Milobedzka / Zimpel - Tyle Tego Ty (2012)

Wacław Zimpel - Bb clarinet, alto clarinet, harmonium, fujara

Christian Ramond - double bass

Klaus Kugel - percussion instruments

Krystyna Miłobędzka - poetry

By Maciej Nowotny

Since XIXth century Romanticism poetry plays very special role in Polish culture. Great poets of that era - Mickiewicz, Słowacki, Krasiński and then Norwid - preserved national spirit in gloomy days after Poland had lost independence at the end of previous century. This tradition was kept alive also in XXth century what is evidenced by two Nobel Prizes for Polish poets: Wisława Szymborska and Czesław Miłosz. But apart from them there has been many others, equally interesting and widely read, like for example Zbigniew Herbert. One of those many is poetess Krystyna Miłobędzka.

To this splendid tradition is bound another one: that poetry is accompanied by music. The verses could be either sung or recited like in this case. The voice of Miłobędzka is trembling yet it immadietely catches attention. The text is deep, multifaceted, abounding with imagination and yet precise, laconic. The music as created by Wacław Zimpel and his companions provides an excellent background for her words. No surprise since Zimpel is one of the most interesting personalities in Polish contemporary music. Ceratinly there are better albums than this to start to explore Zimpel musical language (check "Hera" or "Passion"). But to those who already know most of Zimpel artistic output this will be worthy to investigate. And yet another proof how open-minded he is...