Theatre of the Warsaw Chamber Opera
Songs of Love and Longing
Conductor | Jan Hoffmann
Polish National Youth Choir
Artistic Director | Agnieszka Franków-Żelazny
Piano | Olga Tsymbaluk, Katarzyna Neugebauer-Jastrzębska
Leading | Robert Gonet
Program
Johannes Brahms
Sieben Lieder op. 62
(Seven Songs)
Drei Gesänge op. 42
(Three Songs)
Liebeslieder-Walzer op. 52
(Love Song Waltzes)
Zigeunerlieder op. 103
(Gypsy Songs)
We invite you to explore the world of Romantic vocal music in a concert by the Polish National Youth Choir. At the heart of the programme is the music of Johannes Brahms, one of the most distinguished composers of the nineteenth century, whose style emerged at the intersection of Classical tradition and Romantic aesthetics.
Under the artistic direction of Agnieszka Franków-Żelazny, the choir brings together talented young singers from across Poland, developing their skills under the guidance of outstanding conductors and vocal pedagogues. During the choir’s August events, guest conductor Jan Hoffmann will lead performances of works by Johannes Brahms. Vocal music occupies a special place within Brahms’s oeuvre, representing a branch of his creativity markedly different from his symphonies and concertos. These works are characterised by a greater intimacy while also demonstrating his extraordinary sensitivity to text, colour, and musical form.
The programme includes Sieben Lieder, Op. 62 and Drei Gesänge, Op. 42, works that reveal both the choir’s subtle sonority and the lyrical, contemplative nature of Brahms’s artistic voice, deeply rooted in the tradition of the nineteenth-century German Romantic song. A central place will also be given to Liebeslieder-Walzer, Op. 52, a cycle of miniatures for vocal quartet and piano four hands. Here Brahms gracefully combines the dance rhythms of the Viennese waltz with poetic reflections on the many facets of love, creating a work of elegance, lightness, and Romantic charm.
The concert will be complemented by Zigeunerlieder, Op. 103, songs inspired by Hungarian and Romani musical traditions, pulsing with vibrant rhythms, expressive melodies, and striking contrasts of character. Although they are not arrangements of authentic folk tunes, they capture their spirit, temperament, and spontaneity.
Taken as a whole, the programme presents Johannes Brahms as a composer who united structural precision with profound emotional expression in his vocal works. It is a musical journey through the world of Romantic emotions, nature, and communal singing—a celebration of the beauty of the human voice.
