To celebrate 400 years of William Shakespeare’s legacy.

SOYKA & Cracow Singers. Shakespeare a cappella.

classical music, jazz and poetry.crossover project

A brief history of a new artistic endeavour by Stanislaw Soyka and the Cracow Singers vocal

ensemble takes its origin from sentiment and admiration. They decided to return to the 12-sonnets

monographic album by Stanislaw Soyka, but this time in a different arrangement, specially created

for a cappella performance. A new interpretation of the Shakespeare sonnets combines solo singing

in a form of jazz improvisation by Stanislaw Soyka, with classic vocal art, in a rich 16-voice harmony,

performed by the Cracow Singers. With mutual inspiration, the performers created a unique

recording of this music, now presented on a double album. Stanislaw Soyka's own compositions to

the words of William Shakespeare were recorded in two language versions: original – Early Modern

English – and Polish translations by Stanisław Barańczak and Maciej Słomczyński. Choral

arrangements are by Karol Kusz – the artistic leader of the Cracow Singers.

SHAKESPEARE A CAPPELLA

When we think about Shakespeare, we rarely associate his works with music, even though it

was often a theme present in the works of the Master from Stratford-upon-Avon. The characters in his

tragedies and comedies not only can hear music but also eagerly converse about it. The protagonist

of the drama King Richard II says:

Ha, ha! keep time: how sour sweet music is, When time is broke and no proportion kept! So is it in the music of men's lives. (King Richard II)

In Romeo and Juliet we can come across the musicians' talking about music. Shakespeare's

comedies are abundant in both drinking songs and lyrical songs, often of folk provenance. Music

played an important role in Shakespeare's works. When listening to his verses one may be tempted to

conclude that his poetry is indeed very musical. Each scene and monologue has its own unique,

inner rhythm, phrases are often very melodious and Shakespeare's language has its characteristic

tempo, pulse, timbre and intonation. This is why one simply cannot mistake him for any other author.

This musicality is clearly a reason why composers of classical and popular music have always

been so eager to use the works of the great English poet and playwright. Shakespearean inspirations

in music are countless - from Henry Purcell, Franz Schubert, Felix Mendelssohn, Hector Berlioz – up to

Elvis Costello. We must not forget operas which are adaptations of works of the Great Bard of Avon.

The most popular ones include those by Giuseppe Verdi: Macbeth, Otello or Falstaff. The story of

Romeo and Juliet was translated into opera by Vincenzo Bellini I Capuleti e i Montecchi and Charles

Gounod Roméo et Juliette - both with great success. The most famous musical of the twentieth

century, West Side Story, with the music of Leonard Bernstein is based on the motifs from the story of

the two unhappy lovers. Within instrumental music, Sergei Prokofiev and Pyotr Tchaikovsky created

musical portraits of the couple. The theme has also inspired artists of popular music. In 1993, a British

rock artist Elvis Costello with The Brodsky Quartet released the album The Juliet Letters.

MUSICAL SONNETS

In the twentieth century also Polish composers took an interest in Shakespeare's works,

particularly in his Sonnets. Juliusz Kydryński, the author of the afterword to Maciej Słomczyński's

translation of Sonnets, has made a very apt comment: Shakespeare's Sonnets are still a vivid,

inexhaustible and haunting source of artistic impressions and inspirations.

And so, in 1956 Tadeusz Baird (1928-1981) composed Four love sonnets for baritone and

orchestra. A lately discovered master of Polish modernism and great pianist André Tchaikowsky

(1935-1982) is the author of Seven sonnets of Shakespeare for voice with piano. On the deathbed,

Tchaikowsky created his opera The Merchant of Venice, which had its world premiere only in 2013

during the Bregenzer Festspiele festival in Austria. More recently, Paweł Mykietyn worked on a cycle

of Shakespeare's love poems. His compositions for male soprano voice and piano had their world

premiere performance in the year 2000 during the Warsaw Autumn festival of contemporary music.

Also Stanisław Soyka is among the composers who sought inspiration in Shakespeare's works.

How did it happen? It all started rather innocently with Henryk Baranowski, a theatre director, who

wanted to stage George Tabori's play Peep show and thought about including three Shakespeare's

sonnets as songs. I was supposed to compose the music to these sonnets. Eventually, the drama

wasn't staged at all but those sonnets kept on haunting me and soon I began to work on them.

This 'tiny monograph' of 12 sonnets was created in 1994 and released under the Pomaton EMI label

reaching the „gold record” sales level and was a big step forward for me as a composer - explained

Soyka a few years back. It is easy to guess that Sonnets. Shakespeare won him plenty of new, loyal

fans.

