A music work portraying common ups and downs in Central Europe - based on music perceived by the young in Poland, Germany and Ukraine

Three outstanding music works have been presented in the article –“Polish Requiem” for 4 solo voices, mixed chorus and symphonic orchestraby Krzysztof Penderecki, “Panachyda za zmarłych z głodu” [A memorialservice for those who died of hunger] for soloists, two mixed choruses, areciter and symphonic orchestra by Jewhen Stankowycz, as well as Ocalały zWarszawy [A Survivor from Warsaw], a melodrama, op. 46, for a reciter,male chorus and orchestra by Arnold Schönberg.The works exemplify the idea of a composer's synthesis, present a programme of important, quite often tragic fates constituting the area of commonups and downs of Central Europe - Poles, Germans, Jews and Ukrainians.For that reason, the author has deemed it necessary to include these works inthe school’s music curriculum, as an inter-cultural project, intentionally preparing the young for a dialogue and meetings. The thesis has been divided into two parts:The first one included a meaning and content-related analysis of musicworks in their mutual relations and differences in treating the language ofartistic statement, similarity of topics formulated as a symbolic and narrativeprogramme, as well as in references to religion and understanding the sacredsphere.The second part expresses pedagogic contributions which, during the musical education process, may constitute inspiration for the artistically-orientedinter-cultural education achieved by making the artistic activity available forthe young. From among the trends, the following didactic and educationalconceptions have been distinguished:a) Music educating by stimulating the cultural memory,b) Religious music in the “pedagogy of remembrance” trend,c) Music of martyrdom in the inter-cultural educational programme inthe process of dialogue and assimilation.