History Of Polish Music During World War Ii

Music accompanies man and his actions since the appearance of the human species. From disordered sounds of shells and pipes made of bones to the sounds of piano, violin, and even popular electronic music. Music was used as a tool to stimulate and emphasize emotions in many aspects of his life, from mating rituals, through religious ceremonies, to using it as a method of motivating in war and as a reflection of feelings related to war. During World War II, polish music was a leap from reality or described the reality of war. Other songs commemorated the battle or were simply meant to warm up the fight and raise morale. It also happened sometimes that the song could be a weapon. Due to the Second World War was the first conflict in history, during which media technologies, e.g. radio, were widely used, music was regularly used to spread propaganda. Although the access of Poles to the radio was very limited, Polish music did not collapse and, thanks to the Polish underground state and ordinary people, it was spreading among everyone.

One of the most popular songs sung in occupied Warsaw was 'Ax, hoe'. It was established in 1942 and was published a year later (Lada, Historia jednej piosenki). It describes life in the capital ruled by the Germans. And although these are heavy things, such as German round-ups, Soviet airstrikes, forced labor and general persecution of Poles, the overall song is accompanied by a light atmosphere. A simple melody and text, written by Anna Jachnina, made this song very well-known and sung also today. The popularity of this song shows the importance of satire in the occupied city. People singing together, solidarized and for a moment forgot about the woes of the war. Moreover, it was an effective political weapon. The Germans were constantly in suspense, the joke undermined their confidence and sense of superiority.

Satire in Polish war songs was a frequent guest, but some songs were completely deprived of her because of the suffering and death of many people. For example, the song 'On the first of September”(Dnia pierwszego września), whose author was probably Julia Ryczer. The song according to the account of the daughter of the author Halina Dzieduszycka was influenced by the drama of her daughter's death experienced by her and her husband in the ruins of the bombed capital (Alex, Gazeta wyborcza). The song had so many artists that it would be difficult to count them all. The fact is that the song was written shortly after Germany's aggression against Poland in September 1939. Probably the following poems were added to the basic text and one of the most popular songs sung in the occupied country was built. Reprints of subsequent texts appeared in the underground press, and the song itself was repeatedly performed as an ideal way to maintain the nation's fighting spirit (Szurek, NIMOZ).

One of the most popular Polish military songs of the Second World War was 'The Red Poppies on Monte Cassino'. The title of the song refers to the flowers that flourished in the hills of Monte Casino during the fighting, but could also be inspired by comparing the color of poppies to the color of blood spilled on the battlefield. The song was created on the night of 17 to 18 May 1944 in Italy, a few hours before capturing the monastery at the headquarters of the Polish Soldier Theater at the 2nd Corps of the Armed Forces in Campobasso, where the artists performed for the 23 Transport Company. The author of the words was Feliks Konarski inspired by nearby fights. Hearing the distant thunder of cannons announcing the second Polish attack on the monastery, he quickly wrote the text and woke Alfred Schütz, a composer, who wrote music in a few hours. The first two stanzas were written on this famous night, the third was written several hours later, and the last stanza was written in 1969 when Konarski was persuaded by old comrades in arms during the jubilee meeting on the 25th anniversary of the battle. Red poppies on Monte Cassino gained popularity among soldiers and were soon published by a Polish-American newspaper in New York. The song was unfortunately banned during the Stalinist period in the Polish People's Republic when the government tried to minimize the memory of the Polish Armed Forces in the West. Nevertheless, the song still made its way to occupied Poland and enjoyed popularity.

All the songs presented above were written because of the war. Given the context of each of these songs, each one has a different one, but the purpose remains the same. Songs created during the war are to support people, soldiers and all those in war. The satirical character of some songs allows forgetting about the war for a moment, as in 'Ax, hoe'. On the other hand, 'On the first of September' shows the true face of war, without unnecessary metaphors and comparisons. In my opinion, because of this, many people realized the seriousness of the situation and began to fight on behalf of their homeland, and soldiers touched by the beauty of poetry fought better. The last-mentioned song about red poppies was mainly for soldiers fighting on the front to arouse their enthusiasm for battle. Even so, the song is just as good for ordinary people in war. In fact, all war songs are suitable for both people and soldiers. Ingenuity, creative inventiveness and, above all, courage allowed the music to survive this period of trial and come out of it with a defensive hand. Art has fulfilled its most important role in history. It offered people hope for a better tomorrow, and the history of Polish music has gained another glorious chapter, though written with the blood of millions of people.