Cantica Sacra concert

Association des Artistes Musiciens Polonais en France
Présidente : Teresa Janina Czekaj

Cantica Sacra ensemble

On 24th April 2013 Cantica Sacra, a young ensemble from Krakow playing old music, gave a concert in the Concert room of the Polish Library in Paris (6, quai d’Orléans, 75004 Paris) in the following lineup: Paulina Tkaczyk – harpsichord, Justyna Krusz – viola da gamba, Karolina Jesionek – traverso flute. The group presented a unique and authorial program entitled Concerto Polonois. La musique au temps du roi Jean III Sobieski.

The concert was organized in commemoration of the 330th anniversary of King John III Sobieski's victory in Vienna. Thus the program included pieces performed at the royal court of King Louis XIV in Versailles and the music of the chambers of Wilanow – the Polish king's royal residence. The program was prepared on request and the initiative of AAMPF (Association des Artistes Musiciens Polonais en France) and comprised pieces by Georg Philipp Telemann, Jacques Martin Hotteterre, Jean-Marie Leclaire, Marin Marais as well as transcriptions of Polish folk ballads commemorating the historic event, which were specially prepared for this occasion.

The concert, excellently hosted in French by Justyna Krusz, met with exceptional interest from the audience, both because of its program and the performance. It is safe to say that the concert was outstanding, as was confirmed by the audience, who kept asking for another encore. Both the choice of the pieces and their interpretation of supreme artistic merit are evidence to the greatness of this young music group, whose careful preparation of the program, great musicianship and the ability to combine knowledge with a sense of aesthetics are indeed very impressive. Add searching for unknown or forgotten musical motifs, intertwining Polish motifs into European baroque music and the thorough knowledge of the historical contexts on which Cantica Sacra's programs are based and you get an ensemble which can well appear on the most important stages – not only European.

The youthful enthusiasm complemented with thorough knowledge and talent make Cantica Sacra one of the leading and very promising Polish baroque ensembles.