The BESKID CLASSICAL FESTIVAL “BESKID CLASSICS” will, for the sixth time, present the beauty of classical music in the extraordinary landscapes of the Beskid Mountains. We can hope that this will be a soothing combination, a perfect antidote to the dramatically changing world around us. The geopolitical reshuffle of the world, the rapid development of artificial intelligence, full-scale wars on our borders – we increasingly wonder if it is heading in the right direction and if we will still be able to accommodate to the new reality.
And it is in this context that it is worth realizing that there are things whose value is timeless. They are immortal “classics,” just like classical music, whose demise has been so often predicted. But fortunately, as pianist Charles Rosen once so brilliantly put it, “the imminent demise of classical music is one of the oldest and most enduring myths in history.”
This year’s festival program will feature many works of timeless value. Works inspired by the creative passions of extraordinary artists. The wonderful actor Henryk Talar will be sharing these passions. In his anniversary year, he will return to his hometown of Kozy to share poetic reflections on his acting life at the Czeczów Palace, accompanied by music by Elgar, Karłowicz, and Debussy performed by the Mauris Ensemble.
At the Ustroń Amphitheater, where for the past two years we have been combining folk music traditions with orchestral music, we will finally be able to combine the music of the Beskid Mountains, performed by Kasia Gacek Duda and her ensemble, with a classical orchestra. I am convinced that this will be an extraordinary event.
At the Bator Gallery in Szczyrk, the excellent accordionist Klaudiusz Baran, until recently Rector of Chopin University in Warsaw, will perform with violinist Justyna Baran. Together, they will perform a repertoire of dances from around the world in subtly melancholic atmospheres, exemplified by the famous waltz from the film “Amelie.”
The festival will move to Bielsko-Biała for its five-day finale. At Sułkowski Castle, lutenist Mateusz Ławniczak and the wonderful British singer Angela Hicks will transport us to the magical world of William Shakespeare’s songs. They will remind us that his famous plays were truly musicals of their time, full of music and song.
At the Helios Cinema, you can watch the premiere of a digitally restored version of Milos Forman’s famous film “Amadeus” with music by Mozart. In Żywiec, pianists Beata Bilińska and Filip Wojciechowski with the Krakow Wind Quintet will present the extraordinary music of the American Prohibition era, when, through Joplin and Gershwin, jazz rhythms found their way into classical music. At Willa Sixta, we will hear works inspired by Iberian culture, written from Paris to South America, performed by the Cracow Guitar Quintet. We’ve planned a special highlight for the finale – American conductor Robert Israel and the Slovak Sinfonietta will perform live accompaniment to one of the most incredible stunt films of all time – “Safety Last!” starring the legendary Harold Lloyd.As always, I wish you many unforgettable experiences!
dr Paweł Kotla
Festival Director
The return of the outstanding actor Henryk Talar to his hometown of Kozy in the year of his anniversary, where in a narration prepared by Zuzanna Talar he will talk about his life, his vision of acting and art, in a unique musical setting of the excellent Mauris Ensemble (Magdalena Di Blasi – flute, Jan Czyżewski – viola, Adrian Nowak – harp).
19.00h, Czeczów Palace, ul. Krakowska 5, Kozy
[SOLD OUT]
PRELUDE: “FROM HERE, I AM – HENRYK TALAR’S ANNIVERSARY CONCERT.”
Performers:
Henryk Talar – narrator
Mauris Ensemble – musical setting
Programme:
“78 and a Bit More” (arr. Zuzanna Talar) – a tale about acting with music by Elgar, Debussy and Karłowicz
A unique blend of folk ensemble and orchestra in the vibrant music of the Carpathians, including the Beskid Mountains. The centerpiece of the program will be the premiere of Katarzyna Gacek-Duda’s “Carpathian Suite” and other pieces inspired by Carpathian folklore.
19.00h, Amphitheatre, ul. Parkowa, Ustroń
[admission free]
“ON BOTH SIDES OF THE CARPATHIANS”
OPENING GALA OF THE 6TH BESKID CLASSICAL FESTIVAL “BESKID CLASSICS”
Performers:
Kasia Gacek Duda (ethnic flutes)
Marcin Sidor (violin)
Stanisław Bafia (viola)
Martin Wałach (double-bass)
Paweł Kotla (conductor)
Zabrze Philharmonic Soloists
Programme:
Works inspired by the folklore of the Carpathians, including Bela Bartok – “Romanian Dances”, Katarzyna Gacek-Duda – “Carpathian Suite” (orch. Mateusz Walach) and folk songs of the Beskid Mountains in symphonic arrangements.
An extraordinary sonic journey across continents and eras in the intimate atmosphere of the magical Bator Art Gallery in Szczyrk. The violin and accordion duo (Justyna Baran and Klaudiusz Baran) will take listeners from the romantic streets of Paris, through the passionate rhythms of Argentine tango, to the exotic melodies of Kreisler’s “Chinese Tambourine.” The program will include the famous melancholic waltz from the film “Amelie,” Saint-Saëns’s dark “Danse macabre,” and de Falla’s sensual “Songs of Spain.” This evening, each piece will tell its own fascinating story in the universal language of music.
