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17/04 Actus Humanus Resurrectio, Gdańsk

John Bull

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Maciej Skrzeczkowski nominated for ‘Paszport Polityki’ in ‘Classical Music’ category

^{foto ⓒ POLITYKA / Leszek Zych}

Maciej Skrzeczkowski releases his first solo album

The colourful, though rather mysterious biography of John Bull (c. 1562–1628) can be boldly compared to the fight between Lent and Carnival depicted in Pieter Bruegel the Elder’s famous painting. Two opposing natures repeatedly clashed in the English composer’s behaviour — the devout organist and academic measured up against the hedonist and troublemaker.

The dichotomy evident in Bull’s life attitude can also be seen in his works. On the one hand, Bull was an absolute master of polyphony and observed the principles of counterpoint much more strictly than many of his contemporaries. On the other hand, his compositional output is characterised by a certain irreverence, manifesting itself in a capricious virtuosity, sometimes not integrated into the form, and an individualised musical language, full of chromaticism and unexpected harmonic successions.

The Real John Bull provides a unique opportunity to explore the diverse repertoire of the English master, performed entirely on the virginals, undoubtedly significant instruments of the time. Contrary to the performance practice of our time to use these instruments only for smaller and uncomplicated works (toys, some dances and variations), the album also includes virginal interpretations of elaborate fantasias and extended pavans and galliards to demonstrate the versatility of these instruments.

The reality is displayed here on many levels — from the use of the virginals, the important role of which in musical life in Bull’s time is marked not only by the elaborate decoration of these instruments, no less generous than that of harpsichords, but as well by their omnipresence in paintings, to the real variety of Englishman’s output (the juxtaposition of certain pieces as not seen nor heard before) and the word real meaning ‘kingly’, ‘regal’, ‘royal’ in the language of the sovereigns of the Spanish Netherlands.

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