Veni Creator Pawła Łukaszewskiego — w kręgu inspiracji religijnych i narodowych

Paweł Łukaszewski is considered to be one of the most interesting composers of contemporary sacral music, and his work raises great interest both in Poland and abroad. His vocal and instrumental compositions, as well as choir a cappella pieces make a significant share of his extensive achievements. They have deeply rooted into the Christian tradition and religion. The subject matter of his compositions focuses on the main concepts and ideas in the teaching of the Church, which is exemplified in the composition Veni Creator, among others. The piece was written as a result of an external inspiration (a commission from Akademie Klausenhof as a part of a Polish-German Project “45/05”) and based on one of the most popular Latin hymns. Apart from introducing the original version of the hymn, the author used the text in German and quoted the words of John Paul II in Polish. Thus, the Holy Spirit was addressed not only by all the faithful, but also by the two specific nations. Moreover, Łukaszewski emphasised the aspect of both nationalities with the use of specific musical strategies (two choirs, allusions to and quotations from Bach and Chopin). The composer’s intention — reuniting of the two nations through music and languages, as well as by employing Polish and German performers — becomes fully comprehensible in the circumstances of this particular commission, i.e. the 60th anniversary of the end of the Second World War. Therefore, the composition may be considered — quoting the words of the Polish Pope — as a “gesture of peace” offered through music.