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Piotr Rubik (Polish pronunciation: ; born 3 September 1968 in
Warsaw Warsaw ( pl, Warszawa, ), officially the Capital City of Warsaw,, abbreviation: ''m.st. Warszawa'' is the capital and largest city of Poland. The metropolis stands on the River Vistula in east-central Poland, and its population is official ...
) is a Polish composer of
symphonic A symphony is an extended musical composition in Western classical music, most often for orchestra. Although the term has had many meanings from its origins in the ancient Greek era, by the late 18th century the word had taken on the meaning co ...
pop music Pop music is a genre of popular music that originated in its modern form during the mid-1950s in the United States and the United Kingdom. The terms ''popular music'' and ''pop music'' are often used interchangeably, although the former describ ...
for
orchestra An orchestra (; ) is a large instrumental ensemble typical of classical music, which combines instruments from different families. There are typically four main sections of instruments: * bowed string instruments, such as the violin, viola, c ...
, film and theatre as well as
conductor Conductor or conduction may refer to: Music * Conductor (music), a person who leads a musical ensemble, such as an orchestra. * ''Conductor'' (album), an album by indie rock band The Comas * Conduction, a type of structured free improvisation ...
,
music producer A record producer is a recording project's creative and technical leader, commanding studio time and coaching artists, and in popular genres typically creates the song's very sound and structure. Virgil Moorefield"Introduction" ''The Producer as ...
and
vocalist Singing is the act of creating musical sounds with the voice. A person who sings is called a singer, artist or vocalist (in jazz and/or popular music). Singers perform music (arias, recitatives, songs, etc.) that can be sung with or witho ...
. He gained nationwide popularity in the mid-2000s with the success of his songs ''Niech mówią, że to nie jest miłość'' (2005) and ''Psalm dla Ciebie'' (2006).


Biography

Rubik learned to play the
cello The cello ( ; plural ''celli'' or ''cellos'') or violoncello ( ; ) is a Bow (music), bowed (sometimes pizzicato, plucked and occasionally col legno, hit) string instrument of the violin family. Its four strings are usually intonation (music), t ...
from the age of 7, went on to a musical secondary school, and then studied at the
Fryderyk Chopin Academy of Music The Chopin University of Music ( pl, Uniwersytet Muzyczny Fryderyka Chopina, UMFC) is a musical conservatorium and academy located in central Warsaw, Poland. It is the oldest and largest music school in Poland, and one of the largest in Europe.
in
Warsaw Warsaw ( pl, Warszawa, ), officially the Capital City of Warsaw,, abbreviation: ''m.st. Warszawa'' is the capital and largest city of Poland. The metropolis stands on the River Vistula in east-central Poland, and its population is official ...
. Later he became a member of the world-class orchestra
Jeunesses Musicales Jeunesses Musicales International (JMI) is the largest youth music non-governmental organisation in the world, created in Brussels, Belgium in 1945, with the mission to "enable young people to develop through music across all boundaries". JMI ha ...
. He studied film score composition in
Siena Siena ( , ; lat, Sena Iulia) is a city in Tuscany, Italy. It is the capital of the province of Siena. The city is historically linked to commercial and banking activities, having been a major banking center until the 13th and 14th centur ...
, Italy, under
Ennio Morricone Ennio Morricone (; 10 November 19286 July 2020) was an Italian composer, orchestrator, conductor, and trumpeter who wrote music in a wide range of styles. With more than 400 scores for cinema and television, as well as more than 100 classic ...
. Piotr Rubik worked with various Polish artists and musicians, such as
Edyta Górniak Edyta Anna Górniak (; born 14 November 1972) is a Polish pop singer with a career spanning 3 decades. Górniak started as a musical theatre actress in 1990. She performed in the most popular musical in Polish history, the Tony Award-nominated ...
with "Dotyk". He also did work on film tracks and television. His most popular songs have been ''Niech mówią że to nie jest miłość'' ''(Let them say it's not love)'', ''Psalm dla Ciebie'' ''(Psalm for You)'', ''Most Dwojga Serc'' ''(Bridge of Two Hearts)'', ''Nie Wstydź się mówić że kochasz'' ''(Don't be afraid to say that you love)'', and ''Miłość cierpliwa jest, lecz i nie cierpliwa'' ''(Love is patient, yet impatient)''. Rubik has also performed in North America numerous times since September 2007. In October–November 2010, the composer and conductor went on a tour of 17 concerts in the US and Canada, starting in Trenton,
New Jersey New Jersey is a U.S. state, state in the Mid-Atlantic States, Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States, Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York (state), New York; on the ea ...
, and finishing the tour in
Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = List of sovereign states, Count ...
,
Illinois Illinois ( ) is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolitan areas include, Peoria and Roc ...
.


