Szymon Laks

[markniew]

I intend uploading a few recordings of the music by Szymon Laks - composer and vilinist who experienced complicated life - he spent few years in the Auschwitz-Birkenau camp where he became head of the prisoners' orchestra

his short biography can be find in wikipedia:
English - as Simon Laks: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simon_Laks
Polish - http://pl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Szymon_Laks

in Polmic (only in Polish) - http://www.polmic.pl/index.php?option=com_mwosoby&id=431&view=czlowiek&litera=13&Itemid=5&lang=pl

In the Downloads/Polish Music you can find colourful piece that employs Polish folk tunes:

Polish Suite for Orchestra (1936)

[markniew]

continuation of Szymon Laks' music
available in Downloads/Polish Music:

SZYMON LAKS (1901-1983)
Poem for Violin and Orchestra (1954)
Tomasz Tomaszewski - violin
Polish Radio Orchestra
cond. Guillaume Tournaire

[Christo]

I suddenly realize that I read his book - memoirs - about Auschwitz and the music he made there. A story one couldn't imagine.

[Christo]

Found it. Szymon Laks, Music of Another World. Translated from the Polish by Chester A. Kisiel (Northwestern UP. Illinois 1989/2000).

From the back cover: 'Rejected for publication in Poland because its potrayal of the Nazis was "too sympathetic", Music of Another World presents a disturbing description of a phenomenon seldom mentioned in the literature of the Holocaust: the presence of music among the crematoria of Auschwitz.'

[markniew]

I have not heard about this book. I understand it was refused during the comunist time in Poland. Must look for it.

[markniew]

Another piece by Szymon Laks available in the Downloads/Polish Music

SZYMON  LAKS   (1901-1983)
Sinfonietta for String Orchestra    (1935)

[markniew]

and one more piece by Szymon Laks available in the Downloads/Polish Music:

SZYMON  LAKS   (1901-1983)
Little Entertaining/Ligh? Suite for Orchestra  of 1960

[markniew]

In the Downloads/Polish Music you can find the link to to:

SZYMON  LAKS (1901-1983)
Symphony for String Orchestra of 1964

it is quite new Polish Radio archive recording

[markniew]

Another piece by Laks, this time of his chamber music - available in the Downloads/Polish Music:

b]SZYMON  LAKS[/b] (1901-1983)
Piano Quintet    (1967)

the piece is colourful, tuneful, energetic - based on the Polish folklor themes from various regions. The finale based on motifs from the Tatra/Podhale region - folk music from there was and still is popular among Polish composers: Paderewski, Szymanowski, Kondracki, Malawski, Górecki, to name only few.

Played by ARC Ensemble Toronto. Unfortunately I have missed the information on its members.

During the same evening Canadian musicians also played Piano Quintet by Mieczysław Wainberg

[mjkFendrich]

Do you perhaps have other non-published recordings of the ACR ensemble?
I would be greatly interested in their performances of Karl Weigl's 3 Intermezzi for string quintet
(performed Oct.2006) as well as Heinrich Kaminski's quartet op.1 from Oct.2007.

(see http://www.arcensemble.com/recordings.php)

[markniew]

Hello mjkFendrich,

unfortunately I do not have other performances of ACR Ensamble.
They played Laks and Wainberg here in Warsaw perfectly!

[markniew]

Performance by ACR Ensemble of:

MIECZYSŁAW  WEINBERG   (1919-1996)
Piano Quintet op. 18    (1944)

available in the Downloads/Polish Music

[mjkFendrich]

This performance has already been published by RCA in album entitled
"On the threshold of hope". It's back cover even contains an FBI antipiracy warning
together with an impressive FBI logo