Mikołaj Zieleński (2nd half 16 C-post 1611)
Offertoria et Communiones totius anni – II
Wrocław Baroque Ensemble/Andrzej Kosendiak
rec. 2023, Main Hall, National Forum of Music, Wrocław, Poland
Texts and translations included
Reviewed as a download
CD Accord ACD348 [41]

The exploration of Polish music of the Renaissance and Baroque periods is now in full flow. In recent years, I have reviewed several discs with music by Polish composers or composers from elsewhere who have worked there for some time. The present disc is the second devoted to Mikołaj Zieleński. This is not the first time his music has been recorded. Apart from separate discs with music by him and anthologies in which some of his works are included, the Polish label Dux released a recording of his complete oeuvre between 2009 and 2011, under the direction of Stanislaw Galonski. The performances were not really convincing, and there was certainly room for a more satisfying and up-to-date interpretation – which is what we get here.

Zieleński is considered the main composer in Polish history on the brink of Renaissance and Baroque. Unfortunately, not much is known about him. He was organist and director of music to archbishop Wojciech Baranowski of Gniezno, to whom Zielenski dedicated the only collection of his music which has come down to us. The archbishop may also have financed the publication, which was unusual, as most music by Polish composers of that time was disseminated in handwritten copies. The Offertoria totius anni and the Communiones totius anni were published, bound together, in Venice in 1611, which has given rise to speculation that the composer may have been there, but there is no documentary evidence of that.

However, the pieces show a thorough knowledge of the Venetian style, and reflect the stylistic changes that took place around 1600. The Offertories are written in the stile antico and the technique of cori spezzati. As was customary in Venice, the two choirs are scored differently: in most pieces a high choir is juxtaposed to a low choir. The Communions are scored for solo voices and written in a more declamatory manner. They show the influence of the stile nuovo, but can’t be ranked among the monodies which became increasingly fashionable in the first decades of the 17th century. These pieces are still dominated by counterpoint. An example is Exiit sermo inter fratres, which is scored for four voices, of which only one has to be sung, whereas the others are to be performed instrumentally.

As the titles of the two collections indicate, the pieces are connected to feasts of the ecclesiastical year. The present disc focuses on pieces that are written for the feast-days of patron saints venerated in Poland or in some of its towns and regions. Not all the texts are explicitly connected to the respective saints: some are taken from Psalms, but have become part of the liturgy for a feast-day. In virtute tua, Domine is intended for the commemoration of the beheading of St John the Baptist, patron saint of Wrocław cathedral. The text is taken from Psalm 21: “The king shall joy in thy strength, O Lord; and in thy salvation how greatly shall he rejoice! Thou hast not withholden the request of his lips.”

That is different in the case of Ortus de Polonia Stanislaus. “Its text comes from one of the antiphons of the first Vespers of a medieval rhymed office attributed to Wincenty of Kielcza, and it tells the story of St Stanislaus. The cult of this patron saint of Poland was very lively in the pre-Reformation period, including in Silesia” (booklet). Its text says: “Hailing from Poland, Stanisław was a diligent student from childhood. Finally, as a servant of Christ, distinguished with a mitre, he became a symbol of virtues pleasing to the Lord. Alleluia.”

Per merita sancti Adalberti is for St Adalbert, who was not only a patron saint of Poland, but also of Bohemia and former Prussia. The text reveals the role of saints in the Catholic liturgy at the time: “Through the merits of Saint Adalbert, Christ, hear us. Alleluia. And through his prayers, help us unfortunates. Alleluia.”

Although all these pieces are specifically connected to a particular saint, the index at the end of the print sometimes indicates that they could be performed on other occasions as well. The last item in the programme brings the saints together, as Iustorum animae is an offertory for All Saints’ Day. The text is taken from the Old Testament book of Wisdom (ch 3): “But the souls of the righteous are in the hand of God, and there shall no torment touch them. In the sight of the unwise they seemed to die: but they are in peace.” It is an unusual piece in that here the two choirs are of equal scoring.

As I wrote in the first paragraph, these performances are more up-to-date than those of the previous complete recording of Zieleński’s oeuvre. That manifests itself especially in the Communions, where the singers show a thorough understanding of the style of the time, and a full command of the declamatory manner of singing that is required here. In that respect they surpass their colleagues at the previous recording. The Offertories are performed with one singer per part. I have no idea whether this is in line with the performance practice in Zieleński’s time. It is not discussed in Andrzej Kosendiak’s notes on the performance. In Galonski’s recording these pieces are sung by a choir. That maybe a legitimate option, and those pieces are the most satisfactory parts of that recording. Even so, from a musical point of view I prefer these performances by the Wrocław Baroque Ensemble, which are colourful and dynamically differentiated. The virtues of a one-voice-per-part recording are transparency of the sound and the intelligibility of the text.

In most pieces, the voices are complemented by instruments, both strings and winds. That is certainly in line with the practice of the time, as is the addition of ornamentation and diminutions. That is all admirably done. The instruments can be heard on their own in three fantasias which have come down to us incomplete. The upper voices are missing and have been reconstructed for this recording by Marcin Szelest.

This disc is one to treasure, given the quality of the music and the performances. It is regrettable that its playing time is so short, but that may well be the consequence of the decision by Kosendiak to confine the selection of pieces to those which are connected to the patron saints venerated in Poland. It should not withhold anyone from investigating this recording, which opens a window to a little-known part of the European musical landscape of the early 17th century.

Johan van Veen
www.musica-dei-donum.org
twitter.com/johanvanveen
https://bsky.app/profile/musicadeidonum.bsky.social

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Contents
Iustus ut palma florebit
Ego sum pastor bonus
Fantasia à 3
Mirabilis Deus
Feci iudicium
In virtute tua, Domine
Qui mihi ministrat
Ortus de Polonia Stanislaus
Fantasia à 3
Per merita sancti Adalberti
Exiit sermo inter fratres
Filiae regum
Fantasia à 2
Tu puer, propheta
Iustorum animae