Wielki mistrz i jego ideowy uczeń. Karol Szymanowski oczami Romana Palestra

Abstract

Roman Palester, acclaimed as the successor of Szymanowski less than ten years after the latter’s death, tried to continue the legacy of his mentor and personal acquaintance in the field of development of Polish music. Forced to emigrate by the circumstances following his conflict with the authorities of the People’s Republic of Poland, as the head of Polish culture department in Radio Free Europe for twenty years (1952– 1972) prepared and presented cultural programs, among them series Muzyka obala granice (Music abolishes the frontiers) in which he polemised with the principles of Socialist Realism. Despite the fact that in later phases of his composing career Palester abandoned the influence of Szymanowski to embrace modern techniques such as dodecaphony, aleatorism and sonorism, he never denied it.