A review of the recording of Moniuszko’s Masses and other works
From Ionarts: Reviewed, Not Necessarily Recommended: Masses by Stanisław Moniuszko
Stanislaw Moniuszko: Masses
Stanisław Moniuszko (1819-1872) was born near Minsk (Polish territory at the time), grew up in Warsaw (then de-facto Russian), and studied in Berlin (capitol of the Prussian Province of Brandenburg). Especially because of his (Polish) patriotic-nationalist sentiment of his music—”especially his operas, he became the national Polish composer and remains so to this day. Only Karol Szyamnowski and the ‘lost son’ Fryderyk Chopin share a similarly high level of popularity. Moniuszko would make for an excellent introduction to a college primer on —Central European History in the 19th Century—, but the Polish record company DUX—”wisely—”focuses on his music, instead.
So far issued are songs of Moniuszko, his two String Quartets, and two of his ten Operas. To that, DUX adds here three masses for organ and chorus: the Latin Mass in Dâ™ (1870), the Funeral Mass in G minor (1871), and the Polish St.Peter’s Mass in Bâ™ (1871). The works, composed to —enrich, strengthen, console—, vacillate between Mozartean beauty and romanticized kitsch, but for most of their duration the music stays on the sheerly beautiful, not shallow, side of things. (And, I suppose, how to praise God, if not through beauty.) The Dâ™ Kyrie (—Ky-rie— sung bisyllabic to match the alternating —Christe eleisons—) and the Funeral Mass’ Offertorium are high-points; how Moniuszko writes for two intertwining female voices—”especially in the St. Peter’s Mass’ Benedictus—”is wonderful to listen to. The Requiem Eternam dabbles prettily: romantic chill-out with a sacred veneer…
My only comment relates to the the reviewer’s mention of kitsch and history. To understand the composer you must understand his life and times, his struggles and values. The kitsch comes from the history – the Polish notion of romanticism. It was exactly that call that spoke to the heart and soul of his listeners, motivating them to action. You can certainly find technical brillance in the pantheon of Polish composers. That brilliance coupled with romanticism made things happen.
Here is Moniuszko’s Our Father (Ojcze Nasz) performed by the Choir of the Pomeranian Academy in Słupsk.