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MODERN MOTET STYLE IN WARSAW’S COMPOSERS OUTPUT
Abstract
The aim of the paper is to consider the вЂmodern motet style’ on the examples from contemporary Warsaw’s composers output. I explore the above features in connection with the vocal pieces by Warsaw’s 21st century composer Dariusz Przybylski. His sacral and religious music gained the renown around the world. The prestigious ensembles form Europe perform his music. Based on Polish contemporary vocal sacral music I distinguish the phenomena which I call вЂmodern motet style’ (which is my own research proposal). The name is derived from Renaissance motet style as the modern manifestation of traditional features like: - the traces of musical Renaissance polyphony - the a cappella style developed in Renaissance - the religious texts and ideas of the Catholic church Przybylski’s music operates with a modern form related to motet known from the Renaissance period. Polish contemporary music seems to be significantly inspired by the motet-like choral a cappella forms. The religious aspects are also vivid in nowadays compositions. Taking the above features in consideration, I suggest analyzing a вЂmodern motet style’ on the example of Dariusz Przybylski’s choral music. The research question is: what are the features of a вЂmodern motet style’ in relation to Przybylski’s choral music? It can be discussed in the following areas: - the Renaissance techniques in a вЂmodern motet style’ in Przybylski’s music like polyphony, polichorality and hybrid of religious textes - expressed meaning of Przybylski’s choral a cappella works as a manifestation of modern spirituality and a stage performance’ elements characterizing the вЂmodern motet style’ of this composer. - the new resolutions in melody (religious vocal idiom and combination of musical themes). The method of the research derives from philosophy of art and music analysis with the phenomenological background and refers to observation of the style category in art and music based on the thesis by Heinrich WГ¶lfflin, Jacob Burckhardt, Hieronim Feicht and Edith Stein. The case study of this paper is based on the following musical works: motet Nisi Dominus and Passio Domini Nostri by Dariusz Przybylski.
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References6
H. Wölfflin, Classic art: an introduction to the Italian renaissance, London 1959
J. Burckhardt, Die Kultur der Reneissance in Italien: Ein Versuch, Basel 1955.
H. Feicht, Polifonia renesansu, Warszawa 1976.
J. Hatem, Portret znaczacy: Edyty Stein filozofia twГіrczosci artystycznej [A Significant Portrait: Edith Stein's Philosophy of Artistic Creativity], in: Niewidzialna rzeczywistosc. Szkice o filozofii duchowej Edyty Stein [Invisible Reality: Sketches on the Spiritual Philosophy of Edith Stein], ed. A. Grzegorczyk, Poznan 1999, pp. 69-82.
D. Przybylski, Nisi Dominus for soprano and female choir (2002), Verlag Neue Musik, Berlin 2002, https://dariuszprzybylski.com/en/catalog/c/3/2,0 accessed on October 6, 2025.
M. Klubinski, Przestrzen, która tracimy [The space we lose], performance’s review of Passio et Mors… by Dariusz Przybylski, “Ruch Muzyczny” 2013, no. 7, 31 March 2013.
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