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Author	Topic: Poles.

Dinko Oscar® Winner	No, not a striptease pole. Nor the North and South Poles. But Poles. As in composer-people from Poland. Their common features: great music, and unpronouncable names. There's the usual Wojciech Kilar. And Jan A.P. Kaczmarek. But then there's Syrewicz, Lorenc, Debski, Sekacz (?), Preisner... Interestingly most of these have been relatively well represented on CD, at home and abroad (as in "in Poland and elsewhere"). I'm not too familiar with all of them. Mostly I know Kaczmarek's music. But all I've heard of the other Poles was great. Debski's Ogniem i Mieczem sounded like a nice epic score. Syrewicz' Russia's War uses Russian folk songs, but is also a deeply touching melody-filled composition. And just today I got Michal Lorenc's compilation Moje Filmy (available as an import from Holland for under 10$ at most online record stores). The music is nothing too extraordinary. It's even somewhat simple at times. No great orchestral extravaganzas. But various styles are explored, and there is constantly a great tune. So it got me thinking, are all Polish composers like Kaczmarek, Kilar and Lorenc? Do all of their soundtracks have this lovely and touching musical quality to them? For some time now, I've been interested in non-American composers. And it seems like recently the most consistently creative output comes from Poland (and maybe Australia: Ross Edwards, Christopher Gordon). What would be any recommendations of other Polish film composers and their scores? PS: For two quick reviews of Michal Lorenc albums, Music From the Movies has this to offer: 1) "Bastard" (aka Bandyty) http://www.musicfromthemovies.com/pages/reviews/bastard.html and the Moje Filmy compilations: http://www.musicfromthemovies.com/pages/reviews/moje_filmy_michal.html
posted 03-15-2002 06:06 PM PT (US)

Marian Schedenig Oscar® Winner	Although this is going back to what this thread is NOT about (I'm afraid I've never heard anything by those other composers you listed) - you do have Kilar's Pan Tadeusz, right?
posted 03-16-2002 05:21 AM PT (US)

Graham Watt Oscar® Winner	Dinko, I think Allan Gray was a Pole. That's the easiest Polish name ever! Did THE AFRICAN QUEEN, that COLONEL BLIMP thingey, MATTER OF LIFE AND DEATH and other Brit movies back in the 30s and 40s.
posted 03-16-2002 10:25 AM PT (US)

Dinko Oscar® Winner	Never heard of Allan Gray. But thanks for adding him. Marian, no. I've heard about PT but don't have it. Wasn't too keen on paying the price I was seeing it listed a while back (20$+), and then I forgot about it.
posted 03-16-2002 12:26 PM PT (US)

Christian Madsen Oscar® Winner	Hi, last summer I went to Poland. There I bought the following CD: Woijciech Kilar: The Best -2 CD compilation with music from various films. It is a great album, nice cover and liner notes. (Universal Music/Sylwa Records) Woijciech Kilar: Pan Tadeuz -score from the film. (Pomaton records, has also been released in Japan by Vulcano Records and Culture Publishers) I don't know the movie, but the CD is nice Krzmir Debsky: Mooie Filmy (Pomaton/EMI) I did know this composer, but the CD is great. I love the last song, but I don't understand a single work of the lyrics. I hope to get some more scores from him in the future. Zbigniew Preisner: Dekalog (Pomaton Records) Great music for a Kieslowsky movie. This score has also been released in Europe and Amereica by Silva Screen. I bought severel scores by Michal Lorenc, but I didn't find them very interesting. Polonia Records are these years going to release the complete works of Krzyztof Komeda. I picked 5 or CDs up with film music only (including films as "Knife in the Water", "Rosemary's Baby" and "The fearless Vampire Killers.
posted 03-16-2002 05:06 PM PT (US)

Marian Schedenig Oscar® Winner	quote: Originally posted by Dinko: Marian, no. You get that, and I get Naxo's Kilar album, all right? NP: Dragonheart (Randy Edelman)
posted 03-17-2002 03:54 AM PT (US)

Dinko Oscar® Winner	quote: Originally posted by Marian Schedenig: You get that, and I get Naxo's Kilar album, all right? No. I don't know who or what Naxo is. Me might get Pan Tad in a while. Just found it (relatively) cheap. But Chung's Shostakovich 4th is coming out this week, so if I have to get a CD in the short term, I prefer Chung/Shost.
posted 03-17-2002 06:09 AM PT (US)

JJH Oscar® Winner	Chopin was Polish. and you leave out Henryk Gorecki, who wrote one of the most critically and popularly well-received symphonies of the 20th Century (number 3, of course). Kilar kicks ass. so did Witold Lutoslawski, dammit.
posted 03-17-2002 07:43 AM PT (US)

Marian Schedenig Oscar® Winner	Yes, I just learned the other day that Chopin was from Poland - I never knew that! quote: Originally posted by Dinko: I don't know who or what Naxo is. NP: Anton Bruckner: String Quintet (Melos-Quartett Stuttgart)
posted 03-17-2002 12:04 PM PT (US)

monkey Oscar® Winner	Yes, Kilar is great as is Kaczmarek. I`ve only got Bliss and Washington Square by him, but they both contain what was described above, mainly melodic orchestral writing. I`ve been trying to get hold of more cds from him, but none of the stores seem to be stocking them. And his Doppleganger score needs a release, massive orchestral/choral writing reminiscent of Doyle.
posted 03-18-2002 04:09 AM PT (US)

JJH Oscar® Winner	oh yeah, I've got a CD of film music by another Pole: Waldemar Kazanecki. Pretty good, but he's no Kilar.
posted 03-22-2002 08:42 AM PT (US)

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