My new project has now come into focus: I will write a piece based on the Polish national anthem, “Mazurek Dobrowskiego”. Here’s what that sounds like in full patriotic glory. Pretty heroic right? This piece was an immediate hit in Poland when it was first composed in 1797, a time when Poland was reeling from a series of military defeats and humiliating partition by foreign powers. Also known as “Poland Is Not Yet Lost,” the piece has served as the unofficial (and later official) anthem for Poland ever since.
It’s a compact little ditty with lots of flair, nice energy. It’s got some fun suspensions too, though it is also completely diatonic. It feels a bit limited by it’s simple structure and use of only three chords, but despite the simplicity it has lots of potential, if I can figure out how to unlock it. My general plan at the moment is to aim for “theme and variations,” but I don’t want it to sound too classical. I’m not even sure I want to open with the main theme. It packs a punch, so maybe it’s better to save it for later in the piece. I suppose that would make this piece more like “variations and maybe the theme later if I feel like it.”
One would think that this music would have already been used for a set of variations at some point in the past, especially since one of the most famous classical composers was a patriotic Pole. I’ve heard rumors that, indeed, Chopin did play around with this piece, perhaps even creating a Chopin-y sounding piano transcription along the way. However I am not able to locate a score, and it is not included in his set of 57 mazurkas. That, at least, is a relief. I don’t really want to be in direct competition with Chopin when it comes to writing variations on the Polish national anthem, for cryin’ out loud.
Modern composer Sy Brandon did in fact write a set of variations for this very piece, a version for alto sax and piano. I recommend giving it a listen. It’s a fascinating blending of the anthem with some American vibes. It’s got hints of klezmer, and a dash of the modern. I like the ambiance he creates, and the colors of the sax hit a real sweet spot for me. But I also feel it’s more literal than I would have written, and leaves a lot of room for further variation. I personally want to take this theme off the deep end a bit. I am willing to lose the basic contour of the melody in exchange for evocative music and new art. Since a straightforward set of variations that continually returns to the main theme has already been done, I feel that I must do something different.
Right now I am in the brainstorming phase, which means sketching and sketching and sketching some more. The point is to save every new idea, but don’t linger on anything too long until I find something that is catchy enough to get stuck in my head. At that point I will turn it over in my brain for a day or two, go for a long walk, and see what I end up humming when I’m not thinking about it too hard. It’s just a start, but I’ve found it’s good way to generate something memorable.
Right now I’m just playing around with various ideas. This is what a typical section of my sketchbook might look like:
There is no form yet, just bits and pieces that could one day become something. Or maybe these tidbits will spend their lives in storage, waiting for their moments to shine, waiting perhaps forever. That bit starting at measure 77 could serve as a sequence, just as a similar chord progression served as one in Chopin’s Mazurka no. 1 ( see measures 4-8). Or maybe I will discard the idea altogether and use another instead. For now I am off to sleep, to see if I hum anything in my dreams.