"Psalmy Dawida" Edwarda Bogusławskiego

Abstract

The poetry of Psalms has repeatedly inspired composers to its musical coverage. To this religious trend of modern musical works created by Silesians also referred Psalmy Dawida by Edward Bogusławski. Composed between 1997 and 1998, they constitute a series of ten works devoted to the mixed choir a capella. They involve both hymns of praise and thanksgiving as well as penitential and mourning ones. The verbal aspects were treated in a traditional way, i.e. the composer takes care of the semantic transmission of the given text fragments. In terms o f music, the compositions constitute a reference to traditional melodic, harmonious and factural phrases. Among other things, a reference to antiphonal or responsorial singing as one of the oldest psalm singing in the Christian Church appears. A relatively strong emotional charge of Psalms stems from factural permeation, proper dynamics, and finally, recitative and syllabic treatment of the text (repetitions cumulating the expression of transmission). Edward Boguslawski’s compositions, using modes of the modern composing technique, as well as intentionally selected archaizing elements, constitute an example of the music developed in a logical and consistent way, and truly experienced.