Michal Bergson’s piano concerto receives its world recording premiere — thanks to a chance discovery. Polish composer and pianist Michal Bergson (1820-1898) spent most of his life abroad, retiring to England. The manuscript for this 1868 concerto was recently discovered in a London antiquarian bookstore. Little is known of the circumstances surrounding the composition, save […]
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Julia Kociuban energizes Tansman and Bacewicz concertos
Julia Kociuban delivers spectacular performances of two 20th Century piano concertos. Alexander Tansman’s Piano Concerto No. 1 and Grazyna Bacewicz’s Piano Concerto are, in my opinion, greatly under-appreciated. I came to that conclusion after hearing this recording. Alexander Tansman wrote his Piano Concerto No. 1 while living in Paris. Its neo-classical styling strongly reminded me […]
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Mieczyslaw Weinberg Symphonies 2 and 7 have hidden depths
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 […]