MUSICAL RETURN VISIT

The strength and impact of this music is best evidenced by the fact that it has returned, albeit in

modified form, twenty years after its creation. This we owe to a new project in which Soyka has

collaborated with a promising young ensemble, the Cracow Singers. This sui generis return visit was

instigated by the director of the Cracow Singers, Karol Kusz, who decided to re-work the original

version of Sonnets by creating arrangements for a 16-voice vocal ensemble and soloist. None of this

would have happened but for an encounter in 2013 between Stanisław Soyka and Karol Kusz at a

concert held in the village of Staniątki, near Krakow. Here Kusz told Soyka of his idea to transform

Sonnets into an a cappella version, and the fresh new vision which he unfolded to Soyka of the music

he wished to re-set Sonnets to intrigued the jazz artist so much that he felt he had to record an album

with the Cracow Singers. What then happened one year later in the Alvernia Studios is hard to put into

words. The resulting album, Shakespeare a cappella, is truly an encounter of two different universes

of artistic sensitivity: that of an experienced, expert vocalist with a young, exuberant and passionate

ensemble.

The new interpretation of Sonnets, based on translations by Stanisław Barańczak and Maciej

Słomczyński, as well as on the original Shakespearean Early Modern English version, combines jazz

improvisations and Soyka's own unique vocals, together with classical vocal art, and the effect this

produces is pure magic. Kusz's arrangements highlight to a remarkable degree the qualities of a

cappella singing, and the sound produced by the Cracow Singers is reminiscent of the tradition of the

very best vocal groups – not only classical, like the Gabrieli Consort, but also jazz ensembles, like the

Novi Singers. While listening to Sonnet 115, one may even feel as if one is communing with the

Absolute. Everyone has the right to his/her own reflections, and to discover within these

interpretations one's own true feelings. And ultimately, of course, the true beauty embodied in works

of art requires neither definition nor label, nor only one correct reading. After all, as Hamlet put it,

these are just words, words, words.

It is furthermore worth noting that although this year marks the 451st anniversary of

Shakespeare's birth, his writings are still very much alive and continue to carry their own deep

meaning. And, just as in his Sonnets, the music of Soyka and the Cracow Singers conveys something

both universal and timeless. Thus, in anticipation of future artistic projects and spiritual exaltation, let

us delight in Shakespeare and discover his works anew – through music.

Mateusz Borkowski

Cracow, may 2015

ABOUT PERFORMERS

STANISŁAW SOYKA www.soyka.pl

Polish jazz singer, pianist and composer born in 1959. He

started singing at the age of seven, being a member of

a church choir along with his father. He studied at the

Composition and Arrangement Department of the

renowned Academy of Music in Katowice. His debut

in 1979 was a blues and gospel concert in Warsaw

Philharmonic. He performed songs by Ray Charles, Carole

King and the Beatles. Recordings from this event were

included in his first album Don't You Cry.

In 1981 Blublula was recorded, a collection of such standards as Ellington's I'm Just A Lucky So And

So and John Coltrane's Naima. On it, Soyka was accompanied by the Wojciech Karolak Trio. The

album became Jazz Album of 1981 and sold in „gold” quantities. This was when Willis Conover,

a legendary jazz critic and broadcaster, upon hearing Soyka at the Jazz Jamboree festival,

commented: This guy is the best-kept secret of Polish music.

In 1988 Soyka commenced his long and productive collaboration with Janusz Yanina Iwański, the

guitarist of the jazz-rock band called Tie Break. The duo recorded several albums. Acoustic is said to

have preceded the unplugged era in music by a few years. It was followed by Neopositive (1992),

which included Tolerancja, a song that became a big hit.

In the over 35 years of his musical career, Stanisław Soyka recorded many albums that are

milestones in the history of Polish music. He keeps changing, always staying fresh but being instantly

recognizable just after a few bars.

CRACOW SINGERS www.cracowsingers.pl

Vocal ensemble formed in 2013 consists of

experienced professional singers whose mission is to

create the conceptual and musical experience at its

best. The members of the ensemble have been actively

taking part in music festivals in Poland and abroad and

have recorded CD album in the Polish Radio. Their

experience enables the singers to produce high-quality performances of different genres of vocal

and vocal-instrumental music. The Cracow Singers vocal ensemble stands out with it consistency in

the sphere of aesthetics of sound and the quality of interpretation.

Vocal ensemble performs interdisciplinary, crossover projects in collaboration with various

cultural institutions. International project „Kantor – anwesend – abwesend” was created in

collaboration with the Centre for Documentation of the Art of Tadeusz Kantor – Cricoteka and

Nurnberg House in Krakow.

Cracow Singers was invited by the Internationale Musikverlage Hans Sikorski from Hamburg to

participate in the international musical project presenting the latest composition of Lera Auerbach.

The high level of artistic performance and exceptional sound quality of vocal ensemble was

appreciated by the Polish jazz musician, composer and singer, Stanisław Soyka. Original Stanislaw

Soyka's compositions to the words of William Shakespeare were then arranged by Karol Kusz for the

a cappella performance and recorded on the two-disc album entitled Soyka & Cracow Singers.

Shakespeare a cappella.

