[su_button url=”https://vitak-elsnic.com/product-category/small-ensemble/brass-quartet-small-ensemble/brass-polish-collection/” background=”#e58134″ size=”5″]Brass Quartet-Polish Collection[/su_button]
The music in our Polish Collection is drawn from original compositions and arrangements from traditional Polish folk tunes, most of which were published by the Vitak-Elsnic Company in the 1920s-1940s period. All of these selections were sourced from the company’s archives of piano solos and of the seven Polish Dance Folios for small band and orchestra and for accordion.
Our collection contains new arrangements for small ensembles of brass or string instruments. Each arrangement includes a full score as well as individual instrumentation, so it is appropriate for a variety of club, educational, and dance settings. We can customize any of these selections to fit your particular instrumentation.
Polish folk music is rich and varied. While polkas and waltzes are part of the Polish musical fabric, distinctive dance forms and associated music make these new arrangements unique. Poland has a number of national dances, that is, dances performed across the country. Vitak-Elsnic publishes music for four of these dance forms, which are found in these arrangements.
To assist in selection, we provide the following guide to each of these four distinctly Polish musical forms. The music is designed to accompany set dance forms for each form. Reference to tempo is relative.
KRAKOWIAK – is a lively, syncopated dance in 2/4 time that originated from the Krakow region. The first Krakowiak was published in 1816, over 200 years ago.
KUJAWIAK – is a slower dance in 3/4 time that originated in the Kujawy region of central Poland. Its slower pace is meant to evoke the pastoral landscape of the region. It often includes portions written in a minor key.
MAZUR or MAZURKA – is a dance in 3/4 time, usually with a lively tempo and with strong accents unexpectedly placed on the second or third beats. Chopin was greatly influenced by the mazurka, of which he composed 58 that have been published.
OBEREK – is a fast dance in 3/4 time. The word “oberek” is derived from “obrot,” meaning to “turn” or “spin.” It is the second-most popular dance in Polish-American culture, after the polka.