Zych: Works for Orchestra

Presented on three discs, this new release features the very best compositions of Henryk Gorecki (1933-2010) A Polish composer of contemporary classical music, Gorecki became a prominent figure of the Polish avant-garde during the post-Stalin era. While Gorecki’s music varies in style, his works tend to lean toward harmonic and rhythmic simplicity. He is regarded as a founder of the ‘New Polish School’, joined by Witold Lutoslawski and Krzysztof Penderecki.

Chopin: Complete Works for Piano & Orchestra, Vol. 1

The name of Aleksandre Tansman (1897-1986) is too little-known to music lovers, although in the 1920s he was – alongside Szymanowski – the most popular composer in Poland. + Together with the works of Lutosławski, György Selmeczi (b. 1952) and György Orbán (b. 1947), this disc offers a bracing and invigorating selection of neo-classical leaning 20th c. works, including one first recording, performed by the Erdődy Chamber Orchestra, led by conductor Marcin Nałęcz-Niesiołowski, together with select string soloists.

The 20th c. ushered in remarkable developments in chamber and solo cello literature, and Polish composers played a large role in this. The instrument became an inspiration for the creation of masterpieces. This album presents the cello in various number configurations: from one to eight. This representative sampling of cello-focused works by Polish composers showcases the huge variety of instrumental groupings in works for cello and the richness and individuality of each composer’s musical language.

In dir ist Freude

"The Years of Pilgrimage, Second Year: Italy, suite contains some of Liszt's most glorious piano music, including the three Petrarch sonnets and the immense “Dante” sonata. “Years of Pilgrimage by Liszt are a true challenge... requiring a master's skill and the ability to comprehend form...to create a climate of a very peculiar, at times mystic emotionality. Andrzej Pikul met that challenge with complete success (...) we witnessed the art of piano playing at its best. - „Dziennik Polski”"

Mussorgsky: Pictures at an Exhibition - 10 Pieces from Romeo

The composers featured on this new release are rarely performed, and much of their music has been lost. All of the pieces featured on this release were found in Johann George Pisendel’s private library collection, and date from 18th century Dresden. Marcin Swiatkiewicz is one of today’s foremost Polish harpsichordists. He specializes in period keyboard instruments, as well as improvisation in both the modern and old styles. Martyna Pastuszka has been the concert master and artistic director of {oh!} Orkiestra Historyczna since 2012. She is an active teacher, and is frequently asked to collaborate with other ensembles.

Pianist Szymon Nehring was born in Krakow in 1995. He began his piano study at the age of five, and studied at the Mieczyslaw Karlowicz Primary Music School, then the Fryderyk Chopin Secondary Music School. This program is a piano recital, for which Nehring has chosen works by Chopin, Szymanowski, and Mykiety. Nehring received the Audience Award at the 17th International Chopin Piano Competition, Warsaw, in 2015.

WORKS FOR VIOLIN & PIANO

LONDON SYMPHONIES

Bromboszcz: Chamber Music

Chopin: Complete Works for Piano & Orchestra, Vol. 2

The majority of works on this recording can be described as juvenile pieces, while in his later output the piano appears mainly in chamber music (in trios, quartets, quintets and duets with violin, cello, saxophone and bassoon). His output is completed with the following pieces: 24 Preludes for piano (1977-78), Impromptu multicolore for 2 pianos (2000) and the Piano Concerto (1989).