Cracow Singers is also presenting a programme with a cappella versions of Krzysztof Penderecki's

works directed by Maciej Tworek. This year ensemble started cooperation with the Orchestra of the

Royal City of Krakow – Sinfonietta Cracovia in the project with Arvo Pärta's music. Swiss Ensemble

Peregrina has also invited Cracow Singers to participate in the project of ancient music.

The group is involved in various cultural events in Kraków such as Cracovia Sacra, or Muzyczne

czwartki (Music Thursdays) in Dworek Białopradnicki community centre. Celebrating the Year of

Witold Lutosławski, the Cracow Singers in cooperation with the Beethoven Academy Orchestra,

performed a cycle of concerts entitled Ptasie Plotki, czyli rzecz o muzyce (Birds' gossip or things

musical), with the music of the composer (half-staged version).

Cracow Singers had the honor to sing at the opening ceremony of the Museum of Poles Saving

Jews name of Ulma's Family on the 17 March 2016 in Markowa.

The Cracow Singers works under the artistic direction of Karol Kusz.

ROSŁAW SZAYBO www.culture.pl/en/artist/roslaw-szaybo

cover designer

A famous Polish graphic designer, poster artist and designer of

album covers. He graduated from the Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw

with a degree in graphic design in 1961, his mentors being Professor

Henryk Tomaszewski (poster) and Professor Wojciech Fangor

(painting). Between 1958 and 1963 he was working with Stanisław

Zagórski forming a successful team in numerous poster projects and

poster competitions, receiving several awards. He started designing

jazz and film posters and album covers even as a student. In 1966

Szaybo moved to England, where he worked as the Art Director for Young and Rubicam Advertising

for 5 years (1968-1973) and as the Creative Director for C.B.S. Records Great Britain (Columbia

Broadcasting System) for 14 years (1974-1988). He also worked on many freelance projects for,

among others, London Zoo, British Film Institute, Imperial War Museum, Panther Books, Sadler's Wells

Theatre, Almeida Theatre, Lyric Theatre (Hammersmith), London Transport. From the early 80s he has

been designing posters for many Polish theatres, opera houses and for the Polish jazz scene. In 1993

Szaybo was appointed Professor of Creative Photography at the Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw.

His works have started the famous Polish Jazz album series, with the album cover of the

legendary Astigmatic of Krzysztof Komeda. He has designed the album covers for world-known

bands such as Judas Priest British Steel, Stained Class, Chicago If You Leave Me Now, The Clash The

Clash and Fleetwood Mac Black Magic Woman, as well as for Leonard Cohen Live Songs, Sir Elton

John, Santana Moonflower, Bob Marley and Janis Joplin The Anthology.

He has won many awards for his posters and record cover designs both in Poland and

internationally. His work is exhibited throughout Europe both in solo shows and within international

Polish Poster Art exhibitions.

translation: Maria Nosal

consultation: Paweł Serda

CONCERT OFFER

The offer includes a programme consisting of sonnets performed by Stanislaw Soyka and

Cracow Singers as well as brief solo recital of Stanislaw Soyka. Sonnets can be performed both in the

original language – Early Modern English – and in Polish translations by Stanislaw Barańczak and

Maciej Słomczyński. Whenever possible, two sonnets arranged for a cappella choir may be

presented in the language of the country in which the concert will be held.

Duration of the concert: ca. 70'.

Concert promoting the album

Soyka & Cracow Singers.

Shakespeare a cappella.

The concert can be combined with an exhibition of posters and album covers by Prof. Rosław

Szaybo. The exhibition includes 50 album covers and 30 posters defined by the Professor as

"musical".

ADDITIONAL COMPONENTS

The concert can be enhanced by visual component, implemented by the project partner, the

company Concept Music Art.

July 9, 2015 in the Expo Krakow Exhibition Hall was recorded video for the sonnet XXXIII. The video

clip was produced by a company Concept Music Art in cooperation with companies Cinerental,

Cinelight and Expo Krakow. The following photos show frames from the the shooting.

SOYKA & CRACOW SINGERS. Shakespeare a cappellaSONNET XXXIIIWe encourage you to watch the video clip by clicking the „play” button on the right side.

PREMIERE CONCERTSIn June 2016, Stanisław Soyka and Cracow Singers presented Shakespeare a cappella program

during two premiere concerts. Both concerts at the Krakow Philharmonic and in the Municipal House

of Culture in Mikołów were gathered wide audience (tickets were sold out).

Cracow Singers had the pleasure to inaugurate the jubilee 20. Gdansk Shakespeare Festiwal. The

concert with programe Shakespeare a cappella took place on July 29th on the main stage of the

Gdansk Shakespeare Theatre.

KRAKOW - 8th June 2016

MIKOLOW - 9 June 2016

ul. Bojki 14/49, 30-611 Kraków, POLAND

tel: +48 661 122 551, +48 665 092 378e-mail: kontakt@cracowsingers.pl

www.cracowsingers.pl

GDANSK - 29th July 2016

fot. Dawid Linkowski