Garden of Delights

In 17th-century Poland, music could be heard everywhere – in cathedrals and monastic churches, royal courts and noble residences, theaters and religious processions. It was colorful, polyphonic, and often tailored to specific performers and venues. But it was not eternal. Over the centuries, much of this music was forgotten. Today, thanks to the work of musicologists and historical performance artists, it is making a return to the stage.

Giardino di Delizie, a group specializing in historical performance, revives works by Polish composers and those associated with Poland from the 17th century, playing on period instruments and using historical techniques. The instruments themselves sound different: baroque violins with gut strings and arched bows produce a soft, slightly grainy tone that is rich in natural expressiveness. The theorbo – a Renaissance lute with an extended neck – provides a pulsating accompaniment and rhythmic foundation. The baroque cello, tuned differently from the modern one, plays with a lighter, more lyrical tone. And the harpsichord, with its distinctive dry, fluttering sound, ties everything together and adds harmonic energy.

The program features pieces by Adam Jarzębski, a royal violinist and author of Canzoni e concerti, the first Polish collection of instrumental sonatas. It also includes works by Marcin Mielczewski, considered one of the most outstanding baroque composers of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, and Mikołaj Zieleński, the first Polish composer to publish his music abroad (Venice, 1611). Though of German origin, Kaspar Förster spent many years working in Gdańsk and Warsaw – his La Pazza and La Sidon are full of contrasts and vigor. Stanisław Sylwester Szarzyński, a canon in Jarosław, left behind only a few compositions. Still, each of his sonatas is a refined and emotional miniature.

It is music that sounds different from what we hear today – less symphonic, more rhetorical. Thanks to Giardino di Delizie, its voice can be heard once again.

Canzona Prima by Mielczewski performed by Giardino di Delizie: