Mielczewski: Vocal Works

Featuring

Andrzej Kosendiak
Wrocław Baroque Ensemble
Marcin Mielczewski

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Composer Biography

Marcin Mielczewski was the most widely known Polish composer of the Baroque era in Europe, with his works finding interest across various Christian denominations.

Composition History

Mielczewski's Missa Triumphalis was among his most popular works in the 17th century, even being the only composition mentioned in a historical musical dictionary by Matthias Henriksen Schacht.

Historical Context

Many of Mielczewski's works, originally intended for Roman Catholic churches, survived in manuscript copies made by Lutheran communities, particularly in Wrocław.

Historical Context

The majority of Mielczewski's nearly 90 surviving compositions were found outside the borders of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, in places like Slovakia, Moravia, Silesia, and even as far as Moscow.

Recording & Production

The lost musical manuscripts from Wrocław were taken to Moscow after WWII, then transferred to East Berlin, and only became accessible for research after the fall of the Berlin Wall in the 1990s.

Composer Biography

Mielczewski's entire professional life was linked to the patronage of the Vasa family, particularly King Ladislaus IV and his step-brother Charles Ferdinand, Bishop of Wrocław and Płock.

Recording & Production

This recording features works from the collection of St Mary Magdalene Church in Wrocław, which were considered lost for almost 50 years after World War II.