Krzysztof Komeda
Ballet Etudes / Breakfast at Tiffany's

Tracks:

1. Ballet Etudes (K. Komeda) [19:18] 
2. Breakfast at Tiffany's (K. Komeda) [30:01] 

Recorded:

at Jazz Jamboree Festival, Warsaw October 27-29, 1962 (track 1),   in Warsaw, January 1965 for theatre "Komedia" (track 2)

Performed by:

Krzysztof Komeda - piano
Wanda Warska - vocal (1)
Michal Urbaniak - tenor sax
Eje Thelin - trombone (1)
Zbigniew Namyslowski - alto sax
Roman Dyląg - bass
Rune Carlsson - drums (1)
Jerzy Lesicki - fluet (2)
Tomasz Stanko - trumpet (2)
Janusz Sidorenko - guitar (2)
Jacek Ostaszewski - bass (2)
Adam Jedrzejowski - drums (2)
Kalina Jedrusik - vocal (2)

Music by:

Krzysztof Komeda

About:

Ballet Etudes were created by Christopher Komeda in 1962. He composed them with the intention of Jazz Jamboree, where they were performed for the first time. Christopher Komeda was composing them in June and July 1962 and they were recorded in August. These are four independent etudes. They have different rhythmicity, melodics and mood. Jerzy Gruca worked out the choreography for the first - night performance which was shown during autumn jazz festival. He also danced in that performance together with other very famous ballet soloists of Warsaw Opera - Maria Krzyszkowska, Krystyna Mazurowna and unforgettable Mr. Strzelecki and Mr. Szymanski. Next year in spring all these etudes were played by Komeda and his musicians in jazz clubs and on concerts during their tournee in Scandinavian countries. Christopher Komeda was giving concerts as a member of his quintet together with two Scandinavian musicians - trumpeter Allan Botschinsky from Denmark /among other he replaced vocalisation of Wanda Warska/ and with drummer Rune Carlsson from Sweden. Other members of his quintet were - bassist Roman "Gucio" Dylag - Polish musician who lived in Sweden, Jan "Ptaszyn" Wroblewski who played tenor sax and Christopher Komeda who played piano. These etudes stired up admiration and aroused interest. So, they were recorded in Copenhagen for METRONOME Records in May 1963. That record was called "Ballet Etudes - The Music Of Komeda". Second time Ballet Etudes were performed in the seventies by Warsaw Opera. This time Marta Bochenek was their choreographer. This ballet was also included to a concert which was dedicated to the creation of Christopher Komeda. That concert was organized five years after Komeda's death. This time only female dancers danced in that performance - six leading soloists of Warsaw Opera. That concert, in accordance with my script and directed by Kazimierz Kutz, was performed successfully in four Polish cities - Warsaw, Cracow, Poznan and Wroclaw. I also know that in the same time vanguard ballet group of Cracow Engineering College performed all these etudes successfully in our country and at some foreign festivals. That group received several prizes for great dance skills and realization. "Breakfast at Tiffany's is the theatrical music composed by Christopher Komeda. Polish premiere which was directed by Jan Biczycki took place in Comedy Theatre in Warsaw in 1966. It was in the same year when that suite was composed and recorded. The play itself was the adaptation of the book "Breakfast at Tiffany's" written by Truman Capote. That adaptation was made by Stanislaw Dygat - our great writer and dramatist. He was able to create that adaptation because he had come to the agreement with Truman Capote about that. Stanislaw Dygat made that adaptation with the intention of leading role for his wife Kalina Jedrusik. That leading role - the part of Holly - was ideal role for her. It was great success, not only literary but also musical. Great acting - in particular acting of Kalina Jedrusik and her partner Wladyslaw Kowalski. That performance was being performed in that theatre for several months. Two music themes distinguish themselves in all that music illustration. The first in Holly's song with lyrics written by Agnieszka Osiecka which was being sung by the main heroine acted by unforgettable Kalina Jedrusik. She was singing that song very beautifully and with great sensibility. The second theme is the Komeda's carol, the carol full of special mood. After Komeda's death I called it "Grey Carol". This song lived to see its vocal performance because Wojciech Mlynarski wrote its lyrics several years ago and as a separate composition it was performed during the concert titled "Komeda's Song - Book" in Warsaw in Polish Radio Studio S1 in October 1995. This concert was shown in Polish Television twice in 1996 and 1997. The play directed by Kazimierz Kutz with archival music recorded by Christopher Komeda was shown in national TV channel by TVP Katowice in 1971. Kalina Jedrusik also took part in that play.

All text courtesy of © PowerBros and © Zofia Komeda