Book Reviews by Anna Al-Araj
Pamiętnik Literacki 2015, z. 2
The review discusses Piotr Oczko’s book, the first lengthy attempt at presenting a common in Holl... more The review discusses Piotr Oczko’s book, the first lengthy attempt at presenting a common in Holland cult of cleaning over a span of history. The description of unusual Dutch practices of keeping order contained in the study refers to, following the New Historicism assumptions, the presentation of more significant issues, as e.g. national identity and its formation, relation with God and world, morality, middle-class ethos, or the Northern Netherlands social relations.
Papers by Anna Al-Araj
Alcumena, 2023
The aim of this article is to present the possibility of adapting the category of melancholy to t... more The aim of this article is to present the possibility of adapting the category of melancholy to the analysis of the word (poetic) and musical works. In the first part, different definitions of melancholy created by philosophers and cultural researchers are taken under consideration. Then I try to interpret the word and musical layers of the poem (and the song) called Crépuscule du soir mystique in the light of solutions typical for melancholic moods. In the last part of the article, I propose to extract a separate expressive category, which will be helpful to analyze pieces from the circle of symbolism in particular.
Kultura i Historia, 2022
The aim of this article is to show and interpret a Henry David Thoreauʼs statement about the prob... more The aim of this article is to show and interpret a Henry David Thoreauʼs statement about the problem of simplicity as a core value in human life, based on the work called Walden, or Life in the Woods. The author-after mentioning the circumstances when a piece was created-analyzes some issues connecting to this particular attitude to life (by recalling some quotations from the Walden) such like: the relationship between human being and Nature or the other persons, the way of organizing time or a postulated diet. The conclusions of the article are concerned with the importance and influence of Thoreauʼs recognition on the later thought.
Kwartalnik Młodych Muzykologów UJ
Pieśniowe interpretacje wybranych wierszy Paula Verlaine'a. Analiza porównawcza utworów Ireny Wie... more Pieśniowe interpretacje wybranych wierszy Paula Verlaine'a. Analiza porównawcza utworów Ireny Wieniawskiej oraz Gabriela Faurégo, Claude'a Debussy'ego i Maurice'a Ravela1 Irena Wieniawska (1879−1932), córka Henryka Wieniawskiego, znana też jako Madame Poldowski albo Lady Dean Paul, była działającą na terenie Belgii i Wielkiej Brytanii kompozytorką oraz pianistką. Tajniki sztuki muzycznej miała okazję zgłębiać m.in. w paryskiej Schola Cantorum u Vincenta d'Indy' ego, we Francji poznała także dorobek impresjonistów, co miało znaczący wpływ na kształtowanie się jej idiomu twórczego. Madame Poldowski często występowała w ramach recitali organizowanych przez stowarzyszenie La Libre Esthétique w Brukseli, odbyła ponadto podróże koncertowe do Stanów Zjednoczonych i Hiszpanii2. Istotną część dorobku Wieniawskiej stanowią pieśni 1 Niniejszy artykuł jest opracowaniem fragmentu pracy magisterskiej, napisanej pod kierunkiem dr hab.
![Research paper thumbnail of "Próżny teatr życia". Do Jana Libiniusza. Usprawiedliwienie swej samotności (Oda IV. 12) Macieja Kazimierza Sarbiewskiego ["The vain theatre of life". To Jan Libiniusz. An excuse for my own solitude (Ode IV. 12) by Maciej Kazimierz Sarbiewski]](https://attachments.academia-assets.com/66254714/thumbnails/1.jpg)
Kultura i Wartości, 2020
Celem niniejszego artykułu jest przedstawienie zapatrywań Macieja Kazimierza Sarbiewskiego na wyb... more Celem niniejszego artykułu jest przedstawienie zapatrywań Macieja Kazimierza Sarbiewskiego na wybrane kwestie z zakresu poetyki oraz interpretacja – wzbogacona o inne konteksty (Horacy, Jan Kochanowski) – jego Ody IV. 12 Do Jana Libiniusza. Usprawiedliwienie swej samotności. Rozważania poparte zostały odwołaniami do liryków i traktatów teoretycznych jezuity, cenną podbudowę stanowią ponadto rozprawy dotyczące twórczości sarmackiego Horacjusza autorstwa m.in. Andrzeja Borowskiego, Piotra Urbańskiego czy Elwiry Buszewicz.