19.00h, Bator Art Gallery, ul. Myśliwska 60, Szczyrk
[admission free]
AMELIE’S WALTZ AND OTHER MUSICAL STORIES
Performers:
Justyna Baran – violin
Klaudiusz Baran – accordion
Programme:
The program includes Argentine tangos, de Falla’s “Spanish Songs,” Saint-Saens’ “Danse macabre”, Waltz from “Amelie” movie and Kreisler’s “The Chinese Tambourine.”
In a program inspired by one of the most famous films about Shakespeare, British soprano Angela Hicks and lutenist Mateusz Ławniczak will transport the audience to the time of the Great Bard and his immortal love stories. We will hear exquisitely subtle songs of the English Renaissance by masters such as John Dowland, Thomas Morley, and John Danyel—the same melodies that could have resounded at The Globe Theatre and in the court of Queen Elizabeth I. This is an very intimate evening filled with poetic sensitivity, where the delicate sound of the lute intertwines with the pure voice of the soprano, creating a musical tale of love, longing, and the beauty of old England.
19:00h, Museum of History – Sułkowski’s Castle, ul. Wzgórze 16, Bielsko-Biała
[admission free, reservations: ]
SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE
Performers:
Angela Hicks (UK) – soprano
Mateusz Ławniczak – lute
Programme:
Songs of Elizabethan England (including John Dowland, John Danyel, Thomas Morley, Tobias Hume, John Wilson)
Four decades after its cinematic premiere, Miloš Forman’s masterpiece “Amadeus” returns to world screens in a restored version – a film in which Mozart’s music is the main character. The premiere of this version in Bielsko-Biała will be preceded by a conversation devoted to the music and artists responsible for the unforgettable soundtrack, which largely contributed to the phenomenal success of this outstanding production. Dr. Paweł Kotla, director of the “Beskid Classics” festival, will share his memories of his long-standing friendship and artistic collaboration with the legendary maestro Sir Neville Marriner, who, together with his renowned orchestra, the Academy of St Martin in the Fields, recorded the musical soundtrack for this cinematic masterpiece.
19.00h, “Helios” Cinema, Galeria Handlowa „Sfera”, ul. Mostowa, Bielsko-Biała
[admission charge]
MILOŠ FORMAN’S „AMADEUS” – WHEN MUSIC IS THE ACTOR
Programme:
„Amadeus” by Miloš Forman
A musical journey to the golden age of American jazz and Prohibition. The Krakow Wind Quintet and pianists Beata Bilińska and Filip Wojciechowski will transport listeners to the atmosphere of New York music salons, presenting Gershwin’s legendary “Rhapsody in Blue,” Scott Joplin’s nostalgic ragtimes, selected Gershwin songs, and other works from that era in unique chamber arrangements.
19.00h, Państwowa Szkoła Muzyczna, ul. Sienkiewicza 19, Żywiec
[admission free]
“RHAPSODY IN BLUE” – ONCE UPON A TIME IN NEW YORK
Performers:
Beata Bilińska – piano
Filip Wojciechowski – piano
Cracow Wind Quintet
Programme:
“Rhapsody in Blue” and songs by George Gershwin, rag-times by Scott Joplin and other works from the American Prohibition period arranged for chamber ensemble.
This concert will immerse listeners in a sensual journey through the sunny landscapes of Spain and Portugal with the Cracow Guitar Quartet, taking them from the romantic boulevards of Paris to the sizzling rhythms of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. They will hear the most beautiful gems of Iberian music – from Albéniz’s passionate “Córdoba” and the mesmerizing “Asturias”, through Bizet’s exotic “Aragonaise” and “Seguidilla”, to Debussy’s dreamy “Reverie”.
During the festival finale, you’ll be able to relive the legendary days of silent cinema with the daring 1923 comedy “Safety Last!”, in which Harold Lloyd performed one of the most famous stunts in film history – climbing a Los Angeles skyscraper while literally hanging by the hands of a clock! This iconic film, which took audiences’ breath away over a century ago, will return in all its glory, accompanied by Slovak Sinfonietta conducted by American maestro Robert Israel. This will be a unique opportunity to experience the magic of the silver screen just as the first moviegoers saw it – with a full symphony orchestra adding additional drama and emotional depth to each scene.
18.00h, ZPSM, Concert Hall ul. Wyspiańskiego 5A, Bielsko-Biała
[admission free, reservations: ]
GRAND FINALE: “SAFETY LAST! – SILVER SCREEN CLASSICS”
A BRAVADA SCREENING OF SILENT FILM CLASSICS ACCOMPANIED BY A SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA.
Performers:
Robert Israel (USA) – conductor
State Chamber Orchestra of Slovakia “Slovak Sinfonietta”
Programme:
„Safety Last!” (1923) – a cult American comedy with live music.
Festival Office
Temida Arts & Business Foundation
ul. Gałczyńskiego 39
43-300 Bielsko-Biała
KRS: 0000754893
NIP: 9372717839
+48 33 812 34 90
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