Joyce in Songs

Featuring

Maciej Bartczak
Stanisław Bromboszcz
Samuel Barber
Józef Świder
Ben Moore
Wojciech Stępień

Marta Kleszcz
Edmund J. Pendleton

Did you know?

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Recording & Production

The song cycle 'Wind Whines' by Wojciech Stępień, featured on this album, was created with support from the ZAiKS Creativity Support Fund.

Composition History

Most of the texts on this album come from James Joyce's first published work, 'Chamber Music,' a collection of thirty-six short, musical poems published in 1907.

Composer Biography

James Joyce seriously considered a career as a singer and even entered a tenor competition in 1904, where he won a bronze medal.

Composer's Artistic Vision

Joyce's musical tastes were broad, ranging from opera arias to Irish folk songs, with a particular fondness for music-hall tunes and early modern composers like John Dowland and William Byrd.

Composer's Artistic Vision

For James Joyce, the tenor voice was not just a means of musical expression but 'a justification of humanity,' and he possessed extensive knowledge of opera and singing techniques.

Composer's Artistic Vision

James Joyce's literary modernism did not extend to his musical tastes; he was primarily interested in singing, especially opera, and showed little interest in contemporary musical experiments.

Composer Biography

James Joyce, the author of the poems on this album, came from a musical family; his mother studied piano and singing, and his father was known for his singing skills.