Main works

His
magnum opus A masterpiece, ''magnum opus'' (), or ''chef-d’œuvre'' (; ; ) in modern use is a creation that has been given much critical praise, especially one that is considered the greatest work of a person's career or a work of outstanding creativity, ...
to date is the oratorio ''Tu Es Petrus'',
Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power ...
for "You Are Peter", which he dedicated to
Pope John Paul II Pope John Paul II ( la, Ioannes Paulus II; it, Giovanni Paolo II; pl, Jan Paweł II; born Karol Józef Wojtyła ; 18 May 19202 April 2005) was the head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 1978 until his ...
. It forms only one part of his "Tryptyk Świętokrzyski" (Holy Cross Triptych) which he composed to texts written by Zbigniew Książek. The other parts are ''Oratorium Świętokrzyska Golgota'' ''(Holy Cross of Golgotha)'' and ''Oratorium Psałterz Wrześniowy'' ''(September Psalter)'' with ''Tu Es Petrus'' forming the second part.


''Oratorium Świętokrzyska Golgota''

''Oratorium Świętokrzyska Golgota'' is an
oratorio An oratorio () is a large musical composition for orchestra, choir, and soloists. Like most operas, an oratorio includes the use of a choir, soloists, an instrumental ensemble, various distinguishable characters, and arias. However, opera is mus ...
based on the life of
Jesus Christ Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label=Hebrew/Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ or Jesus of Nazareth (among other names and titles), was a first-century Jewish preacher and religious ...
as found in the
Bible The Bible (from Koine Greek , , 'the books') is a collection of religious texts or scriptures that are held to be sacred in Christianity, Judaism, Samaritanism, and many other religions. The Bible is an anthologya compilation of texts o ...
. The title is translated as "Holy Cross of Golgotha." The cross of the title refers to the manner in which Jesus died — crucifixion at the hands of the Roman authorities in
Jerusalem Jerusalem (; he, יְרוּשָׁלַיִם ; ar, القُدس ) (combining the Biblical and common usage Arabic names); grc, Ἱερουσαλήμ/Ἰεροσόλυμα, Hierousalḗm/Hierosóluma; hy, Երուսաղեմ, Erusałēm. i ...
.
Golgotha Calvary ( la, Calvariae or ) or Golgotha ( grc-gre, Γολγοθᾶ, ''Golgothâ'') was a site immediately outside Jerusalem's walls where Jesus was said to have been crucified according to the canonical Gospels. Since at least the early mediev ...
is the hill outside of Jerusalem upon which Jesus was crucified and died. The oratorio follows the life and death of Jesus, although the prologue was originally written for the Polish film ''
Quo Vadis ''Quō vādis?'' (, ) is a Latin phrase meaning "Where are you marching?". It is also commonly translated as "Where are you going?" or, poetically, "Whither goest thou?" The phrase originates from the Christian tradition regarding Saint Pet ...
'' and deals with St Peter. ''Świętokrzyska Golgota'' premiered on April 6, 2004, at the
Kielce Cathedral The Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary ( pl, Bazylika katedralna Wniebowzięcia Najświętszej Maryi Panny w Kielcach ) simplified to Kielce Cathedral, is a Roman Catholic church that has the status of cathedral and bas ...
, Poland.


