QJF-M&MRC QJF-Multimedia and Music Research Centre St. Queen Jadwiga’s Carols

QJF-Multimedia and Music Research Centre The QJF Multimedia and Music Research Centre (QJF M&MRC) is established to supply the facilities to produce the computer aided sound effects, to compile the different types of music and record new music that is composed as a result of research in the QJF Multimedia and Music Research Centre. The first two compact discs are now prepared. The song composed by prof. Z. Les is to be included as a troubadour’s song in the newly written opera Queen Jadwiga which is prepared within the activities of the QJF-Multimedia and Music Research Centre (QJF M&MRS). This song was written in the year 2002 at the beginning of development of the QJF activities. This song was intended to be included in the record that was prepared on the occasion of St. Queen Jadwiga’s 10-th canonization anniversary. Prof. Z. Les is not only the author of the text but also the composer of music and performer. In that time the recording studio was part of the small room where prof. Les was carrying out his scientific research and doing most of his work connected with development of the QJF activities. The quality of recording was affected by continuous interruption of the “workers” who very maliciously make it impossible to carry out any scientific or artistic work. This song was not the first composition of the prof. Les. He was a founder and composer of the music group “Älgol” which was dedicated to promote the music based on the good Polish poetry and musical effects generated from the self-built electronic devices. He is the author, among others, music to the poem by L. Staff titled “The last from my generation” (“Ostatni z mego pokolenia”), and music to the religious song “Talita Cum”, which was performed during the communist fiesta on 22 July in the presence of the local communist activists. The words “throw from you ayes the dark veil …” and the refrain “No, the death is no more prevail, awake and do not afraid” was enthusiastically received by an audience. Unfortunately, it was the first and the last performance of the group. Communists did not allow for such evidently anti-communist manifestation. In Cracow, during the study at AGH Technical University the group was reactivated performing in the students’ music clubs “Perspektywy”, “Karlik” and “A TO CO”. The music was based on the adoption of the classical music motifs from well-known masterpieces such as “Bolero” or “Picture from exhibition”. The most acclaimed musical composition of prof. Z. Les in that time was based on the work of the famous Polish composer Oginski “Farewell to the Fatherland” (“Pozegnanie Ojczyzny”) that was very well intuitively foreseen - the expelling from Poland by KOR-communist mafia round table agreement. The very hostile attitudes of some people from Poland who came to Australia in 1968 and communist agents that acted among Polonia made it impossible to perform this sort of music in Australia. In Australia prof. Z. Les started work in newly created the QJF Multimedia and Music Research Centre that was established to supply the facilities to produce the computer aided sound effects, to compile the different types of music and record new music that is composed as a result of research in the QJF M&MRC. Despite of continuous terror, the work was very slowly progressing and, luckily, the recording of some songs were successfully accomplished. The work on the opera “Queen Jadwiga” was resumed. The presented fragment of the music sketch “rozłąka i niepokój serca Jadwigi” that is presented on www, is showing the atmosphere during entering the new Country by very young Jadwiga, the new Country which She knows only from the telling of her grand-mother. The filing of uncertainty and, at the same time, the rapture caused by charm of the new Piast land. The intrusion of the full of dread sound of war drums and ominous blow of the Teutonic Order conflagration is shown by the Wagnerian motif from “Valkyrie”. The element of the beards songs is stressing the pastoral atmosphere of the Podkarpacie region. The final part of this sketch is showing the pain of the young heart that was suddenly uprooted from the family nest and deprived of the mother’s care. However, the very worm welcoming of the people from the Dukla region and the knights from Wietrzno and Odrzykon run of the clouds of the sad reflection and fill the young heart with the joyful filing. The opera prologue is presented as the Troubadour song. The song by prof. Zbigniew Les “Pieśń o św. Jadwidze Królowej” was the topic of the scientific research. Dr. Agnieszka Kodzis-Sofinska from the Wroclaw University presented the paper at the international conference. In this paper she describe the result of analysis of this song “… it is not difficult to notice that the song is referring to problems of Polonia being deprived of the possibility of living in the Fatherland. The first verse of the song gives strong evidence that indicates that the living far away from the country of birth is the very traumatic experience. Author is referring to Jadwiga Andegawenska (Anjou) who came to the Cracow from far away and by this he is finding the relation with the situation of the young Queen from the far away Country and the situation of people forced to live in far away from Poland. In this context it is not a surprise that the portrait of Queen Jadwiga is quite different from portraits of the Queen that could be found in the other authors’ songs. And although she is steel in this song the beautiful woman with the characteristic gentle smile, the most significant are her deep fight, prayers and closeness to the Christ cross and her peaceful politics. ….” Kodzis-Sofińska, Agnieszka: Królowa i Święta. Postać Jadwigi Andegaweńskiej w pieśniach i hymnach. W: Szyndler, Anna (red.): W poszukiwaniu prawdy. Chrześcijańska Europa między wiarą a polityką, Tom II  Częstochowa 2010, s. 367-375. Copyright the Queen Jadwiga Foundation

OPERA ”QUEEN JADWIGA” Music Recording Pieśni o świętej Jadwidze Królowej PesnNew.wav (słowa, muz. i wyk., Z.Les) PIEŚŃ_1    (muz. i wyk., Z.Les) PIEŚŃ_2    (słowa: St. Wyspianski, muz. i wyk., Z. Les) PIEŚŃ_3    (słowa: M. Skwarnicki, muz. i wyk., Z. Les) Pieśni Królowej Anielskiej śpiewajmy (wyk. Z.Les) Co jest najważniejsze (wyk. Z.Les Cichy zapada zmrok (wyk. Z.Les) Opera "Królowa Jadwiga" - pierwsze próby Próbka z opery "Queen Jadwiga" (słowa, muz. i wyk. Z.Les) Fragment_opery_4 (muz. i wyk. bestie w robotniczych uniformach) Poezja śpiewana Smutno mi Boże (słowa: J. Słowacki, muz. i wyk. Z.Les) Mury (słowa: Jacek Kaczmarski, (wyk. Z.Les)) Rzeka (wyk. Z.Les) Modlitwa (muz. B.Okudżawa, wyk. Z.Les) Słońce (słowa K. Baczynski, wyk. Z.Les) Wysocki (słowa i muz. W. Wysocki, wyk. Z.Les) Chopin dla Królowej Chopin1 (wyk. Z.Les) Chopin2 (wyk. Z.Les) Mazurek1 (wyk. Z.Les) Mazurek2 (wyk. Z.Les)