The event is part of the 75th anniversary celebrations of the National Centre for Culture.
Gdańsk is a Polish city with a remarkable history and rich heritage, which for centuries has attracted and educated outstanding artists. The so-called “golden age” of its musical culture spans many decades – from the establishment of the municipal ensemble around 1560 to the mid-18th century. Kapellmeisters, carefully selected by the City Council, played a significant role in shaping Gdańsk’s artistic identity. They were responsible both for enhancing secular ceremonies and for providing music at the Church of St. Mary. At the end of the 17th century, this prestigious position was held for over a decade by Johann Valentin Meder, whose Chaconne in C minor opens the concert program. These charming variations showcase the craftsmanship and inventiveness of the German-born composer.
Johann Gottlieb Goldberg, on the other hand, was a native of Gdańsk. It is possible that it was specially for him that Johann Sebastian Bach wrote his famous set of variations – known as the Goldberg Variations, named after their first performer. The virtuoso keyboard player, who lived for less than thirty years, left behind numerous compositions. Although he was familiar with the galant style dominant among his contemporaries, his sonatas reveal a clear grounding in a more traditional sound, closely aligned with the aesthetic of J.S. Bach.
During the concert, we will also hear two moving soprano cantatas. Nimm das Opfer unsrer Hertzen was composed by Gottfried Österreich – a creator who left behind not only numerous compositions, but above all an impressive collection of scores by other composers. It is thanks to his extraordinary passion for collecting that we can still enjoy many outstanding works from the late 17th and early 18th centuries today. The concert will conclude with the cantata Herr, nun lässest du deinen Diener by Johann Jeremias du Grain, who settled in Gdańsk in 1739 and gave his first public concert there a year later, featuring choir and orchestra. In doing so, he initiated in the port city a tradition so close to our hearts today – gathering simply to listen to music.
Marta Dziewanowska-Pachowska
PROGRAM
Johann Valentin Meder (1649–1719) – Chaconne in C minor
Johann Gottlieb Goldberg (1727–1756) – Sonata in G minor
Gottfried Österreich (1664–1735) – Nimm das Opfer unsrer Hertzen
Johann Gottlieb Goldberg (1727–1756) – Sonata in C minor
Johann Joachim du Grain (approx. 1700–1756) – Herr, nun lässest du deinen Diener
PERFORMERS
JOANNA SOJKA SOPRANO
THE PERIOD INSTRUMENTS ENSEMBLE OF THE POLISH ROYAL OPERA CAPELLA REGIA POLONA
KRZYSZTOF GARSTKA CONDUCTOR
Duration: approx. 1h (no intermission)