Artykuł składa się z dwóch zasadniczych części, z których pierwsza poświęcona jest poetyce sformułowanej Sarbiewskiego. Autorka przybliża w niej idee myśliciela dotyczące roli poety, hierarchii sztuk oraz funkcji zabiegu alegoryzacji i jego związku z koncepcją fabulosa theologia. W kolejnej części zwraca się uwagę na obecność motywów ignacjańskich w lirykach jezuity powstałych po 1625 roku. Nawiązania do doktryny zakonu św. Ignacego Loyoli w silnym stopniu naznaczają także tkankę Ody IV. 12, równie istotnymi kontekstami są ponadto topos theatrum mundi oraz dorobek literacki Horacego (zwłaszcza Carm. III. 1). Rozważania zostają zwieńczone tezą o spójności wyłożonych w rozprawach teoretycznych idei z wydźwiękiem „późnych” utworów Sarbiewskiego.
![Research paper thumbnail of Fenomen popularności utworów poetyckich Kazimierza Tetmajera wśród kompozytorów [The Phenomenon of Kazimierz Tetmajer's Lyrical Pieces among Composers]](https://attachments.academia-assets.com/64890397/thumbnails/1.jpg)
Konteksty Kultury, 2020
The article discusses the problem of the popularity of lyrical pieces by Kazimierz Tetmajer among... more The article discusses the problem of the popularity of lyrical pieces by Kazimierz Tetmajer among composers. The author reviews the factors which could have influenced the popularisation of selected lyric poems in the consciousness of musicians, and these include emotionality rooted in romanticism, the perfection of the poetic workshop and
“musical” moulding of the linguistic material. The latter of these characteristics, analysed in the chapter “Tetmajer a muzyka” (“Tetmajer vs. Music”), is the central topic of this article. The author examines the “musicality” of Tetmajer’s lyrical pieces on the level of the theme (where the issue of music terminology arises), sound (“tunefulness,” “melodiousness,” “rhythmicality”) and construction (being inspired with a musical form of rondo in a poem Anioł Pański (Angelus)). It is probably Tetmajer’s fascination with the art of sound, having its reflection in the linguistic material, which contributed to the composers’ avid interest in his literary oeuvre.
Annales UMCS, sectio FF , 2017
The aim of this article is to interpret a novel The Fugue by Wit Szostak regarding his inspiratio... more The aim of this article is to interpret a novel The Fugue by Wit Szostak regarding his inspiration by a musical form (a fugue). In the first part of the text, a relationship between music and literature, and the possibility to imitate music in literature are analyzed. Then, the author pays attention to Szostak’s attitude to music and the influence of music on his prose works. In the next part of this text, the main problems of The Fugue are characterized, including the title, plot as well as a construction of this work. The final fragment consists of conclusions about the functions of Szostak’s inspiration by the fugue.
Kwartalnik Młodych Muzykologów UJ 2017, No. 2
The aim of this article is to interpret songs by Gabriel Fauré, Claude Debussy, Maurice Ravel and... more The aim of this article is to interpret songs by Gabriel Fauré, Claude Debussy, Maurice Ravel and a less‑known composer — Irena Wieniawska (1879−1932), based on the same poems by Paul Verlaine. In the first part of this paper, the relationships between Wieniawska, Fauré, Debussy, Ravel and Verlaine are subsequently described. Then, the author makes a comparison between selected songs by French composers and Madame Poldowski, indicating main similarities and differences. The final part consists of some remarks related to the fact that Wieniawska fulfills features of the French mélodie very strictly. This is why her songs seem to be more traditional, not as allusive and sophisticated as Debussy's or Ravel's vocal works.
