Pawel Strzelecki

The monograph concerns one of the most important trends in contemporary classical Polish music. The new romanticism represented the reaction to the crisis of the avant-garde in the 70s. It appeared in works by the 1933 generation (Penderecki, Górecki, Kilar), the Stalowa Wola generation (Knapik, Laso, Krzanowski), and others. This music matched tradition with contemporary techniques and strong emotionalism. Its romantic dimension and seriousness were in sheer contrast to the double-coding of Postmodernism. It stemmed from the political situation in Poland during the Iron Curtain times. The book also focuses on the topics American (Schonberg, Rochberg) and European contexts. The author also analyzes 104 compositions and 30 interviews (incl. with Penderecki) to present an even fuller picture.