Album insights
Not everyone immediately agrees with the assumption that "music and math go hand in hand." For talented musicians haunted by traumatic memories of quadratic equations, it might be more apt to say that "music and arithmetic are intertwined." Music is undeniably governed by numbers at a fundamental level—from counting beats in a measure to numbering the eight notes of a scale.
Throughout centuries, composers have been captivated by numerical relationships and broader structural possibilities. Analysis of Bach's affinity for the number 3 and its symbolism has fascinated music scholars. For instance, Dufay's isorhythmic motet Nuper rosarum flores, composed in 1436 for the consecration of the Florence Cathedral, is based on the proportions of the cathedral's floor plan. In modern times, serialism and other forms have connected pitch, rhythm, and specific numerical patterns.
Interestingly, the numbers 7 and 14, deeply entrenched in the Passion story, have not been as inspiring to composers as one might expect. Could various intricate structures, especially larger ones, be derived from these numbers? Haydn crafted a lengthier, seven-movement meditation, both as a string quartet and a cantata, centered on the Seven Last Words (indeed, seven brief phrases) spoken by Christ on the cross. Following suit in 1993, James MacMillan created a noteworthy piece for choir and string orchestra, echoing this theme.
Noteworthy works referencing the 14 Stations of the Cross are scarce. Liszt's Via Crucis, similar to Haydn's work, exists in various forms, with the most renowned being a composition for choir and organ. Additionally, Marcel Dupré's Le chemin de la croix, op. 29, is a liturgical sequence for organ. William Mathias based his organ concerto on the 14 stations, and in 2004, 14 composers contributed individual pieces for a work by the Australian vocal ensemble The Song Company.
Are the apparent Roman Catholic ties hindering composers from fully tapping into the structural potential of the 14 Stations of the Cross? Mel Gibson's controversial film "The Passion of the Christ" closely follows the 14 stations in its narrative. Protestant, Lutheran, and non-believing composers have typically favored broader Passion texts and the Stabat Mater text—possibly to avoid Catholic veneration.
Pawel Lukaszewski's ties to Polish Catholicism are undeniable, rooted in his upbringing near the revered relic of the Black Madonna in Czestochowa, dubbed the spiritual capital of Poland. Lukaszewski acknowledges the profound influence of growing up amidst this relic and constant pilgrimages. Although his formal training in cello and composition at the Fryderyk Chopin Music University in Warsaw, most of his oeuvre to date comprises sacred choral works. He serves as the music director of the Musica Sacra Choir at the Warsaw Cathedral.
The Jasna Góra Monastery and the Black Madonna painting have deep historical roots, tied to newer events relevant to Lukaszewski's upbringing in the 1970s and 80s. During the German occupation in World War II, believers made pilgrimages to Jasna Góra as a sign of resistance. The monastery is home to the ashes of Jerzy Popieluszko, a priest supporting the Warsaw steelworkers and Solidarity who was murdered by the Polish secret police in 1984. Lech Walesa offered his Nobel Peace Prize medal as an offering to the monastery, and in 1979, Pope John Paul II celebrated Mass for a million people on the monastery's steps when inaugurated as Pope.
These elements hold significance in the work on the present CD, where the triumphant, ecstatic mood at the end (Christus vincit) should be understood not just literally but also in a broader, religious context. The journey symbolized by the Via Crucis—the conflict, suffering, humiliation, defiance, and resurrection—can be seen as a reflection of the victory of Polish Catholicism over Communism. This interpretation resonates in Jerzy Duda-Gracz's paintings for the Stations of the Cross at Jasna Góra, which draw parallels with Lukaszewski's work. An impactful portrayal like Jasnorgórska Golgotha, featured on the accompanying booklet cover, politicizes and modernizes crucifixion iconography. The Polish Pope Karol Wojtyla is depicted in this poignant scene alongside other clergy, likely from the past and present of Jasna Góra, a concentration camp prisoner, and the Black Madonna.