After much discussion it has been decided that one Polish parade will be held, in accordance with tradition, in Warszawa (that is, Slavic Village) and a second parade will be held in Parma. It’s a little absurd…unfortunately, our Polonia is not able to hide its divisions or, rather, its chronic dismemberment. The saying, „where there are two Poles, there are three parties” has not lost its significance but rather gathered strength. We might say today that where there is one Pole, there are two parades.

I wonder how this second parade will look. I tried to untangle this Gordian knot, but I quickly gave up. I was left with questions like these: Will those who go to one parade do so in order to protest the other parade? And if someone wants to be neutral and go to both parades (since such a possibility exists, without any need for cloning), don’t the parades then turn into a farce for everyone looking on?

Hurray! I’m sorry for such a completely out of place remark, but Logic has just returned to help me, suggesting that perhaps geography and math might explain the dilemma of the two parades. Those who are closer to Warszawa can go to the parade there and those for whom it is easier to strengthen the ranks in Parma can go there…Perhaps there is someone out there under the illusion that the two parades will increase attendance, since each year the May 3rd parade becomes significantly smaller and a less attractive event. Perhaps reproducing the event will improve something, perhaps not. Logic still does not understand that Poles are just not able to figure out the math; seeing my face at the mention of numbers, Logic gave up. And so I just succumbed to a wave of random, illogical (!) thoughts….

It suddenly occurred to me that, as long as we’re thinking about our own comfort and convenience, we could just organize a private parade in our driveway. Why not? This is certainly a manifestation of patriotism. Inviting the neighbors or even everyone on the block would be an additional way to strengthen Polish identity. Because individual events like these are better than collective action. I already had this fight with Logic, but I fell alseep over tables and graphs. I’ve got it, I thought, Poles can do this. And then all of these questions came back, without any answers, and I started to fall asleep again…

A colorful river of people makes its way down the main street of downtown Cleveland. At first I don’t really know what’s going on; I can’t see because of the reporters with their cameras and notebooks. Local television and radio are here and all the local government representatives. I quickly try to remember something that would help me to explain all of this. St. Patrick’s Day? No, wrong time. Somebody famous in town? No. A strike? Yeah, right. The long awaited victory of the Indians or the Cavaliers? Where have you been? The parade comes closer. I see red and white flags with the Polish eagle, the flags of Polish cities, folk costumes; I recognize the faces of some friends, read some Polish words, and hear some songs from the Vistula….This is the May 3rd parade! A Polish parade in the center of Cleveland! Finally! Everyone together! I’m probably dreaming! But I feel it when I pinch myself…

Unfortunately, the pinching begins to hurt a little more. „Now! I have to go to the parade! This is it!” – I call out, brushing something aside. Suddenly I open my eyes. My son’s grabbing my arm and saying, „Mama, wake up! I have to do a school project on Poland. You have to help me!”

Małgorzata Oleksy

Forum, 3/2010

„When the Chopin polonaise
Stirs the secret chords of the heart,
I always envision the national Polish spirit.”

Maria Konopnicka

There is no doubt that an individual’s future, skills, abilities, strengths, and weaknesses are developed first at home, in the family. The family creates the basis for the nurturing and development of the interests of the child, interests that mature in adulthood. Fortunately, for the sake of art and music, little Frederic Chopin benefited from only good role models in his childhood and was prepared well for his future.

Chopin, was playing the violin. Mikołaj Chopin was born in France, in Lotharingia. He settled in Poland in 1787 and spent the rest of his life there. He raised his children as Poles and became very attached to his new country. In 1806 Mikołaj married Tekla Justyna Krzyżanowska, from an impoverished noble family in Kujawy. Frederic, who was born in 1810 in Żelażowa Wola, had three sisters: Ludwika, Izabela, and Emilia. He was the second oldest. A few months after Frederic’s birth, the family moved to Warsaw, where his father took a position as a teacher in the Warsaw Lyceum.

