The Journey

Description

This album is an invitation to a journey, both musical and metaphysical. The music of Roman Ryterband (1914-1979), who was himself a wanderer during the difficult times of World War II and in the post-war years, was inspired by the surrounding world and its reflection in the artist's soul. Among the musical themes, one can hear the composer's fascination with world music, which results not only from his open and sensitive nature but also from his extensive ethnomusicological studies and numerous travels. Ryterband pays tribute to his Jewish roots in the composition Trois ballades hébraïques, while Trois Nocturnes for piano, written during the war, are dedicated to the memory of his brother, murdered during the Holocaust. He also revisits the subject of the Holocaust in the Triptique contemporain for cello and piano composed a few years later but still during the ongoing war. The composition Trois Préludes for piano and the Chant des plaines de Pologne for violin and piano, documenting the deep connection between the composer and his homeland, also come from this period. In turn, the Concerto for piano, string orchestra, and harp was written on commission after the war. The last piece of the album is the Sonatine for guitar, which was created a year before the composer's death and which he never had the chance to hear performed for the first time. The music presented on the album is a testament to the life of a sensitive man, wronged by fate, but at the same time open and interested in the world, always capable of admiring the surrounding reality like a child. Anna Kijanowska played the piano, Ania Filochowska – the violin, Ari Evan – the cello, and Paul Cesarczyk – the guitar. The recording also features artists from the Silesian Chamber Orchestra conducted by Malgorzata Kaniowska.