Krzysztof Baculewski "Subjective Annals 60 Editions of the Festival"

The very first concert of the 'Warsaw Autumn '99' already contained an event of great importance: the first Polish performance of Sinfonia by Luciano Berio, with soloists of Camerata Silesia and Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Wojciech Michniewski. In comparison with that composition, even Le Temps et l'Ecume by Gérard Grisey lost the lustre of avant-garde novelty and the lure of the unexpected. Among other Festival performances one should mention Mirrors by Anna Zawadzka-Gołosz, The Garden's Gates by Szabolcs Esztényi, Interwoven Figures by Jerzy Kornowicz, Piano & String Quartet by Morton Feldman, Piano Concerto by John Cage, the multimedia opera Dust by Robert Ashley, as well as the debut of Ewa Podgórska (Constans). Outstanding performers: conductor Peter Eötvös, soprano singer Olga Pasichnyk, the Silesian Quartet, and the English orchestra Sinfonia 21 conducted by Martyn Brabbins.

The Festival closed with an event which has already become ancedotal: during the performance of Fresco VII - Uru Anna by Grażyna Pstrokońska-Nawratil, toward the end of the composition there was a power cut at the venue (the Church of St. Dominic). The darkness was complete - even the emergency lights did not come on. Neither the soloist - the tenor Piotr Kusiewicz, nor the Polish Radio Choir, nor the Orchestra of Kraków Philharmonic had the slightest chance to see the conductor - Tamas Vetö. In spite of this, the musicians finished playing with no u s or mistakes!

From that year on, the 'Sound Chronicles' have been released on CDs. Tadeusz Wielecki became the Director of 'Warsaw Autumn' and Chair of the Repertoire Committee (until 2016).