Frederic’s musical abilities appeared very early and were nurtured by those closest to him. Music came to occupy a priviliged place in Chopin’s home.  Pani Tekla loved to play the piano, but…and here again I refer to legends and anecdotes, little Frederic always cried when he saw his mother at the piano. Music from the popular Italian operas of the day and music with ethnic features could often be heard in the Chopin home. Certainly the melodies he heard influenced Chopin’s first efforts in composition.  At a very young age Frederic improvised and repeated the melodies he heard his mother and sister Ludwika play on the piano.

The young Chopin began to take formal piano lessons in 1816 with Wojciech Żywny, a friend of his father. Though Eustache Marylski, a friend of Chopin’s, described Żywny as „one of the most mediocre teachers of music in Warsaw”, the music teacher had an undeniable influence on the future pianist.    Żywny concentrated on introducing Frederic to the works of Bach, Haydn, Mozart, and Hummel and explaining the principles of their music. He taught Chopin the basics of playing the piano, the way to hold the fingers and place the hands. Recognizing Chopin’s innate technical skill and talent, Żywny did not limit his individuality. Even when he achieved fame, Chopin never forgot about Żywny and his influence, mentioning him several times in his letters.

Frederic’s first successes came very early, already in 1817, when he was barely seven years old. He dedicated the Polonaise in G-minor to Wiktoria Skarbek and composed the Polonaise in B-major. The first public performance of the young pianist was in 1818 in the Radziwiłł palace. The distinguished individuals in attendance stood before him in amazement. The Warsaw press described Chopin as „the miraculous child” and „a second Mozart”. Aleksandra Tańska, the sister of the author Klementyna Hoffmanowa, wrote a short description of the concert in her diary: „The number of people in attendance was sufficient. During the course of the evening young Chopin, an eight-year-old child, played the piano, promising, as some experts claim, to replace Mozart.” The tsaritsa Maria Fiodorowna visited Warsaw on September 20, 1818, and Chopin entertained her with two Polish dances. Wójcicki recalls that when the young Chopin played for Grand Duke Constantine, the governor of Warsaw, Chopin raised his eyes during the playing of the military march. Each time Constantine asked, „What do you see up there? Are you reading notes on the ceiling?” Frederic later received a diamond ring from the tsar and even an offer in Paris to become the composer of the tsarist court. Chopin sold the ring and rejected the offer.

Chopin’s family home was filled with the spirit of art and intellectual investigation; professors from the Lyceum and university, musicians, and writers visited often. Among the guests were the musicians Józef Elsner, Wilhelm Wurfel, and Józef Jawurek. These guests helped to create a remarkable atmosphere for the development of young Frederic’s artistic sensitivity and interests.

From 1823 to 1826 young Chopin studied in the Warsaw Lyceum, where his father worked. During this time he visited several parts of Poland. He spent vacations at the court of Antoni Radziwiłł in Szafarnie and visited friends in distant parts of the country.  From Szafarnie he sent several well known letters – the „Kurier Szafarski” to his parents, a parody of the „Kurier Warszawski” (Warsaw Courier). Also well known is the anecdote that Frederic was once caught drawing a picture of a teacher in school. The image so surprised the teacher that, instead of punishing Chopin for not paying attention during the lesson, he praised him. Maurycy Karasowski also recalls the time when Chopin helped a tutor quiet some disruptive students. He improvised a story and then put them all to sleep with a lullaby, including the tutor. He showed this enchanted scene to his sisters and mother and then woke the sweetly dreaming group with a piercing chord… Many biographers stress that Chopin was a universal genius, because he possessed an unusual literary talent, evident in his correspondence, and, also, talent as an artist and actor. For example, Balzac recalls that Frederic had a real gift for mimicking whomever he liked.

Even as a child Chopin suffered from health problems. His tonsils were a special problem. There were months when he was not able to get out of bed, but when he felt better, he went immediately to the piano. In spite of his absences from school, he was a very good student, and he finished the Warsaw Lyceum as one of the best students.

