This release features four very important — and very different — female composers. Though all three wrote music in the 20th Century, separated by time and geography. Violinist Louise Chisson and pianist Tamara Atschba perform with passion and conviction. Their playing — and the quality of the works — make this a rewarding listening experience. The […]
Grazyna Bacewicz
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Grazyna Bacewicz Piano Music in Good Hands With Joanna Sochacka
Pianist Joanna Sochacka is a woman on a mission. And that mission is for Grazyna Bacewicz’s compositions to receive the performances they deserve. Bacewicz is already recognized as one of Poland’s musical geniuses. She was both a virtuoso violinist and pianist. Her compositions won numerous awards and critical acclaim. And yet, sixty years after her […]
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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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#ClassicsaDay #WomensHistoryMonth Week 2
For the third year in a row, the Classics a Day team has chosen women composers as March’s theme. And while some composers (living and dead) have received their due, there are thousands more to discover and rediscover. I challenged myself this year to seek out women composers I had not featured in previous years. […]
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Bacewicz string quartet cycle off to good start
In their survey of string quartets by Grazyna Bacewicz, the Lutoslawski Quartet has done something interesting: they don’t present them in order. Volume 1 of the series features four of Bacewicz’s seven quartets. It opens with the 1960 String Quartet No. 6, one of her more avant garde quartets. Bacewicz uses a version of 12-tone […]