Rey,
12 Anatolian Folk Songs
No. 5 – Ayın Ondördü
No. 6 – Kozanoğlu
No. 1 – Çeşme
Cemal Reşit Rey, one of the group known as the Turkish Five, was a pioneer of Turkish polyphonic music. He made his mark in Turkish music history as an educator, piano teacher, pianist, orchestra director and founder of the Istanbul City Orchestra, as well as a composer. Rey was also the author of the Oncu Yıl Marşı and the Lüküs Hayat operetta, as well as composing concertos, symphonic poems and other orchestral works.
Cemal Reşit Rey composed the "12 Anatolian Folk Songs" one hundred years ago, and revealed in an interview with TRT that the turning point in his life was 1925 and explaining this in the following statement:
"This year, I composed 12 Anatolian Folk Songs. In other words, I took 12 Anatolian Turkish dance tunes and motifs of the songs and put them in the form of a series of melodies for voice and piano. The difficult thing here was this: These melodies required a unique style of harmonization. It was hard to find this, but 55 years have passed and now I see that I discovered it right. from the start. This was the first step taken for our songs, our unique Turkish dance melodies to enter polyphony."