From 1826 to 1829 Chopin was a student at the Main School of Music, part of the Conservatory connected to the University of Warsaw. He studied harmony and counterpoint there with Professor Józef Elsner.  He was not required to study an instrument as his unusual skills and the character of his playing was already recognized. During this period Chopin became fasinated with folk music. Józef Elsner wrote a report after Chopin’s third year of study: „Frederic Chopin – a special ability, a musical genius”.

Chopin’s childhood ended long ago, crossing into the success of adulthood and the praise of a master, so it is perhaps appropriate to end here with quiet admiration and reflection. A look at his childhood helps to explain much about the pianist. We should also remember that young Frederic was influenced not only by the love of his family and friende but also the fields and willows of the Vistula, its painful history, the songs of the land and the forest, and the love of the Polish people.

The notes came to the windows of the home of the future poet of the piano, spilling out at his feet; he carefully gathered them, like pearls, and shaped them into a unique Polish sensitivity and longing. The opinion of Chopin expressed by one of the French critics is thus justified: „The heart of his nation beat in his breast. We do not know another musician who was more of a patriot than he. He is a Pole significantly more than any Frenchman was a Frenchman, or an Italian Italian, or a German German. He is a Pole, nothing other than a Pole, and from this destroyed, murdered Polish countryside came his immortal spirit, his music.”

Compiled by Małgorzata Oleksy
Translated by Sean Martin

Forum, 3/2010

Chronologically, the artistically talented Kossak family consists of Juliusz, the grandfather, his son Wojciech, and his grandson Jerzy. Along with Jan Matejko, Józef Brandt, Michał Bylin, and many others, they are counted among the circle of Polish artists of historical painting. Each of these artists had an artistic vision of the history of Poland; the work of the Kossak family stands out among them as an essential document of the painting of Polish battle scenes.

The theme of the work of three generations of the Kossak family can easily be described in the words of Kazimierz Olszeński: „Juliusz Kossak (1824-1899) specialized in the presentation of war and the history of the nobles’ republic from the seventeenth to the nineteenth century. Wojciech Kossak (1856-1942) was a master of the nineteenth century fight to free the nation from subjugation, and he created epics of Napoleon, November, and the First World War. (…) But Jerzy Kossak (1886-1955) concentrated on showing events from the most recent history and so became a creator of the art of independence, with epics of Piłsudski’s Legions and the Bolshevik war from the 1920s.”

Whether in the presentation of heroic figures or the details of armaments and uniforms, the Kossaks were exceptionally skilled in both form and color. Juliusz, the eldest, not only created historical genre scenes; he was also a sought after portrait painter. He often painted the ancestors of aristocratic families, together with their favorite horses. Among the heroic images of leaders from the national pantheon are Tadeusz Kościuszko, Prince Józef Poniatowski, Dąbrowski, and Czarniecki. Throughout his life he also illustrated works of Polish literature, by authors such as Adam Mickiewicz, Henryk Sienkiewicz, and Ignacy Kraszewski, and he also painted beautiful miniatures of the stanzas and refrain of the Dąbrowski march, the Polish national anthem. These were watercolors, in which he demonstrated a real mastery. The work of Juliusz Kossak appeared in several reproductions and played an important role in the creation of a national spirit among Poles under the control of the partitioning powers. He was a representative of Polishness, a connoisseur of culture and customs, and, above all, an enthusiast of the native landscape. His son Wojciech was born in Paris. Wojciech Kossak studied at the school of fine arts in Kraków and in Munich. He traveled often, visiting London, Vienna, Paris, and the United States, to which he returned four times.  His very pleasant disposition meant that homes in Poland and abroad were open to him. His own work reflected reality; he did not create symbolic art. If he had a specific topic, he connected it to the issues of the day. The popularity of his works, whether they were small studies or battle scenes or panoramas, never dimmed. His fame continues to this day. At the beginning of the war in 1939 he was forced to flee from Warsaw to Kraków. The September defeat was the  terrific tragedy from which he could not recover. His significant work, gaining the admiration of each generation of Poles, was behind him. His work recalled the proud victories of the Polish army and glorified the Polish military.

