Latest news with #Polonaise
The Guardian
18-04-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Lang Lang review – captivating, astonishing and disorientating
Think what you will of Lang Lang's brand of pianist-celebrity, but his technical control is absolute. The right-hand melody of Fauré's Pavane was so smooth it might have been glued together. Descant lines tinkled like a tiny music box. His left hand was heavyweight throughout, as if he had decided to turn up the bass. Such oddity was nothing compared to his take on Schumann's Kreisleriana – a set of eight self-consciously eccentric miniatures. Lang Lang launched himself on to the keyboard for the first, driving hard and loud, his hands flying theatrically at the end. For contrast: more of that hushed music-box tone and passages of precious, gossamer delicacy before instantaneous switches back into muscular rollicking dissonance. A more-is-more approach to the sustaining pedal turned some moments into spectacular slush. Just occasionally, there was a magical, quiet sense of storytelling and the penultimate movement was suddenly, playfully dry (pedal briefly abandoned) until yet another gear change into a passage smashed out so quickly it blurred. In the final movement Lang's ever-dominant left hand treated Schumann like Rachmaninov. With barely a break between most movements, it was a disorientating listen, the audience helped along only by Lang's repertoire of physical cues: face lifted upwards, eyes closed; body hunched intensely over the keys; arms whirling away from the piano as if it was scorching. The second half was mainly Chopin Mazurkas. Once again, Lang allowed few gaps between individual numbers. Once again, there were crystalline quiet moments, loudly galumphing moments (accompanied periodically by stamping) and moments that hauled Chopin monumentally into the world of late Romanticism. Yet Lang's rhythmic freedom was astonishing, his sense of producing each number as an improvisation utterly captivating. In his hands, this familiar music became quite alien. By partway through the mazurka-fest, wriggling and coughing were constant. But if defamiliarisation wasn't what some audience members had hoped for, their reward was Chopin's Polonaise in F sharp minor played as a vigorous romp, which precipitated an explosive ovation barely calmed by two encores – 'Chopin' from Schumann's Carnaval and Debussy's Clair de Lune – the latter so exquisitely quiet it seemed to emanate from elsewhere.
Arab Times
13-04-2025
- Politics
- Arab Times
Polish conservatives use patriotic celebration to rally behind presidential candidate
WARSAW, Poland, April 13, (AP): Poles traveled from across the country to the nation's capital for a patriotic demonstration Saturday celebrating 1,000 years since the coronation of the first Polish king. They danced the Polonaise in historic costumes, sang the national anthem,and chanted slogans in support of a conservative candidate running in next month's presidential election. The march of thousands was supported by Law and Justice party, the conservative populists who governed Poland for eight years until 2023, when a centrist, pro-European Prime Minister Donald Tusk took over. Law and Justice is hoping to regain power in the next general election. In the meantime it is fighting to elect an ally as president who is commander-in-chief and has influence over foreign policy and veto power over laws. Law and Justice leader Jarosław Kaczyński called on "all patriots' to join the march, which culminated in a gathering in front of the Royal Castle where the party's candidate, 42-year-old Karol Nawrocki, spoke to a supportive crowd. The castle, rebuilt after it was destroyed by Germans during World War II, is a symbol of the nation's history and resilience. A historian, Nawrocki said Poland today must safeguard "this heritage, this beauty, this crown that was given to us.' 'We want a Poland with aspirations, with dreams, because we are committed to those who came before us and to those who will come after us,' Nawrocki said. "We want a great Poland!' There were a few US flags amid a sea of Polish flags, and supporters also expressed support for US President Donald Trump. One of them, Stanislaw Bieniek, 81, said he fled communist Poland for the US, where he gained citizenship. "My whole family voted for Trump, and now I live here and I will vote for Nawrocki,' he said. The parade came as the party seeks to generate momentum around Nawrocki, who has been struggling in the polls against the front-runner, the liberal Warsaw Mayor Rafał Trzaskowski. Nawrocki has also faced a challenge from the candidate of a far-right party, Confederation, who has been growing more popular and threatening Law and Justice's hold over the nation's sizeable conservative electorate. Saturday's event was a celebration of the 1025 coronation of Poland's first king, Bolesław the Brave, a historic moment that affirmed Poland's national independence. It also celebrated another anniversary in Polish history: 500 years since the Duchy of Prussia paid formal allegiance to the Polish king in 1525.
