Zieleński: Offertoria et communiones totius anni (Excerpts)

Featuring

Aldona Bartnik
Aleksandra Turalska
Bart Uvyn
Piotr Olech
Piotr Łykowski
Benjamin Glaubitz

Florian Cramer
Maciej Gocman
Jaromír Nosek
Jerzy Butryn
Szczepan Nowak
Tomáš Král
Zbigniew Pilch
Mikołaj Zgółka
Piotr Chrupek
Krzysztof Karpeta
Julia Karpeta
Jarosław Thiel
Anton Birula
Přemysl Vacek
Bruce Dickey
Masafumi Sakamoto
Ferdinand Hendrich
Karl Heinrich Wendorf
Maximilian Ehrhardt
William Lyons
Aleksandra Rupocińska
Marta Niedźwiecka
Andrzej Kosendiak
Wrocław Baroque Ensemble
Mikołaj Zieleński

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Recording & Production

The conductor, Andrzej Kosendiak, chose to arrange the album's compositions to tell a narrative about the life of Jesus Christ, deviating from the liturgical calendar order.

Compositional Technique

Zieleński's Communiones feature a rich array of suggested instruments, including organ, violin, cornett, bassoon, trombone, lute, and harp, a diversity unmatched by other early Baroque Polish composers.

Composition History

Mikołaj Zieleński's two-part work, Offertoria totius anni and Communiones totius anni, was published in 1611 by Giacomo Vincenti in Venice, a major European music center.

Historical Context

Venice was a crucial center for music in the 16th century, known for its talented musicians at St Mark's Basilica, instrumental music development, polychoral techniques, and music printing houses.

Composer's Artistic Vision

Zieleński's work demonstrates an excellent understanding of Italian compositional techniques from the late 16th century, possibly gained during a visit to Italy with his patron, Bishop Baranowski.

Composer Biography

Mikołaj Zieleński, a Polish composer, served as Kapellmeister and organist for Wojciech Baranowski, the Archbishop of Gniezno and Primate of Poland.

Interpretation

For this recording, the highest vocal parts are performed by female sopranos, which was likely contrary to common practice at the turn of the 16th and 17th centuries.