Wojciech Kossak was also the father of two talented writers: Maria Jasnorzewska – Pawlikowska (1891 – 1945), a poet whose verse – pensive, reflective, and personal, as light as the web of a spider – one always discovers anew.

The youngest sister of Maria was Magdalena Samozwaniec (Niewiadomska) (1894-1972). Still today readers enjoy her stories, farces, and sketches. In addition to these two daughters, Wojciech Kossak also had a son Jerzy. Jerzy exhibited his work for the first time at the Society of Fine Arts in Kraków in 1910. His artistic talent was the result of the family’s genetic characteristics – he did not study in any school of fine arts. He developed his talent from his earliest years in his father’s workshop. The high point of his work was 1929 to 1939. His best paintings, independently composed from his own ideas, come from this period. The year of 1930 was dedicated to a work titled „Miracle on the Vistula”. He painted three works under this title. The painting I saw was about two meters by three meters and showed the Bolsheviks hurriedly fleeing and the Poles, soldiers and armed volunteers in civilian clothing, bearing down. The figure of Father Ignacy Skorupka with a cross and his hands raised dominates the image. In the background the image of the Mother of Divine Victory is evident in the smoke of the explosions. In the left corner Józef Piłsudski can be seen on a horse. With its title and images, the painting presents the miracle of the victory of the Poles in Warsaw on August 15, 1920. The figures of Father Skorupka, who had died the previous day, and Józef Piłsudski, who had personally led the counteroffensive along the Wieprz River, were part of the author’s vision.

As is clear from the talent and skill in his works, Jerzy continued the tradition of his family.
I viewed this exhibit with great interest, and also a hint of sentiment. My husband Ronald, an American, and I enjoyed this exhibit very much.

Elżbieta Ulanowska
Translated by Sean Martin

Forum, 11/2009

We had a successful year in 2009 and we continue to be optimistic about our future. We had a number of events such as celebrations of Polish Constitution and Independence Days. Our biggest event of the year was the reception held to honor our living veterans of the Polish Armed Forces in World War II.. We hosted several receptions and a number of dinners including one for Kościuszko Foundation, Ohio Section. Our celebration of Wigilia and the showing of Jasełka by the children of the Polish school were a big hit with the public. We sponsored the appearance of Eleni and Ich Troje, the artistic groups from Poland. We also held First Polish Youth Talent Show. We continue to have Sunday lunches which have become very popular among Polanians as a Sunday get together.

Our plans for 2010 are as always ambitious growth with fiscal restraint. We will continue to sponsor social, cultural and artistic events and provide a home for Opera Circle, Polonia youth activities, Syrena dancers, and Polish language classes. And we will continue to publish Forum, the Center’s newsletter. We intend to acquire additional properties adjacent to the Center for a court yard to be built in the back of the Center and the museum and we plan to expand our parking lot. We have already secured Federal Funds to help us with these projects.

Financially we continue to be sound. Last year, thanks to the generous donations from several individuals, we were able to reduce our debt to $35,000 and eliminate almost the entire accrued interest. We have also established an Endowment Fund administered be the Cleveland Foundation. Now people will be able to donate funds to the Foundation in our name that will be used exclusively for the upkeep of the museum.

The membership dues cover about half of the Center’s operating expenses. The other half comes from donations and funds earned by holding social events. We are very fortunate to have a core of dedicated people who work tirelessly and without remuneration to make these events profitable. We owe them our gratitude for their help.

We appreciate the fact that not all members can devote the time and energy as our volunteers do, however you can show your appreciation and support by renewing your membership, becoming a member or making a donation for our special projects.

Thank you

Forum, 2/2010

The deportations were a complete shock. Nobody knew why or where they were being taken. For some, the deportations meant a quick death; for others, they meant several years, or forever, living on this „inhuman land”. In his book The Soviet Treatment of Poles in the Eastern Lands of the Second Republic, 1939-1941, Albin Głowacki writes, „The temperature dropped as far as -42 degrees Celsius. Armed functionaries of the NKVD banged on the doors of the apartments of those on the list to be deported. Once inside, they gathered the residents, torn away from their sleep, into one place, allowed them to get dressed,   confirmed   their   identities, and began a detailed search of the home, ostensibly in search of weapons but finding people in hiding (at times they were able to take the most valuable objects, documents, or photographs, etc.). The men, under armed guard, stood immobile, unable to openly oppose such chaos. The decision about resettlement, which could not be cancelled, was read. To the question where, the response was generally vague; it was usually dismissed or answered with a lie about some other region or district or perhaps the birthplace of the parents of those about to be deported.