Pamiętnik Literacki 2017, z. 4
The present article ponders upon the connections between Edward Stachura’s selected ideas develop... more The present article ponders upon the connections between Edward Stachura’s selected ideas developed in his prose pieces and the reflections of Western European, American and Latin-American philosophers and men of letters (e.g. Arthur Schopenhauer, Henri Bergson, Ralph W. Emerson, Martin Heidegger, Adam Mickiewicz, Miron Białoszewski, Jorge Luis Borges). Indications of the dependencies and affinities allow to place Sted’s creativity – difficult to classify due to its autonomy – in a broader cultural context and to show its phenomenon as a consequence of solutions practiced earlier by other authors.
![Research paper thumbnail of "W ogóle jestem niechętny dźwiękom". Muzyka w filmie "Tatarak" Andrzeja Wajdy ["As a rule, I am reluctant towards sound". Music in Andrzej Wajda's film "Sweet Rush"]](https://attachments.academia-assets.com/55307745/thumbnails/1.jpg)
Przestrzenie Teorii , 2017
The aim of this article is to interpret the musical layer of Andrzej Wajda’s 2009 movie Tatarak (... more The aim of this article is to interpret the musical layer of Andrzej Wajda’s 2009 movie Tatarak (Sweet Rush), based on the novel by Jarosław Iwaszkiewicz. In the first part, the author attempts to depict the complex relationship between the literary and film works of these two artists and emphasizes three main motifs used by both of them: love and death, water and women’s themes. Next, Wajda’s attitude to music is analyzed. He treats sounds as an element of everyday life and, as is typical for our times, he is aware of the “dissolution” of musical works. In the next part, the author articulates the main problems of Sweet Rush, drawing attention to both Iwaszkiewicz’s novel and Wajda’s movie. The director’s adaptation, which is full of intermedia references, revolves around the theme of death and seems to underestimate the sexual aspect of Iwaszkiewicz’s work. Finally, Pawel Mykietyn’s soundtrack to Sweet Rush is interpreted. The composer used one of his earlier Shakespeare’s Sonnets (2000), which plays the role of a leitmotif, to illustrate the
most enigmatic, inexplicable scenes from Wajda’s movie. Thanks to its discrete, sparing and “austere” nature, Mykietyn’s music made the artistic composition of Sweet Rush more balanced and revealed the suggestiveness of this work.
![Research paper thumbnail of Problem doświadczenia mistycznego w wybranych utworach prozatorskich Edwarda Stachury [Mystical experiences in the fiction of Edward Stachura]](https://attachments.academia-assets.com/54331615/thumbnails/1.jpg)
Ruch Literacki , 2016
This article examines some aspects of the fi ction of Edward Stachura, especially those that lend... more This article examines some aspects of the fi ction of Edward Stachura, especially those that lend to it an aura of mystery and unreality. It cannot be denied that some kind of mystical experience (usually wrapped up in borderline situations of death or extreme suffering) lies at heart of his novels and short stories, and remains the object of his unfl agging explorations. His fascination with the strange and elusive realms of human experiences can be traced back to his debut novel, All the
Brilliance (Cała jaskrawość). It grew more intense each year to reach its climax in 1977–1979, the time he wrote a collection of short stories Self (Się) and a loose collection of philosophical musings Fabula rasa. These three books seem to be most representative for the evolution of Stachura’s attitude towards ‘the beyond’. Moreover, they provide the best insights into Stachura’s mind, as revealed through his fi ctional alter egos Edmund Szerucki, Michał Kątny, I-Man and Man-Nobody.
![Research paper thumbnail of Witkacy - "mistyk bez Boga"? O koncepcji "homo metaphysicus Trepidus" (na przykładzie "Pożegnania jesieni") ['The mystic without God'? About the concept of homo metaphysicus Trepidus (based on the example of the novel 'Farewell to fall')]](https://attachments.academia-assets.com/52028999/thumbnails/1.jpg)
WITKACY 2014: co jeszcze jest do odkrycia?, red. J. Degler, Słupsk 2016
The paper discusses one of the fundamental categories of S.I. Witkiewicz’s philosophical system –... more The paper discusses one of the fundamental categories of S.I. Witkiewicz’s philosophical system – the metaphysical experience. In the thinker’s writings, this emotional sensation is defined both as ‘the directly given unity of the personality’ and ‘the feeling of the strangeness
of being, against the background of the individual’s resistance to the whole of the world’. The feeling is always opposed to everything that is connected with the ‘normal’, ‘quotidian’ and ‘common’ existence – it is the platform towards a diff erent kind of being. The interest in such an undistinguishable – or rather indescribable in a schematic way – and mysterious realm, contributed in naming Witkacy ‘the mystic without God’.
