Poznań

Franciscan Church

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Artists

Christina Boner - soprano
Laura Kull - alto
Arte dei Suonatori Ensemble

Alina Mądry - concert introduction

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About the Program

Every archaeologist dreams of discovering traces of a lost civilization, while every musicologist dreams of stumbling upon a forgotten masterpiece in a dusty library archive. This program takes you on a journey along the trail of such extraordinary finds—lost scores, misattributions, and sensational discoveries that rewrite the history of 18th-century music.

The evening will open with a piece by Johann Gottlieb Goldberg, a harpsichordist, composer, and outstanding pupil of Johann Sebastian Bach (it is his name that was immortalized in the famous Goldberg Variations). His remarkable talent is proven by the intriguing story of his Sonata for 2 Violins in C major, which was long attributed to the master of Leipzig himself. Its true authorship was only proven in the late 20th century.

The world of Polish music at the end of the 18th century will be brought closer through the figure of Józef Zeidler. His work remained almost completely unknown until the 21st century. Today, thanks to the gradual rediscovery of his compositions and biography, Zeidler is gaining his rightful place in the pantheon of 18th-century Polish composers, delighting audiences with the craftsmanship and emotional depth of his sacred works—including the Benedictus from the Mass in D major and the Offertory “Omni die”, both featured tonight.

The climax of the concert is undoubtedly the most exciting story in the selection: that of Carolus Goebel. Goebel’s surviving compositions represent a tiny fraction of the vast musical resources created for the monastery in Otyń. Records from the second half of the 18th century mention an astonishing 500 performances of the Marian antiphon Salve Reginaper year! Unfortunately, the Otyń collection was for years considered completely lost or irrevocably destroyed. The breakthrough came only in the 1970s during the restoration of several surviving instruments from Otyń housed at the Museum of Musical Instruments in Poznań. When the historic kettledrums were opened, astonished restorers discovered a stack of sheet music hidden inside—a surviving witness to past glory. We will tell you more about the fate of these recovered musical manuscripts during the concert.

The evening will conclude with excerpts from the cantata Beatus Omnes, whose authorship was also shrouded in mystery. This work was only recently correctly attributed to Johann Gottlieb Janitsch—it was previously believed to have been penned by Heinrich Roman.

We invite you to a concert full of musical surprises, where the past speaks anew through the voice of Enlightenment-era masterpieces.

The Early Music Festival – Persona Grata concert was co-financed by the Minister of Culture and National Heritage from the Culture Promotion Fund as part of the "Music" program implemented by the National Institute of Music and Dance, as well as by Wielkopolska Region and the Poznań City Hall.

Tickets

Presale: 50 / 40 PLN
On the day of the concert: 60 / 50 PLN

Tickets are available online via the ekobilet portal, at the Cultural Information Centre (CIK), the Pasja bookstore, and at the venue prior to the concert.