According to the NKVD, 220,000 settlers and foresters, together with their families, were resettled during the first deportations; they were taken to twenty-one different Soviet regions and districts. The majority of them worked in the People’s Commissariat of the Forest Industry or the People’s Commisariat of Transportation, and the People’s Commissariat of the Mining of Colored Metals. Others were sent to other Commissariats, for Manufacturing, Iron and Steel Mills, Construction, Weapons, or Building Materials, or sent to the camps of the NKVD.

The dry names of commissariats mask the tragic fates of those in the camps. The deported worked in heavy snow, in old, deep mines, in the worst sanitary conditions and in the worst weather (terribly cold winters and brutally hot summers with mosquitoes), without even minimal concern for their health. They died or suffered from exhaustion, cold, and hunger. Poles were treated as people of the lowest category – deprived of all rights as „enemies of the people” and as „bourgeouis”. At each step along the way NKVD officials repeated: „There will never be another Poland.”

Today we know that Poland has not yet perished. The nation’s lasting determination and strength has been greater than Soviet cruelty. Now we can speak openly about this period, recalling with pride the heroism of our ancestors and wishing that their experiences will ignite the spark of patriotism in the hearts of younger generations of Poles.

A Kresy-Siberia discussion group was started online in 2001, attracting more than 850 members from around the world, mainly members of Polonia in the West, whose families had roots in the former kresy of the Second Republic. As a result of the events of the Second World War, and, not least, Soviet repression, the families of many in Polonia met the tragic fate of deportation and exile and had to fight for survival in foreign lands. For more information, see:

http://www.kresy-siberia.org

Red. Translated by Sean Martin

Forum, 2/2010

In November, we had the pleasure of participating in two spectacles: in the previously described tragedy Romeo & Juliet by Vincenzo Bellini and in the most recently presented Don Pasquale. Both operas, despite their differing content, come from the same time period—the beginning of the 19th century, when the style of bel canto first appeared in European music. It did not last long, subsequently replaced by a new type of creative movement called verismo. In music, as in literature, artistic tastes change constantly. That which is new is undertaken by writers, composers, and representatives of other branches of the arts, and the public most often accepted these changes.

Bel canto, which literally means “beautiful singing,” focused first and foremost on the melodic aspect of music. It appeared in Italy in the years 1830-1840 and was mirrored by romanticism in literature. It introduced short dance-like rhythms into the world of opera, which shifted in accordance with the plot, in turn dramatic or lyrical. It also allowed for a certain freedom on the part of the singers, even venturing into improvisation, which had not always been accepted by composers.
Let us then return to the production of DonPasquale. This opera is a comedy, and despite the fact that the plot bears nothing particularly original, it is nevertheless lively, simple, clear, and engaging. This aids in achieving the ideal balance of word and music. Indeed, Don Pasquale is one of Donizetti’s finest works. It was written towards the end of the composer’s life, as the last work of an experienced master who had produced already some fifty operas. It is regarded as a gem of grace and carefree humor. Artist and audience alike succumb to its charming joyfulness to such an extent that it is difficult to believe that Donizetti wrote the work in a mere eleven days.

Don Pasquale enchants us with typically Italian music combined with a French finesse. Opera Circle’s presentation of this charming musical narrative featured Ray Liddle in the title role, tricked by three others in cahoots; Timothy Culver as his nephew Ernesto; James Love as the chief instigator of antics, Dr. Malatesta; and Dorota Sobieska as Norina, the object of both Pasquale’s and Ernesto’s matrimonial ambitions. The singers were accompanied by the Cleveland Women’s Orchestra under the direction of Robert L. Cronquist.

