Jozef Poniatowski: Mass

[CelesteCadenza]

The following information comes from the notes distributed with a recording of Peter de Medici from the Letni Festiwal Muzyczny: VII Festiwal Muzyki Polskiej - Krakow 23 July 2011 that is in my collection. While it undoubtedly is of the same concert performance still in UC downloads, the recording that I have is one likely of different provenance. Note that the world premiere of Poniatowski's Mass in F was also performed at the same festival.

I have neither verified nor edited the text:

Jozef Michal Poniatowski (July 24, 1814 - July 4, 1873)
Polish composer and an operatic tenor. He was the nephew of the Polish
general Prince Józef Antoni Poniatowski.

The 2011 Festival of Polish Music (Krakow) presented works by the
recently rediscovered Poniatowski. The festival organisers have a coup
on their hands, having managed to find a complete score of the
composer's Pierre de Medicis opera in the National Library in Paris.
Besides a concert version of the opera, the world premiere of
Poniatowski's Missa in F was also performed.

Poniatowski, a nephew of fabled Napoleonic marshal Prince Jozef
Poniatowski, was born out of wedlock in Rome in 1816, to an Italian
mother. His father, Stanislaw Poniatowski was to take the throne after
the childless cousin brother, the last Polish king, who was preparing
him for his successor. After the fall of the Third of May Constitution,
he left the country, sold all estates and lived in Rome where Josef was
born. Josef studied music in Florence. He was also a singer, and because
he had a nice tenor voice, his debut in Florence in 1839, proved to be
successful. He gained fame on the stages of Italian and French, from the
Austrian authorities received the title of Prince Monterondo. He was a
member of Tuscany in Brussels and London, in 1854 he settled in Paris,
where he won the confidence of Napoleon III, who gave him the title of
senator. He served the Emperor to the end, in 1871 he went with him into
exile in London, where he died two years later at the age of 57 years.He
wrote numerous operas for Italian and French theatres. Although
Poniatowski conquered Paris and Milan in the 19th century, it took more
than 150 years for his work to arrive in Poland.

Poniatowski's debut opera, "Giovanni di Procida," was a showpiece for
tenor title role. His achievements are 12 titles (nine with libretto by
the Italian and three French), which exhibited the greatest contemporary
scenes of Europe: Milan's La Scala, Paris Opera, Covent Garden in
London. No other Polish opera composer can boast such success.

So why then did Jozef Poniatowski fall into complete oblivion? Because
the style was epigone Belcanto, a follower of Rossini, Bellini and
Donizetti. In comparison with Wagner, Verdi, Puccini and Tchaikovsky his
work seemed anachronistic. Still, in 1860 the Paris Opera decided to
give his "Peter de 'Medici" the same recognition from the Directorate
unsuccessfully courted by Hector Berlioz for his "Trojans". A reviewer
for the premiere of "La Presse" wrote: "Pierre de Médicis was a
brilliant victory of the Opera."

Peter de Medici belongs to the genre known as "grand opéra" which in the
nineteenth century, enjoyed great popularity, especially in France. The
action takes place in the Renaissance of Pisa and in accordance with
Paris rules, ballets and a variety of choral scenic effects were
inserted.

[razorback]

Poniatowski's Mass in F is available on a DUX CD from Arkiv (sold out) and Deep Discount.  Acte Prealable also has released a CD of the Mass.  See Music Web International for a review of the Acte Prealable iteration.  You can also purchase it from Music Web for 13.50 pounds or get it from Amazon for $30.09.