Musical Life in Poland: The Postwar Years 1945-1977

by Lidia Rappoport-Gelfand

Overview

Never in the history of Polish music has there been a period like the one that followed World War II. No other era has given the world'so many outstanding composers and so many talented works in all kinds of musical genres. Polish music asserted itself on the world'scene as independent, distinct, and creatively important phenomenon.

First published in English in 1991, Musical Life in Poland outlines the general trends of the evolution of postwar music in Poland by periods. The author discusses in detail the specifics of national traditions of Polish culture and art, beginning with the purely Polish romantic and expressive tradition and ending with the powerful influence of Catholicism on art. She introduces a large group of talented composers and their artistically valuable works to the English-speaking reader and comprehensively covers musical culture in Poland.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781041105794
Publisher:	Taylor & Francis
Publication date:	09/01/2025
Series:	Routledge Revivals
Pages:	266
Product dimensions:	6.12(w) x 9.19(h) x (d)

Table of Contents

Introduction  1. Music of the First Postwar Decade (1945–1956)  2. Music of the Second Postwar Decade (1956–1965)  3. Music of the Third Postwar Decade (1965–1977)  Appendix I. Music and Musical Life in Contemporary Poland: Musical Examples  Appendix II: List of the Works of the Polish Composers

Editorial Reviews

Reviews of the first publication:

‘The best, most comprehensive English-language survey of recent Polish music… Rappoport-Gelfand knows the subject as well as anyone in the world.’

— Steven Stucky, Cornell University, USA

‘…it proves a valuable addition to the literature and will enable students and college instructors to expand their horizons.’

— Cindy Bylander, Notes, Second Series, Vol. 49, No. 4

From the Publisher