The audience, meanwhile, listened enthralled, and upon leaving, hoped for more such months as November of 2009, in which Opera Circle presented two premieres. We extend a special gesture of appreciation to directors Dorota and Jacek Sobieski, as well as to Wanda, Aleksandra, and Julian Sobieski, who also took part in the performances.

Elżbieta Ulanowska
Translated by Wanda Sobieski

Forum, 1/2010

My parents’ home was located near the Biebrza River – a  large house surrounded by verandas, with two glistening ponds behind it. On the other side of the street, amongst the tall poplars, were the utility buildings of our property .  Our family lived on the first floor of the house.   At the time, the upstairs provided  three quarters for the occupying German  military police. One of  the residents was an officer  about 40 years old who had a room to himself.  Not far from our house was the market square surrounded by a church originally founded by Countess Potocka, the town firehouse, a childbirthing center and various shops. Most of the buildings, including the parish community center were forcibly occupied by the Germans during the war.

My oldest sister finished high school in 1938 and was quite proficient in German which she had learned at school.  Her best friend happened to be Jewish.   I remember her well for she was often a visitor in our home.  This girlfriend had a five year old sister. We all sensed the fate awaiting the Jews and we knew what would happen to any Pole found helping a Jew.  There was just one punishment for anyone harboring or helping Jews – death for his or her entire family..
At the request of my sister, my father made a decision to go out that day, Christmas Eve,  to fetch  her girlfriend’s five year old sister. He took warm clothes for her and with his two horses harnessed to the sled, he started out after having obtained the appropriate  pass from  “our” German officer with which he was able travel about in the area. Earlier, my father had obtained a “birth certificate and “appropriate documents” from the local pastor  for “Zosia” – that was the name as written in the papers  when she arrived at our house during the day of  Christmas Eve or Wigilia.

My sister told the German officer that the little girl was our cousin and that her parents had died. He replied that it would be best for the young girl not to leave the house. I wondered what he could have meant by this; why did he say that? What was he thinking?  Did he know who this girl was?  Zosia spoke Polish well and she knew my sister and thus quickly became used to her new surroundings.  She particularly enjoyed my company and we talked and played together often.
And thus little Zosia took the empty place set at the Wigilia dinner table covered in straw and white linens, that special  place reserved for a traveler in need during the night of Christmas Eve. The German officer quartered in our house would often take the little girl on his knee.  He kept photographs of his family in his pockets and would look longingly at the pictures of his wife, dressed in white with their two daughters, somewhere around Zosia’s age standing next to her.  Even today, the questions still haunt me.  Did he know about Zosia?  Did he survive the war and was he able to go back to his family?=

After the war, my sister began teaching at an elementary school and Zosia and I were among her pupils.  Later my sister moved to the city where she had gone to high school and found  Zosia’s  surviving family ( not her immediate family).  Zosia went back to live with them, but kept our family name.   Twenty years later Zosia contacted us from her new home in Canada.  But my sister never learned the fate of her dear girlfriend, Zosia’s older sister. And I, upon becoming a young man, truly began to understand and appreciate  what my father had done that night and the risk he had taken.  It defied logic and the instinct of self preservation and can only be understood  and appreciated emotionally in the deepest reaches  of the heart.  Now every year upon Christmas Eve, as  I gaze upon that empty chair at our Wigilia table, my imagination takes me back – I  see Zosia sitting on my father’s lap.

Jerzy Waluszko
Translated by Zofia Wisniewski

Forum, 1/2010

Sean Martin, an exceptional young man, a member of our editorial staff, is different from most of us in that he is not Polish, although he seems to be more “Polish” than all of us. He has an incredible sense of patriotism and identifies with Polish culture, tradition and history.  He speaks excellent Polish. We see his name in every edition of “Forum” because he translates most of our pieces into English.