''Tu Es Petrus''

''Tu Es Petrus'' was written in 2005 as a tribute to and birthday present for
Pope John Paul II Pope John Paul II ( la, Ioannes Paulus II; it, Giovanni Paolo II; pl, Jan Paweł II; born Karol Józef Wojtyła ; 18 May 19202 April 2005) was the head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 1978 until his ...
, but the Pope died before its completion. Rubik later called it an "epitaph" for John Paul II. "Tu Es Petrus" is Latin for "You Are Peter," a reference to Matthew 16:18, a statement which Catholics believe made Peter head of the Church (and by extension, Peter's successors) by the authority of
Jesus Christ Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label=Hebrew/Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ or Jesus of Nazareth (among other names and titles), was a first-century Jewish preacher and religious ...
. ''Tu Es Petrus'' premiered on July 2, 2005, to critical and popular success. Following the popularity of ''Oratorium Świętokrzyska Golgota'', which had opened the year before, and compounded by the intense interest in the life and legacy of Pope John Paul II after his death just a few months earlier, Rubik's new oratorio was immediately hailed as his magnum opus. The following years would see the oratorio performed in cities across Poland, as well as in cities with large Polish populations in Canada and the United States, to popular acclaim. The oratorio is based in part on the writings of Pope John Paul II, particularly his poetry, specifically in the songs "Zdumienie" (Wonder) and "Strumień" (Stream). ''Tu Es Petrus'' is written in three parts, which look, respectively, at the mystery of creation, the mystery of the Cross, and the mystery of love — three areas which the Pope addressed and wrote about repeatedly during his 26-year pontificate. Each part contains four songs and a "litany" and "intermezzo" piece, with the entire oratorio bookended by a prologue and epilogue piece titled "Tu Es Petrus", the only two songs directly addressing the life of John Paul II. The song "Niech mówią, że to nie jest miłość" (''Let them say that it's not love'') was frequently played in mainstream Polish radio stations and charted on high positions. Furthermore, a music video featuring Rubik's soloists (and Rubik himself) was filmed and aired on Polish television.


''Oratorium Psałterz Wrześniowy''

''Oratorium Psałterz Wrześniowy'' ("The September Psalter") takes its inspiration from the Book of Psalms and looks at their relevance to us today. The "Septembers" in question are September 11, 2001 and September 1, 1939, when the
Nazis Nazism ( ; german: Nazismus), the common name in English for National Socialism (german: Nationalsozialismus, ), is the far-right politics, far-right Totalitarianism, totalitarian political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hit ...
invaded Poland — a device referring to the forces of evil, whenever and wherever they strike. In keeping with this theme, ''Oratorium Psałterz Wrześniowy'' opened on September 11, 2006, in Kielce. As with ''Tu Es Petrus'', Rubik toured this oratorio through Poland and North America. Despite the titular subject matter, ''Oratorium Psałterz Wrześniowy'' remains a commentary on the triumph of the human spirit over the tyranny of evil. It delves deep into Christian tradition in its texts. The oratorio is divided into four parts — Psalms of Faith, with songs referring to the
Apostles' Creed The Apostles' Creed (Latin: ''Symbolum Apostolorum'' or ''Symbolum Apostolicum''), sometimes titled the Apostolic Creed or the Symbol of the Apostles, is a Christian creed or "symbol of faith". The creed most likely originated in 5th-century ...
,
Adam and Eve Adam and Eve, according to the creation myth of the Abrahamic religions, were the first man and woman. They are central to the belief that humanity is in essence a single family, with everyone descended from a single pair of original ancestors ...
,
Abraham Abraham, ; ar, , , name=, group= (originally Abram) is the common Hebrews, Hebrew patriarch of the Abrahamic religions, including Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. In Judaism, he is the founding father of the Covenant (biblical), special ...
, and Moses; Psalms of the
Angels In various theistic religious traditions an angel is a supernatural spiritual being who serves God. Abrahamic religions often depict angels as benevolent celestial intermediaries between God (or Heaven) and humanity. Other roles include ...
, which speak of the heavenly protectors; Psalms of Hope, which range from themes of repentance to the defeat of despair; and Psalms of Love, a series of love songs, including the popular hit song "Psalm dla Ciebie" (Psalm for You).


