West Side Sinfonietta, is "an agreement across the Philharmonics", or rather a musical cooperation of the M. Karłowicz Philharmonic in Szczecin and the National Forum of Music in Wrocław. The project is a unique nationwide example of joint music making of two culturally distant institutions. This project is an exchange of musical ideas, skills, common music making and the building of ordinary interpersonal bonds.
This time, the Sinfonietta’s concert will be held in a Christmas atmosphere. For centuries in church music circles there has been a dispute: what music may God be praised with? With simple and modest songs as pietists advocate, or with refined and sophisticated music – which was encouraged by the orthodox. None of the options has ever won. It is impossible not to hum "Lulajże, Jezuniu" (even Chopin included this Polish carol in Scherzo in B minor), as well as masterpieces of Baroque music and classicism – Bach’s Weihnachtsoratorium and Weihnachtskonzert from Concerto grosso Op. 6 No. 8 by Corelli. At the time of Christmas, the West Side Sinfonietta bows to these two traditions: there will be carols, pastorals and a masterpiece by Arcangelo Corelli.
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Mikołaj Rykowski PhD
Musicologist and clarinetist, doctorate, and associate at the Department Music Theory at the Paderewski Academy of Music in Poznań. Author of a book and numerous articles devoted to the phenomenon of Harmoniemusik – the 18th-century practice of brass bands. Co-author of the scripts "Speaking concerts" and author of the spoken introductions to philharmonic concerts in Szczecin, Poznań, Bydgoszcz and Łódź.