Sean was born on January 10, 1968, in Steubenville, Ohio, to an Irish-Italian family. He grew up in the small town of Weirton, West Virginia. You may ask, How does an American with no Polish background become fascinated with Polish history and culture? It all began in college. Sean recalls wonderful teachers who inspired his sensibility to history, culture, religion and national identity. He studied at Columbia University in New York, majoring in Eastern European history and politics. The more he researched the nuances of our European historical and cultural secrets, the more drawn to them he became. When asked about why he chose this major, he simply states that “religion, ethnicity, language and national identity are incredibly interesting subjects that never become boring.”

Sean specializes in Jewish history. He wrote a dissertation (and later book) on the history of Jews in Cracow from 1918 to 1939. In 1996 and 1997 he lived in Cracow doing research for his dissertation. He remembers these years with a smile, describing Cracow in a way only an American would: “Cracow is what American people think Europe is – it has a river, a castle and an old town square.”

These days Sean works at Western Reserve Historical Society. He takes part in many research projects, including one on the history of Rockefeller Park and the Cleveland Cultural Gardens. He also does research on the daily life of Jews in Poland for the new Museum of the History of Polish Jews, which will be opening soon in Warsaw. He also works on a major research project on Jewish orphanages in pre-war Poland. In his free time, Sean also translates books and articles from Polish to English.

This is our Sean – a little absent-minded, quiet and romantic… and only his name in “Forum” reminds us that he is exceptional.

I asked Sean a question that will be the subject of a series of articles in Forum: What is the future of Polonia in Cleveland? As our first interviewed person, this is how he describes his vision of Polonia’s future: “As long as Polonia keeps doing what the Center is doing, they will exist as a separate and individual nation and will remember their roots and history. When they stop investing in their tradition and culture, they will become assimilated in America, losing their national identity.”

With thanks for the conversation,

Agata Wojno
Translated Agnieszka Szulecki

Forum, 1/2010

Bellini’s style stands out through a remarkable sense of melody, and the works which he created are full of nuances that heighten the power of expression.

Opera Circle took great care in preparing this version of Romeo and Juliet, originally entitled I Capuleti e i Montecchi in the Italian, bringing in conductor Andrea Raffanini from Italy with the sole purpose of leading this production. A renowned Bellini specialist, he came from the city of Milan, famous for its operatic tradition: many talented composers, singers, and conductors hail from Italian cities, and to this day La Scala in Milan is considered the operatic capitol of the world.

The forty-person orchestra, organized by Wanda Sobieska, sounded excellent, marked in particular by notable solos for cello and clarinet. Maestro Raffanini, full of vigor and understanding for the music of Bellini, was a fantastic leader for the ensemble.

Likewise, the soloists and chorus delighted the audience. The “silver soprano,” as Donald Rosenberg termed it in his Plain Dealer review, of Dorota Sobieska  (Juliet) melded in perfect harmony with the mezzo-soprano of Emily Righter (Romeo), who came from Pennsylvania, having great of the role, as she had previously performed it at another opera theater. Not only did this young and charming woman sing well, but she was also a terrific actor, assuming the guise of the romantic, boyish Romeo. The remaining soloists—David Sadlier, Ray Liddle, and Allan Mosher—completed the stellar cast of this memorable production.

It is truly difficult to overestimate the value of the work carried out by Jacek Sobieski and Dorota Sobieska for the lovers of opera in Cleveland. They enable us to experience core works of the repertoire that are rarely presented by other organizations nationwide. The ambitious realization of this intelligent choice of repertoire is the greatest strength of the group and brings great joy to its audience.

Elzbieta Ulanowska
Translated by Wanda Sobieski

Forum, 12/2009

Christmas Eve – Wigilia

The Eve of Christmas in the Polish tradition is the most festive, significant and moving of all holidays, with origins stemming from the earliest Christian traditions. The word “wigilia” comes from the Latin word for “ watch” or “vigil“. It was customary in the early Church the day before a great feast or celebration to fast, and the faithful awaited the coming event together in prayer and devotion throughout the night. The custom of Wigilia became a permanent fixture in Poland by the 18th Century.