The other part of the text attempts to approach the mentioned phenomenon on a basis of the novel ‘Farewell to fall’. Numerous extracts from the novel, which were quoted in this text, help to understand the attributes of the mystic state – to which Witkacy paid a great deference
– and they illustrate the signifi cance of its position in his philosophical system.
Zeszyty Artystyczne 2016, nr 29
This article presents the interpretation of a famous song cycle – Songs from Liquid Days, compose... more This article presents the interpretation of a famous song cycle – Songs from Liquid Days, composed by Philip Glass (in cooperation with Paul Simon, Suzanne Vega, David Byrne and Laurie Anderson) in 1986. In the first part the author tries to illustrate an artistic way of a popular American minimalist, strictly connected to avant-garde movements at the beginning of his career. The next section concerns the analysis of the piece: the author pays special attention to the elements of rhythm and harmony, which constitute – a typical for Glass’ music – sound and impression of infinity. The last part presents the interpretation of Songs from Liquid Days in the context of the ritual: there is put a hypothesis that many stylistic features of this composition determine a similar reaction, which appear among ritual participants as well.
![Research paper thumbnail of Pieśni Ireny Wieniawskiej do słów Paula Verlaine'a [Irena Wieniawska's Songs to Words by Paul Verlaine]](https://attachments.academia-assets.com/50267471/thumbnails/1.jpg)
Annales UMCS. Sectio L: Artes 2016, nr 1
This article presents the interpretation of 21 songs (composed between 1911 and 1927) by Irena Wi... more This article presents the interpretation of 21 songs (composed between 1911 and 1927) by Irena Wieniawska (1879–1932), based on Paul Verlaine’s poems. The composer, also known as Poldowski or Lady Dean Paul, was a daughter of the famous Polish artist and violinist – Henryk Wieniawski, and Isabelle Hampton-Wieniawska. She lived and worked in Belgium and England. It is worth mentioning that Madame Poldowski knew some impressionistic works (among others Maurice Ravel’s) in France and these experiences influenced her artistic idiom.
First, the author analyzes the lyrics (main themes as well as the structure of Verlaine’s texts). Then the attention is paid to the music level: the author subsequently describes the basic musical elements such as melody, piano accompaniment, harmony, texture, form. In the third part of this article, following some of the rules (so-called corollaries) by Henry Woollett, the problem of word-music relationships in Wieniawska’s songs is discussed. In conclusion the author suggests that Madame Poldowski’s vocal-instrumental pieces represent the genre of French mélodie because of verbal transparency (recitative and syllabic treatment of text) as well as harmonic and formal complexity, and variability. A hypothesis is put forward that this aesthetics is a reinterpretation of common symbolist features in music.
Opera w kulturze, red. M. Sokalska, Kraków 2016
The aim of this paper is to interpret the references to musical construction (“musicality III”, a... more The aim of this paper is to interpret the references to musical construction (“musicality III”, according to Andrzej Hejmej) in Paweł Huelle’s novel Śpiewaj ogrody (“Sing Gardens”). Both the plot (parts by the narrator and characters of the novel) and structure of this work seem to indicate Huelle’s great inspiration with the technique of Richard Wagner (the technique of leitmotif, idea of never-ending melody). The first part of this article indicates and comments on the excerpts from the novel with references to the issue of musical construction, while the second part concentrates on identifying and characterising chosen leitmotifs, from which this “literary score” is built. The paper ends with reflections on interrelations between given threads of the history described in Śpiewaj ogrody.
