This release presents two Mieczyslaw Weinberg string symphonies. The Amadeus Chamber Orchestra of Polish Radio, under the direction of Anna Duczmal-Mroz, turns in a set of fine performances. These works, separated by a span of 18 years, are similar only in the choice of ensemble. Weinberg in 1946 was just beginning to blossom under Soviet […]
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Trio of Mikolaj Gorecki works present balanced portrait
The three works in this release each present a different facet of Mikolaj Gorecki’s style. There are similarities: two are for orchestra; two feature a clarinet, horn, and piano trio. But each has its own character. Gorecki’s orchestral work Zan Tontemiquico was inspired by the pre-Columbian poem of Tochihuitzin. It begins “We only come to […]
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Mieczyslaw Weinberg Sonatas for Cello and Piano
The more of Mieczyslaw Weinberg’s music I hear, the more complex he becomes. This release features his two sonatas for cello and piano. Each provides a snapshot of his evolving style. Sonata No. 1, Op. 21 was completed in 1945. The war was ending, and Stalin’s regime was just warming up. The sonata’s a jaunty, […]
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Emil Mlynarski Violin Concertos deserve wider audience
In Poland, Emil Mlynarski (1870-1935) is a major musical figure. He was the founding conductor of the Warsaw Symphony in 1901. He was also a virtuoso violinist who studied with Leopold Auer. And he studied composition with Nicolai Rimsky-Korsokov. Mlynarksi’s noted for incorporating Polish traditional music into his works. This release features his two violin […]
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Jozef Zeidler and Antoni Habel – Polish Classicists
Jozef Zeidler (1744-1806) and Antoni Habel (1760-1831) are major figures in the history of Polish classical music. And yet they’re almost ciphers. Almost nothing is known of Zeidler’s life or career. He wrote in the style of Mozart and Haydn, earning him the nickname “the Polish Mozart.” Zeidler’s Mass in D major does have a […]
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Chamber Symphonies Great Intro to Mieczyslaw Weinberg
Mieczyslaw Weinberg’ music can be a difficult listen. He was fond of extreme registers and extreme harmonies — not the best combination for a Soviet-Era composer. For someone interested in exploring Weinberg’s work (and you really should), this a great disc to start with. The works on this album are all written in a more […]
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Carl Friedrich Abel Concertos Given New Life
In 2018 a collection of music by Carl Friederich Abel was discovered in Poland. In 1787 Count Maltzan purchased the manuscripts at Abel’s estate sale in London. He later returned to his native Poland, the collection soon forgotten. The Maltzan Collection has 29 works — 22 of them previously unknown. Six receive their recording world […]
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Nowowiejski Symphonic Works – Important addition to Polish music
This recording grew out of a project by the Opole Philharmonic Foundation. “Nowowiejski Decoded” involved editing, publishing — and then recording the orchestral music of this seminal Polish composer. Feliks Nowowiejski was a major musical figure of early 20th Century Poland. Nowowiejski won many composition prizes and was frequently performed in Germany as well as […]
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Franz Xaver Mozart Piano Works – Worth a Listen
It’s tough being a good composer — when your father’s a great one. Franz Xaver Mozart was the youngest son of Wolfgang Amadeus. Franz’s compositions aren’t ground-breaking, but they are satisfying in their own right. Franz Xaver was a conductor and pianist as well as a composer. As a performer he spent several years touring […]