Andrzej Panufnik (1914-1991)

Series

Episode

Title

First
Broadcast

Comments

2014

Survival

20140922

Warsaw-born composer Andrzej Panufnik was just starting to make a name for himself as a composer when war broke out. During the Nazi occupation of the city, Panufnik wrote very little music other than resistance songs and a heartfelt overture full of the sounds of war. Afterwards, he slowly began to find work and his reputation as a composer and conductor grew. The Soviet-controlled government of the post-war years recognised his worth as a propaganda tool and he was frequently sent abroad as Poland's leading conductor and musical ambassador. Donald Macleod celebrates the life and music of Panufnik on the centenary of his birth and introduces music from the early years of his career including his wartime overture, a symphony at first celebrated and a year later condemned by the post-war communist government as bourgeois, and a lullaby which, like the symphony, was inspired by Polish traditional music.

Donald Macleod focuses on the difficult war years and the beginning of Panufnik's career.

2014

From No 1 To No-one

20140923

In communist Poland decadent Western art was denounced. Music had to be of political significance, created according to the principles of Socialist Realism. Panufnik was forced to become part of the propaganda machine, taking posts he didn't want and promoting a creed he despised. He was finally pushed a step too far and decided to defect to England. After a difficult start, work started to pick up with offers of conducting work and commissions slowly coming his way. Donald Macleod introduces music from this tumultuous period including a piece to mark the 100th anniversary of Chopin's death, an overture with a defiant but hidden anti-Soviet meaning, a symphony dedicated to the victims of the Second World War and part of a concerto prompted by the generous donation from a patron of the arts who wanted to help him start composing again.

Donald Macleod introduces music from around the time of Panufnik's defection to Britain.

2014

Marriage

20140924

In 1961, after living in England for seven years, Panufnik was granted British citizenship. The year before he'd met Camilla Jessel - they were married three years later and settled beside the River Thames in Twickenham. Panufnik now found himself leading: 'a kind of ideal existence I had only imagined, never experienced before in my life.' In spite of his new-found contentment, Panufnik's thoughts were never very far away from his turbulent homeland of Poland. Donald Macleod introduces a work prompted by an event which took place there - a profound expression of Panufnik's feelings about one of the worst atrocities and biggest cover-ups in the war. Plus - a symphony based on the earliest known hymn in the Polish language, part of the violin concerto written for, and played by, Yehudi Menuhin, and one of Panufnik's rare choral works, written a few weeks after his marriage.

Donald Macleod with music written in the years after Panufnik's marriage to Camilla Jessel

2014

Recognition

20140925

During the '70s and '80s commissions began to build up and, thanks to the enthusiasm and commitment of a handful of staunch supporters, there was an increase in commercial recordings of Panufnik's music which helped raise his profile. As both composer and conductor, Panufnik developed a close relationship with the London Symphony Orchestra who commissioned a number of pieces from him over the years, including a concertino for a percussion competition. Donald Macleod introduces a recording of the work in a performance by the LSO with Panufnik himself conducting, plus the second of his three strings quartets prompted by a childhood memory and some vocal pieces with close family associations.

Donald Macleod focuses on works from the 1970s and 80s as Panufnik's popularity grew.

2014

05 LAST

Celebrations, Honours And A Glorious Homecoming

20140926

Panufnik vowed he would never set foot in Poland until there was a democratically elected government in power. After nearly forty years in exile, he was able return one last time before his death. Donald Macleod introduces music leading up to that momentous occasion, including his third and final string quartet inspired by traditional Polish paper-cuts, a concerto profoundly influenced by the savage murder of Father Jerzy Popieluszko, and a piece dedicated, as so many of his works were, to his wife Camilla on their 25th wedding anniversary with the apt title 'Harmony'.

Donald Macleod introduces music from the last years of Panufnik's life.

Episodes

Series	Episode	Title	First Broadcast	Comments
2014	01	Survival	20140922	Warsaw-born composer Andrzej Panufnik was just starting to make a name for himself as a composer when war broke out. During the Nazi occupation of the city, Panufnik wrote very little music other than resistance songs and a heartfelt overture full of the sounds of war. Afterwards, he slowly began to find work and his reputation as a composer and conductor grew. The Soviet-controlled government of the post-war years recognised his worth as a propaganda tool and he was frequently sent abroad as Poland's leading conductor and musical ambassador. Donald Macleod celebrates the life and music of Panufnik on the centenary of his birth and introduces music from the early years of his career including his wartime overture, a symphony at first celebrated and a year later condemned by the post-war communist government as bourgeois, and a lullaby which, like the symphony, was inspired by Polish traditional music. Donald Macleod focuses on the difficult war years and the beginning of Panufnik's career.
2014	02	From No 1 To No-one	20140923	In communist Poland decadent Western art was denounced. Music had to be of political significance, created according to the principles of Socialist Realism. Panufnik was forced to become part of the propaganda machine, taking posts he didn't want and promoting a creed he despised. He was finally pushed a step too far and decided to defect to England. After a difficult start, work started to pick up with offers of conducting work and commissions slowly coming his way. Donald Macleod introduces music from this tumultuous period including a piece to mark the 100th anniversary of Chopin's death, an overture with a defiant but hidden anti-Soviet meaning, a symphony dedicated to the victims of the Second World War and part of a concerto prompted by the generous donation from a patron of the arts who wanted to help him start composing again. Donald Macleod introduces music from around the time of Panufnik's defection to Britain.
2014	03	Marriage	20140924	In 1961, after living in England for seven years, Panufnik was granted British citizenship. The year before he'd met Camilla Jessel - they were married three years later and settled beside the River Thames in Twickenham. Panufnik now found himself leading: 'a kind of ideal existence I had only imagined, never experienced before in my life.' In spite of his new-found contentment, Panufnik's thoughts were never very far away from his turbulent homeland of Poland. Donald Macleod introduces a work prompted by an event which took place there - a profound expression of Panufnik's feelings about one of the worst atrocities and biggest cover-ups in the war. Plus - a symphony based on the earliest known hymn in the Polish language, part of the violin concerto written for, and played by, Yehudi Menuhin, and one of Panufnik's rare choral works, written a few weeks after his marriage. Donald Macleod with music written in the years after Panufnik's marriage to Camilla Jessel
2014	04	Recognition	20140925	During the '70s and '80s commissions began to build up and, thanks to the enthusiasm and commitment of a handful of staunch supporters, there was an increase in commercial recordings of Panufnik's music which helped raise his profile. As both composer and conductor, Panufnik developed a close relationship with the London Symphony Orchestra who commissioned a number of pieces from him over the years, including a concertino for a percussion competition. Donald Macleod introduces a recording of the work in a performance by the LSO with Panufnik himself conducting, plus the second of his three strings quartets prompted by a childhood memory and some vocal pieces with close family associations. Donald Macleod focuses on works from the 1970s and 80s as Panufnik's popularity grew.
2014	05 LAST	Celebrations, Honours And A Glorious Homecoming	20140926	Panufnik vowed he would never set foot in Poland until there was a democratically elected government in power. After nearly forty years in exile, he was able return one last time before his death. Donald Macleod introduces music leading up to that momentous occasion, including his third and final string quartet inspired by traditional Polish paper-cuts, a concerto profoundly influenced by the savage murder of Father Jerzy Popieluszko, and a piece dedicated, as so many of his works were, to his wife Camilla on their 25th wedding anniversary with the apt title 'Harmony'. Donald Macleod introduces music from the last years of Panufnik's life.