''Zakochani w Krakowie''

In the summer of 2007, Rubik again teamed with Zbigniew Książek to write and conduct an orchestral and choral cantata for the 750th anniversary of Cracow's township, called ''Zakochani w Krakowie'' (roughly translated "In love, in Cracow"). It proved to be wildly popular among Cracovians, with multiple encores played at the sole performance that took place in Cracow's town square on June 1, 2007. ''Zakochani w Krakowie'' follows the history of the city of Cracow, from its rebuilding in 1257 by King
Bolesław V the Chaste Bolesław V the Chaste ( pl, Bolesław Wstydliwy; 21 June 1226 – 7 December 1279) was Duke of Sandomierz in Lesser Poland from 1232 and High Duke of Poland from 1243 until his death, as the last male representative of the Lesser Polish branc ...
to the present, chronicling Polish heroes from artist
Veit Stoss Veit Stoss (also: ''Veit Stoß'' and ''Stuoss''; pl, Wit Stwosz; before 1450about 20 September 1533) was a leading German sculptor, mostly working with wood, whose career covered the transition between the late Gothic and the Northern Renaissa ...
to
Pope John Paul II Pope John Paul II ( la, Ioannes Paulus II; it, Giovanni Paolo II; pl, Jan Paweł II; born Karol Józef Wojtyła ; 18 May 19202 April 2005) was the head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 1978 until his ...
, as well as historically significant places, such as
Wawel Cathedral The Wawel Cathedral ( pl, Katedra Wawelska), formally titled the Royal Archcathedral Basilica of Saints Stanislaus and Wenceslaus, is a Roman Catholic cathedral situated on Wawel Hill in Kraków, Poland. Nearly 1000 years old, it is part of the ...
and its Bell of Sigismund.


''Oratorium dla Świata: Habitat''

Following the success of ''Zakochani w Krakowie'', Rubik wrote a new oratorio, with the incomprehensibly long title of ''Oratorium dla Świata, część I: Habitat, moje miejsce na ziemi'' ("Oratorio for the World, part I: Habitat, my place on earth"). Featuring six new, younger soloists, ''Habitat'' opened in December 2007 with a decisive new twist: the addition of a DJ and beatboxers to Rubik's traditional hundred-member orchestra and hundred and twenty-strong choir. ''Habitat'' proved to be much more pop than classical (although Rubik had always blurred these lines) with the addition of several innovations, such as the piece "Most Dwojga Serc" (Bridge between hearts), which featured the composer and conductor himself playing the piano and singing. Other notable features include the Gospel-esque chorus of "Serce Dzwonu", translated as "Heart of the bell" (with its ringing refrain of "Gloria, Gloria"); the operatic "Katedra" (Cathedral); the children's song "Schody donikąd" (Staircase to nowhere); and the beatboxing featured in the epilogue piece "Habitat". ''Habitat'' is another commentary on human society, emphasizing the need for peace in a troubled world and harmony among peoples. Each song is subtitled with a phrase or word such as "peace", "faith", "neighbor", "tolerance" etc. The oratorio texts were written by Polish poet Roman Kołakowski, Rubik having parted ways with Zbigniew Książek after ''Zakochani''.


''Santo Subito: Cantobiografia Jana Pawła II''

October 2009 was the premiere of ''Santo Subito'', Rubik's work about the story of John Paul II. Libretto for this work was written by Jacek Cygan. The story starts with the song "Lolek", beginning with Wojtyła's early life in Wadowice. It continues with songs mentioning Karol Wojtyla's love of theater, his priesthood, and papacy. In many of the pieces in ''Santo Subito'', the text contains various facts and interesting information regarding culture and the pope's life. ''Santo Subito'' featured soloists
Zofia Nowakowska Zofia Nowakowska (born 25 February 1988, Kościan) is a Polish singer. She has been a leading vocalist of the Studio Buffo musical theater and has appeared on artistic presentations headed by the composer Piotr Rubik. Besides Polish performanc ...
, Anna Józefina Lubieniecka, Marta Moszczyńska, Grzegorz Wilk, Michał Gasz, and Michał Bogdanowicz. Soloist Ewa Prus replaced Anna Józefina Lubieniecka in May 2010.


