Frycek, I didn't want to hijack Shiro's thread, but could you tell me where I can get the music for "Lulajze Jezuniu"? I love the old Polish Christmas carols. I used to sing them in school when I was a child.

By music, do you mean sheet music, or music as in music files? I can help you in both - although piano sheet music arrangements I have are not particularly inspiring. I love those carols too (I'm Polish), but I have yet to find really good piano scores for them.

If Frycek has something good on it, I would love to see it too!


M.

Like Mati said, there aren't a lot of good pianistic arrangements of Lulajze Jezuniu. The music for the carol isn't hard to locate on the net but all I found were bare bones arrangements. I tried to find one for a near Christmas recital and ended up using Chopin's own adaption of the carol in his Scherzo Op. 20. It's the slow movement in the middle of the scherzo. I'm afraid I can't find my recording of it now. You should be able to print it out from the pdf. Lulajze Jezuniu begins on page 8 of the pdf with the heading "Molto piu lento."

http://www.sheetmusicarchive.net/compositions_b/scherzo20.pdf

It's perhaps most musically mature interpretation, but has the atmosphere of a Christmas carol somewhat lacking to me. I love this Scherzo, but it feels so Chopin-ish to me I can't really think of it different than of Scherzo. It's more a variation on a theme than an arrangement. It's definitely the best I know

If you can wait few days, I will be able to scan what I have on tuesday from my Christmas Carols sheet edition.

Meanwhile, I have just found a vocal performance by an academic choir which I thought I would share:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nUCPTj39X-U


M.

Thank you, Mati. That was beautiful.

Yes, I meant sheet music - easy sheet music hopefully. The "bare bones" stuff would be fine. I do have a few Polish albums of Kolendy at home to listen to.

My grandparents came from Poland, and I attended a Polish Catholic school in NY when I was a child. We were taught to read a little Polish(very little)in first and second grade, and were required to sing in the choir in 7th and 8th. Other than that, we were taught in English. That was many years ago, but I still remember the words to several of the songs. Other than the Christmas songs, and my prayers, I don't remember much else in Polish. Mom and Grandma used to only converse in Polish when they wanted to keep something secret from us children. I know just a few words here and there, but I get such a wonderful feeling when I hear the Polish Christmas carols. When I saw "Lulajze Jezuniu" on Frycek's practice list, I just had to ask about the sheet music.

mom3gram, I promise I will scan and send you the arrangement I have - it's fairly simple and easy to play. I'm just leaving for three days, that's why it will happen on Tuesday.

I'm glad you liked the video


My very best wishes,
M.

Oh, Frycek, I didn't notice that the link you gave me actually had the sheet music for Scherzo Op. 20. Thank you!!! Unfortunately, that's like giving a kindergarten student a copy of Shakespeare, but I will save it for the day when I can actually play it. :-) I guess I forgot to mention in my initial post that I was a true beginner.

Mom3gram and Steven, sorry for being that late. I have copied the arrangement I have using Finale, because I forgot my dad no longer has his scanner.

Here it is. The treble clef with 8 at the top means that the whole treble line should be played an octave higher than the notes are.

http://private.maticomp.net/lulajze.pdf


My best wishes,
Mateusz

Dziekuje, Mateusz!

I appreciate this very much. I can only play the right hand part right now, but I will work on the rest. I may not get it right this year, but there is always next Christmas.

You're welcome

I am sure you will master it quickly - the left hand pattern is comfortable and intuitive, and what is more - it is very similar in each measure, creating the same harmonical pattern of three notes (e.g. F D B F D B), where the first note is an octave lower than the third. The rhythm is straightforward too. I am sure it looks worse than it will be to play actually

I hope you will post a recording when you will be ready - this, or next Christmas, or in between


My best wishes,
Mateusz

Mati thank you for this sheet music. I have decided to learn this but I have a question. How do you play measure 6 for example? Two sixteenths and 2 quarter notes obviously don't fit within 1 beat normally, so how is it supposed to be played? Thank you.

The "sixteenth" notes are ornaments. Their value is taken from the note they are attached to. They can be played as thirty-second notes. But there is a lot of latitude with ornaments. They could be played before the note, as fast as you can, or pretty much any way you want to. Or even left out altogether.

Thanks for the reply BDB. Another question: The left hand is written on the treble clef, and it appears to end on a D, and this sounds wrong to me. It sounds better to me ending on a low B flat. Is it really correct to end on a D??

I'd say play whatever you think sounds best. I don't really like this ending myself.