The sacred and the profane
The fifth edition of the Sacrum Profanum festival, being held in Kraków from September 16-23, will present an overview of America's greatest composers. The works of George Gershwin, Charles Ives, Steve Reich, Philip Glass and Miles Davis, among others, will be performed by artists from both classical and pop music backgrounds. The festival will feature stars like the London Sinfonietta, Schönberg Ensemble, Asko Ensemble, Theatre of Voices, Leszek Móżdżer, Tomasz Stańko, Kwartet lšski and Sinfonia Varsovia.
The grande finale of the event will present the most memorable scenes and songs from Leonard Bernstein's musicals, including West Side Story, On the Town, Wonderful Town and Candide.
Along with more traditional venues, such as the concert hall of the Cracow Philharmonic, some performances will take place in a former factory once owned by Oskar Shindler as well in a hall at the Arcelormittal steelworks.
The core idea of the festival is to present 19th and 20th century masterpieces from various countries. This year's American theme was preceeded by celebrations of Viennese, Russian and French music, among others.
"The festival has great educational value, giving a thorough overview of the achievements of key American composers," festival artistic director Filip Berkowicz told WBJ. He added that works presented at Sacrum Profanum include both world-renowned pieces as well as some premieres, such as Elliott Carter's Dialogues.
