Eksperymentalny aspekt Ave Sanctissima Maria Jacka Różyckiego

Abstract

One manifestation of the process whereby the modal tonality of the music of the XVI and XVII century was changed to the tonality of major and minor was the application of chromatics. A good example is "Chromatica" by A. Jarzębski. In the work of J. Różycki we come across a similar phenomenon. In such compositions as "Magnificat", "Fidelis servus" and "Exsultemus omnes" we can see that chromatic progressions are applied sporadically. However, the concerto "Ave Sanctissima Maria", a composition written for solo soprano, violin solo and basso continuo is evidence for the composer's experimentation: he introduces a lot of chromatics and he operates completely within a major-minor tonality. The composition, which is written in the key of B-major is gradually modulated to F-sharp, C-sharp, G-sharp and D-sharp and then, going in the same direction, it tends towards the primordial tonality. The experiment can be explained in several ways. 1. The composition was composed exclusively as an experiment and was not meant for performance. 2. The composition was written to be performed but was obviously experimental. 3. Perhaps the very carelessly written figured bass is not the work of the author. 4. One can also suppose that Różycki had a special instrument at his disposal – an instrument where all the cross tonalities had a sastisfactory sound. 5. He could also have had an instrument tuned especially for experimental purposes. 6. It is also probable that Różycki had no key board instruments at his disposal, with the exception of some instruments tuned in middle key and that the vocalist and the violinist used to take their key from the sound of the key board instrument. The solution of this problem is not possible today. He can only state that "Ave Sanctissima Maria" is a significant composition in Polish musical culture.