Fragile 2014, nr 3-4
Mariaże muzyki klasycznej i muzyki popularnej kwestię tej mocno już przestarzałej i zupełnie ni... more Mariaże muzyki klasycznej i muzyki popularnej kwestię tej mocno już przestarzałej i zupełnie nieadekwatnej do współczesnych realiów nomenklatury pozostawiam tutaj na uboczu przyjmujące na przestrzeni dziejów rozmaite kształty czy oblicza, na szczególnej doniosłości zyskały w XX stuleciu. Błyskawiczny rozwój kultury masowej, do jakiego doszło
Transpozycje. Muzyka w nowoczesnej literaturze europejskiej, red. A. Hejmej, T. Górny, Kraków 2016
Wielbij, o serce, ogrody, te nie poznane ni razu, niedosiężne, za szkłem zamknięte ogrody. Jasne,... more Wielbij, o serce, ogrody, te nie poznane ni razu, niedosiężne, za szkłem zamknięte ogrody. Jasne, przejrzyste jak szkło: Ispahanu, Szirazu chwal niezrównane, róże opiewaj i wody.
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Book Reviews by Anna Al-Araj
Papers by Anna Al-Araj
Artykuł składa się z dwóch zasadniczych części, z których pierwsza poświęcona jest poetyce sformułowanej Sarbiewskiego. Autorka przybliża w niej idee myśliciela dotyczące roli poety, hierarchii sztuk oraz funkcji zabiegu alegoryzacji i jego związku z koncepcją fabulosa theologia. W kolejnej części zwraca się uwagę na obecność motywów ignacjańskich w lirykach jezuity powstałych po 1625 roku. Nawiązania do doktryny zakonu św. Ignacego Loyoli w silnym stopniu naznaczają także tkankę Ody IV. 12, równie istotnymi kontekstami są ponadto topos theatrum mundi oraz dorobek literacki Horacego (zwłaszcza Carm. III. 1). Rozważania zostają zwieńczone tezą o spójności wyłożonych w rozprawach teoretycznych idei z wydźwiękiem „późnych” utworów Sarbiewskiego.
“musical” moulding of the linguistic material. The latter of these characteristics, analysed in the chapter “Tetmajer a muzyka” (“Tetmajer vs. Music”), is the central topic of this article. The author examines the “musicality” of Tetmajer’s lyrical pieces on the level of the theme (where the issue of music terminology arises), sound (“tunefulness,” “melodiousness,” “rhythmicality”) and construction (being inspired with a musical form of rondo in a poem Anioł Pański (Angelus)). It is probably Tetmajer’s fascination with the art of sound, having its reflection in the linguistic material, which contributed to the composers’ avid interest in his literary oeuvre.
most enigmatic, inexplicable scenes from Wajda’s movie. Thanks to its discrete, sparing and “austere” nature, Mykietyn’s music made the artistic composition of Sweet Rush more balanced and revealed the suggestiveness of this work.
Brilliance (Cała jaskrawość). It grew more intense each year to reach its climax in 1977–1979, the time he wrote a collection of short stories Self (Się) and a loose collection of philosophical musings Fabula rasa. These three books seem to be most representative for the evolution of Stachura’s attitude towards ‘the beyond’. Moreover, they provide the best insights into Stachura’s mind, as revealed through his fi ctional alter egos Edmund Szerucki, Michał Kątny, I-Man and Man-Nobody.
of being, against the background of the individual’s resistance to the whole of the world’. The feeling is always opposed to everything that is connected with the ‘normal’, ‘quotidian’ and ‘common’ existence – it is the platform towards a diff erent kind of being. The interest in such an undistinguishable – or rather indescribable in a schematic way – and mysterious realm, contributed in naming Witkacy ‘the mystic without God’.
The other part of the text attempts to approach the mentioned phenomenon on a basis of the novel ‘Farewell to fall’. Numerous extracts from the novel, which were quoted in this text, help to understand the attributes of the mystic state – to which Witkacy paid a great deference
– and they illustrate the signifi cance of its position in his philosophical system.