Euronews
12-04-2025
- Politics
- Euronews
Thousands of Poles march in far-right rally to mark Independence Day
ADVERTISEMENT Poles travelled from across the country to the capital, Warsaw, for a patriotic demonstration Saturday celebrating 1,000 years since the coronation of the first Polish king. They danced the Polonaise in historic costumes, sang the national anthem, invoked their Catholic beliefs and chanted slogans in support of a conservative candidate running in next month's presidential election. The march of thousands was supported by the Law and Justice party, the conservative populists who governed Poland for eight years until 2023, when a centrist, pro-European Prime Minister Donald Tusk took over. Law and Justice is hoping to regain power in the next general election. In the meantime it is fighting to elect an ally as president who is commander-in-chief and has influence over foreign policy and veto power over laws. Law and Justice leader Jarosław Kaczyński called on 'all patriots' to join the march, which culminated in a gathering in front of the Royal Castle where the party's candidate, 42-year-old Karol Nawrocki, spoke to a supportive crowd. Poles dance the Polonaise in a patriotic demonstration celebrating 1,000 years since the coronation of the first Polish king, Warsaw, Poland, Saturday, April 12, 2025 Czarek Sokolowski/Copyright 2025 The AP. All rights reserved The castle, rebuilt after it was destroyed by Germans during World War II, is a symbol of the nation's history and resilience. Nawrocki, who was a historian turned politician, said Poland must safeguard "this heritage, this beauty, this crown that was given to us.' 'We want a Poland with aspirations, with dreams, because we are committed to those who came before us and to those who will come after us,' Nawrocki said. "We want a great Poland!' A few US flags were waved in the march amid a sea of Polish flags, as some supporters present at the rally expressed their support for US President Donald Trump. One of them, Stanislaw Bieniek, 81, said he fled communist Poland for the US, where he gained citizenship. 'My whole family voted for Trump, and now I live here and I will vote for Nawrocki,' he said. Poles take party in a patriotic demonstration celebrating 1,000 years since the coronation of the first Polish king, Warsaw, Poland, Saturday, April 12, 2025 Czarek Sokolowski/Copyright 2025 The AP. All rights reserved The rally comes as the Law and Justice party seeks to drum up support for their candidate, Nawrocki, who's been trailing in polls behind front-runner liberal candidate, Warsaw Mayor Rafał Trzaskowski. Nawrocki has also been fighting the rise of a challenger from the far-right Confederation party. Sławomir Mentzen, who's been growing in popularity poses a major threat to the Law and Justice party's hold over the country's sizeable conservative electorate. Saturday's event was a celebration of the millennium anniversary of the coronation of Poland's first king, Bolesław the Brave. His coronation in 1025 was a historic moment, held dear to many Poles as it affirmed the country's national independence. The rally also celebrated another historic anniversary, marking the 500th year since the Ducy of Prussia paid formal allegiance to the Polish king in 1525. That has emotional resonance for some in a country that suffered German aggression for significant periods in its history. Poles take party in a patriotic demonstration celebrating 1,000 years since the coronation of the first Polish king, Warsaw, Poland, Saturday, April 12, 2025 Czarek Sokolowski/Copyright 2025 The AP. All rights reserved Organisers estimated 100,000 people took part, though city hall — run by Trzaskowski — placed the number at 20,000. ADVERTISEMENT Trzaskowski has been polling at over 30%, while Nawrocki trails behind at just over 20%. The two joined a debate on Friday seeking to energise their traditional electorates and win new votes. The Polish presidential election is set for 18 May. Poland uses an absolute majority system in its elections. If no candidate secures more than the 50% threshold required to win, a runoff between the top two candidates. The incumbent, Andrzej Duda, who serves as an independent is an ally of the conservative Law and Justice. His second and final term ends this summer, and is no longer eligible to run for office.
Yahoo
12-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Poles celebrate coronation of 1st king at march supporting conservative presidential candidate
WARSAW, Poland (AP) — Poles traveled from across the country to the nation's capital for a patriotic demonstration Saturday celebrating 1,000 years since the coronation of the first Polish king. They danced the Polonaise in historic costumes, sang the national anthem, invoked their Catholic beliefs and chanted slogans in support of a conservative candidate running in next month's presidential election. The march of thousands of people was supported by the Law and Justice party, which governed Poland for eight years, but was forced to hand over power to a centrist, pro-European prime minister, Donald Tusk, in December 2023. Law and Justice party leader Jarosław Kaczyński called on "all patriots' to join the march, which culminated in a gathering in front of the Royal Castle where the party's candidate, 42-year-old historian Karol Nawrocki, spoke to a supportive crowd. The castle, rebuilt after being destroyed by Germans during World War II, is a symbol of the nation's history and resilience. The parade came as the party seeks to generate momentum around a candidate who has been struggling in the polls against the frontrunner, the liberal Warsaw Mayor Rafał Trzaskowski, and as the candidate of a far-right party, Confederation, has been growing in popularity, and threatening Law and Justice's hold over the nation's sizeable conservative electorate. Saturday's event was a celebration of the coronation of Poland's first king, Bolesław the Brave, on April 18, 1025, a historic moment that affirmed Poland's national independence. It also celebrated another anniversary in Polish history: 500 years since the Duchy of Prussia became a fiefdom of the Polish Crown in 1525. That has emotional resonance for some in a country that suffered German aggression for significant periods in its history. During the march, participants waved national flags, chanted 'Long Live Poland and 'Karol Nawrocki, President of Poland!' They also chanted slogans in support of a right-wing television broadcaster, TV Republika, that risks losing its terrestrial broadcasting license, and against Trzaskowski. Trzaskowski has been polling at over 30% while Nawrocki is at just over 20%. The two joined a debate on Friday evening seeking to win new votes, or at least energize their traditional electorates. The chaotic organization and disagreements about the format of the debate underlined the deep political divisions in Poland. An election on May 18, with a likely runoff June 1, will determine whether Law and Justice keeps an ally in the presidential palace. The incumbent, Andrzej Duda, is an ally, but his second and final term ends this summer. He has used his veto power to block some elements of Tusk's agenda.
Washington Post
12-04-2025
- Politics
- Washington Post
Poles celebrate coronation of 1st king at march supporting conservative presidential candidate
WARSAW, Poland — Poles traveled from across the country to the nation's capital for a patriotic demonstration Saturday celebrating 1,000 years since the coronation of the first Polish king. They danced the Polonaise in historic costumes, sang the national anthem, invoked their Catholic beliefs and chanted slogans in support of a conservative candidate running in next month's presidential election.