''Opisanie Świata''

November 8, 2011 was when Rubik released ''Opisanie Świata''. The project once again united him with Zbigniew Ksiązek, who wrote the lyrics. Opisanie Świata was, to a degree, similar to "Habitat", in which
love Love encompasses a range of strong and positive emotional and mental states, from the most sublime virtue or good habit, the deepest Interpersonal relationship, interpersonal affection, to the simplest pleasure. An example of this range of ...
was a central theme. This work also was described as a
rock opera A rock opera is a collection of rock music songs with lyrics that relate to a common story. Rock operas are typically released as concept albums and are not scripted for acting, which distinguishes them from operas, although several have been ad ...
by Piotr Rubik, as it included drums and guitars, unlike any of his other compositions. The soloists featured in Opisanie Świata were
Zofia Nowakowska Zofia Nowakowska (born 25 February 1988, Kościan) is a Polish singer. She has been a leading vocalist of the Studio Buffo musical theater and has appeared on artistic presentations headed by the composer Piotr Rubik. Besides Polish performanc ...
, Grzegorz Wilk, Marta Moszczyńska, Michał Gasz, and Ewa Prus.


Popular and critical appeal

Some claim Rubik's work is classical music, although some critics point that he is very active in the world of popular
mass media Mass media refers to a diverse array of media technologies that reach a large audience via mass communication. The technologies through which this communication takes place include a variety of outlets. Broadcast media transmit informatio ...
and that his compositions are rather more similar to
popular music Popular music is music with wide appeal that is typically distributed to large audiences through the music industry. These forms and styles can be enjoyed and performed by people with little or no musical training.Popular Music. (2015). ''Funk ...
with sacral elements, and arranged for orchestra. Unlike many composers considered classical, Rubik often gives interviews to popular media and records
music video A music video is a video of variable duration, that integrates a music song or a music album with imagery that is produced for promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a music marketing devi ...
s to his compositions. His acclaim in
popular culture Popular culture (also called mass culture or pop culture) is generally recognized by members of a society as a set of practices, beliefs, artistic output (also known as, popular art or mass art) and objects that are dominant or prevalent in ...
is very warm, indeed — his albums are one of the most frequently bought CDs in Poland. Furthermore, some the individual songs from "Tu Es Petrus", "Psałterz Wrześniowy" and "Habitat" have been re-recorded as pop songs and music videos created for them.


Critics

Some music critics in Poland have suggested that Rubik's work is amateurish and banal, especially after the completion of ''Zakochani w Krakowie''. , head of the
Academy of Music in Kraków The Krzysztof Penderecki Academy of Music in Kraków ( pl, Akademia Muzyczna im. Krzysztofa Pendereckiego w Krakowie) is a conservatory located in central Kraków, Poland. It is the '' alma mater'' of the renowned Polish contemporary composer Krz ...
, called it a "scandal" that his Academy had been passed over in favor of Rubik to open the 750th anniversary celebrations. At the same time, fellow composer
Krystyna Moszumańska-Nazar Krystyna Moszumańska-Nazar (5 September 1924,Lviv, now Ukraine – 27 September 2009, Kraków) was a Polish composer, music educator and pianist. She was born in Lwów, Poland (now Lviv, Ukraine), and after World War II studied at the State High ...
called him an "amateur," and Cracovian filmmaker Artur Więcek rhetorically asked why his (taxpayer) money should be spent on Rubik's "pseudo-religious" work for the festival.


Discography


Studio albums


Compilation albums


Video albums


See also

*
Music of Poland The Music of Poland covers diverse aspects of music and musical traditions which have originated, and are practiced in Poland. Artists from Poland include world-famous classical composers like Frédéric Chopin, Karol Szymanowski, Witold Lutosł ...


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rubik, Piotr 1968 births Living people Musicians from Warsaw Polish composers