First, the author analyzes the lyrics (main themes as well as the structure of Verlaine’s texts). Then the attention is paid to the music level: the author subsequently describes the basic musical elements such as melody, piano accompaniment, harmony, texture, form. In the third part of this article, following some of the rules (so-called corollaries) by Henry Woollett, the problem of word-music relationships in Wieniawska’s songs is discussed. In conclusion the author suggests that Madame Poldowski’s vocal-instrumental pieces represent the genre of French mélodie because of verbal transparency (recitative and syllabic treatment of text) as well as harmonic and formal complexity, and variability. A hypothesis is put forward that this aesthetics is a reinterpretation of common symbolist features in music.
Artykuł składa się z dwóch zasadniczych części, z których pierwsza poświęcona jest poetyce sformułowanej Sarbiewskiego. Autorka przybliża w niej idee myśliciela dotyczące roli poety, hierarchii sztuk oraz funkcji zabiegu alegoryzacji i jego związku z koncepcją fabulosa theologia. W kolejnej części zwraca się uwagę na obecność motywów ignacjańskich w lirykach jezuity powstałych po 1625 roku. Nawiązania do doktryny zakonu św. Ignacego Loyoli w silnym stopniu naznaczają także tkankę Ody IV. 12, równie istotnymi kontekstami są ponadto topos theatrum mundi oraz dorobek literacki Horacego (zwłaszcza Carm. III. 1). Rozważania zostają zwieńczone tezą o spójności wyłożonych w rozprawach teoretycznych idei z wydźwiękiem „późnych” utworów Sarbiewskiego.
“musical” moulding of the linguistic material. The latter of these characteristics, analysed in the chapter “Tetmajer a muzyka” (“Tetmajer vs. Music”), is the central topic of this article. The author examines the “musicality” of Tetmajer’s lyrical pieces on the level of the theme (where the issue of music terminology arises), sound (“tunefulness,” “melodiousness,” “rhythmicality”) and construction (being inspired with a musical form of rondo in a poem Anioł Pański (Angelus)). It is probably Tetmajer’s fascination with the art of sound, having its reflection in the linguistic material, which contributed to the composers’ avid interest in his literary oeuvre.
most enigmatic, inexplicable scenes from Wajda’s movie. Thanks to its discrete, sparing and “austere” nature, Mykietyn’s music made the artistic composition of Sweet Rush more balanced and revealed the suggestiveness of this work.
Brilliance (Cała jaskrawość). It grew more intense each year to reach its climax in 1977–1979, the time he wrote a collection of short stories Self (Się) and a loose collection of philosophical musings Fabula rasa. These three books seem to be most representative for the evolution of Stachura’s attitude towards ‘the beyond’. Moreover, they provide the best insights into Stachura’s mind, as revealed through his fi ctional alter egos Edmund Szerucki, Michał Kątny, I-Man and Man-Nobody.
of being, against the background of the individual’s resistance to the whole of the world’. The feeling is always opposed to everything that is connected with the ‘normal’, ‘quotidian’ and ‘common’ existence – it is the platform towards a diff erent kind of being. The interest in such an undistinguishable – or rather indescribable in a schematic way – and mysterious realm, contributed in naming Witkacy ‘the mystic without God’.
The other part of the text attempts to approach the mentioned phenomenon on a basis of the novel ‘Farewell to fall’. Numerous extracts from the novel, which were quoted in this text, help to understand the attributes of the mystic state – to which Witkacy paid a great deference
– and they illustrate the signifi cance of its position in his philosophical system.
First, the author analyzes the lyrics (main themes as well as the structure of Verlaine’s texts). Then the attention is paid to the music level: the author subsequently describes the basic musical elements such as melody, piano accompaniment, harmony, texture, form. In the third part of this article, following some of the rules (so-called corollaries) by Henry Woollett, the problem of word-music relationships in Wieniawska’s songs is discussed. In conclusion the author suggests that Madame Poldowski’s vocal-instrumental pieces represent the genre of French mélodie because of verbal transparency (recitative and syllabic treatment of text) as well as harmonic and formal complexity, and variability. A hypothesis is put forward that this aesthetics is a reinterpretation of common symbolist features in music.