"New Romanticism” in the Works of Polish Composers After 1975

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, Lason, 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 topic’s American (Schonberg, Rochberg) and European contexts. The author also analyzes 104 compositions and 30 interviews (incl. with Penderecki) to present an even fuller picture.