On Palm Sunday, April 14, 2019, which starts the Holy Week – the time of contemplation of the Passion of the Lord, the monumental Feliks Nowowiejski's oratorio The Finding of the Holy Cross, Op. 35 – third scene: Finding, Worship and Triumph of the Holy Cross will be performed in the St. Jacob's Cathedral basilica in Olsztyn.
The Warmian-Masurian Philharmonics accompanied by soloists: Ewa Biegas (soprano), Sebastian Szumski (baritone), Jarosław Ciecierski (organ) and the Karol Szymanowski Philharmonic Choir in Cracow will be conducted by Piotr Sułkowski.
Oratorio The Finding the the Holy Cross, Op. 35 was created in the years 1905-1906 and was the most important work of the Berlin period in Feliks Nowowiejski's biography. The author of the libretto was Dr. Paul Fleischer, a Berlin friend and collaborator of Nowowiejski, hiding under the pseudonym of Arno Herolaska. Nowowiejski's music is kept in the late-Romantic style. One can clearly hear references to Wagner or Mahler's works (a choir accompanied by bells reminiscent of the Symphony No. 3), as well as the influence of Nowowiejski's teacher, Max Bruch.
The oratory consists of three parts/scenes, preceded by an introduction, often played as a separate symphonic poem entitled Jerusalem. Part three, Finding, Worship and Triumph of the Holy Cross, shows the effort of digging the rocks of Golgotha in search of the True Cross of Jesus Christ.
The concert is held under the patronage of the PWM Edition as part of the TUTTI.pl project promoting performances of Polish music.
More information at: https://filharmonia.olsztyn.pl/koncert/feliks-nowowiejski-znalezienie-swietego-krzyza-op-35/