The main part of the celebration is the festive supper composed of an odd number of meatless dishes, in great variety and number, representing most of the foods grown and eaten throughout the year. In the countryside as well as in the estates of the nobles and the king’s court, it was the custom to place a sheaf of wheat, rye, barley and oats in each of the four corners of the hall or room. This was an offering to the Christ Child in supplication for a bountiful harvest in the coming year. The table was dressed in white linens with straw tucked underneath to represent the cloths upon which Baby Jesus lay in a manger filled with straw.

A Place at the Table

A well known and widely followed custom in Poland is leaving an empty place at the Christmas Eve table. This place is reserved for a traveler, an unexpected guest who may need to have shelter and to sit and eat on a cold winter’s night. The empty place is also a reminder of those dearest to us who are unable to be present at Christmas or can serve as a memento to those who have passed on.

The First Star

The supper begins when the first star is spotted in the evening sky. This symbolizes the star of Bethlehem which guided the Three Kings to Bethlehem.

Breaking of the Bread (Wafer)

The most important moment of the evening is the breaking of bread or a wafer known as “oplatek”. First the Gospel of the Nativity of Christ is read, then the participants break the wafer and share it while offering wishes of happiness, health and prosperity to each other in the coming year. The Christmas Eve supper tradition has come down from celebrations among earliest Christians reenacting the Last Supper. While it allows for sharing goodwill and blessings amongst the participants while teaching how to share God’s gifts with each other, this lovely custom also encourages forgiveness of transgressions and misunderstandings that may have arisen amongst people in the previous year.
An Even Number of Guests

According to tradition, an even number of people are seated at the table. An odd number has portended bad luck for someone in the group. When there was an odd number of guests in attendance, wealthier homes had a servant invited to the table. In humbler abodes, someone who had nowhere to go that evening was invited to the celebration. Seating arrangements were made according to age or representative of the guests’ status in the community with the most important person charged with beginning the supper.

An Odd Number of Dishes

According to tradition, an odd number of dishes were to be served at the supper. Alexander Bruckner in the Etymological Dictionary of the Polish Language writes that the peasant tradition had five or seven dishes served; the nobility had nine and the aristocracy, eleven. Explanations for these requirements vary, some saying seven for the days of the week, nine for the nine angelic choirs and actually, up to twelve were allowed for the twelve apostles.
An odd number of dishes were served to assure a bountiful harvest and sufficient employment for the coming year. The dishes were composed of all the crops planted to ensure plenty and prosperity in the coming year . It was also customary to at least sample each and every one of the foods prepared so that there would be no lack of them in the following year’s celebration of Christmas Eve.

The supper begins with barscz, or red beet soup with “uszka” or “little ears” ( tiny mushroom filled pierogi) or a mushroom soup. Along with fish, other foods served include an old Polish dish of peas and cabbage, dishes with dried forest mushrooms, compotes made with dried summer fruits, a poppyseed roll and the famous “kutia” from Poland’s eastern regions — a dish made of whole wheat or barley mixed with honey, poppy seeds, nuts, dried fruits and spices.

After the Supper

In the past, besides singing carols in many parts of Poland, many other customs were observed. In the Warmia and Mazury regions while they were still seated at table, the guests and family would pull straws from under the tablecloth. If one’s straw was straight, the year would go smoothly without danger; if the straw was twisted or crooked, a more difficult year of twists and turns awaited. In the Mazowszy region the remains of the feast was fed to animals for it was the belief that at midnight, at least some of the animals spoke with human voices. This was specifically attributed to cattle for they were the animals present at the birth of the Christ child and as a reward were given the gift of human voices on Christmas Eve.

Pasterka (Midnight Mass)

Midnight mass marks the end of the Christmas Eve celebrations. The mass begins at exactly midnight. According to tradition, it commemorates the coming of shepherds to Bethlehem to pay homage to the newborn Messiah. The custom of using the Christmas liturgy on this night was already in place in the Fifth Century in the Catholic Church and quite likely arrived in Poland along with Christianity (by the Tenth Century).

Elzbieta Chalupniczak
Translated by Zofia Wisniewski

Forum, 12/2009