20th Century Slavic Songs

Anbild: Piano Concerto, Echoes of the Holy Cross Mountains for Symphony Orchestra, Rhapsody for Piano and Symphony Orchestra

The two-disc album contains as many as ten premiere recordings - stylistically diverse pieces by contemporary composers showing the possibilities of wind instruments as well as the talent and versatility of their creators. The outstanding Cracow clarinettist Piotr Lato is responsible for the entire project. Together with the invited musicians, he leads listeners through the world of wind instruments in various chamber ensemble combinations.

The five-disc album contains recordings made by the DAFO String Quartet over the past 30 years. Coming from the milieu of the Cracow music academy, the ensemble celebrates a round anniversary by taking the listeners on a time-travel adventure. It is no coincidence that the album's repertoire consists of recordings of Polish contemporary music - the DAFO String Quartet specializes in new music performance, for which it has been repeatedly recognized, including with a Fryderyk. The anniversary album holds not only sentimental value but also provides an interesting comparison of the oeuvre of Polish composers. Despite the differences and clearly recognizable unique styles, an attentive listener will also detect common features - including echoes of Polish melodies and rhythms, harmonies referring to folk music, as well as bold sonoristic solutions. The expressive interpretations of the DAFO String Quartet show the full range of sonic and expressive possibilities of a string quartet, also in combination with the clarinet and the piano, which make guest appearances in selected works.

A two-disc album featuring a cross-section of Pawel Strzelecki's compositions from the early period of his oeuvre. The recordings made with the participation of outstanding soloists and chamber musicians show the versatility of the composer and the ease with which he reaches for traditional forms while using rich melodies and harmonies as well as quotes from and elements of Polish folklore. The stylistically diverse, expressive pieces are intended for different instrumental ensembles, which makes this compilation extremely interesting.

The album contains recordings of three sonatas by Paul Hindemith, who began his compositional career under the influ ence of Claude Debussy - who was still active back then - and ended it in a com pletely different reality of the 1960s, in the era of sonoristic, formal and har monic experiments. He was also an excel lent violist, hence a significant number of his works dedicated to viola. The first sonata is still of a romantic nature; it cap tivates us with it's beauty and richness of motifs, whereas the other two are much more contemporary in terms of sound. All of them are demanding, both technically and structurally. Maria Shetty, a violist associated with the Cracow Academy of Music and the NOSPR, chamber musician, co-founder of the Messages Quartet, and pianist Monika Wilinska-Tarcholik form a perfect duo. They guide the listener through complex, meaningful musical matter with virtuoso flair and with great sensitivity to tone colour and stylistic details.

Joanna Morska-Osinska is a versatile artist, performing music from the Baroque era to jazz. On this two-disc album, she presents very rarely performed, formally original sonatas by Aldebrando Subissati, discovering and creating their sound anew. In the virtuoso interpretations, together with her partner musicians, specialists in the field of early music performance, she reveals to listeners the sophisticated and imaginative face of forgotten compositions of the early Baroque era.

The album provides a unique opportunity to get to know the oeuvre of forgotten masters of the mature Baroque era and to admire their talent and compositional craftsmanship. Thanks to it's exuberant production, the Altberg Ensemble, specializing in historically informed performance on period instruments, transfers listeners to the world of emotions, intrigue and entertainment of sixteenth-century European courts.

The album features premiere recordings of compositions by the versatile composer and cellist Tomasz Skweres, standing out due to his boldness in reaching for extensive ensembles and unusual instrumental combinations. The artists who faced this extremely demanding matter are well-known and outstanding contemporary music performers, soloists and ensembles from Poland and Austria. They present here a bold, passionate interpretation of works from which - despite their complicated, multidimensional form - it is difficult to tear oneself away.

Romantic guitar in the hands of a virtuoso of international renown absolutely guarantees extraordinary musical experiences. Milosz Maczynski tells the history of melancholy from the Renaissance to Romanticism, masterfully using time and melodious phrases. The album is full of hidden emotions, captivating with an atmosphere of intimacy and contemplation.

The album is a special tribute to the memory of Tomasz Zagorski, an outstanding opera and operetta singer of international renown who died prematurely and who contributed to the popularization of vocal art. A tenor who was equally at ease in great vocal and instrumental forms and in songs. The album contains 24 songs by Polish composers - the most popular, most liked and eagerly awaited by concert audiences. Tomasz Zagorski recorded them together with an excellent pianist of the young generation developing an international concert career, Jacek Kortus - he is an ideal chamber music partner here. Each of the miniatures is an elaborate story in which the textual layer determines dynamics, timbre, articulation and time management. The deep, warm, agile and expressive voice of the tenor guarantees that the listener will return to these interpretations more than once.

The album features archival recordings of an outstanding Polish violinist and teacher associated for years with Hanover, Adam Kostecki, a musical heir of such great violinists as David Oistrakh, Isaac Stern and Nathan Milstein. There are also new recordings, showing two versions of Johann Sebastian Bach's famous Chaconne - traditional, for solo violin, and in the artist's own arrangement, with the accompanying viola acting as a harmonic basis. The remaining compositions on the album are well-known virtuoso pieces, in which the violinist is partnered by chamber orchestras from Sopot and Hanover, as well as by guitarist Carsten Petermann. The CD's leitmotif is the phenomenon of Bach's Chaconne, a timeless that can still be interpreted anew. The album takes the listener into the world of slightly forgotten performance aesthetics; it also allows us to admire the sound of an old Italian instrument and a mature interpretation of the Bach masterpiece, although full of passion and fresh.

A unique collection of recordings from the radio archives from 1982-1986, documenting the short yet brilliant career of the diva Ewa Gawronska, endowed with a beautiful soprano. Her unusual musicality, excellent vocal technique and repertoire consisting of famous arias and songs will not leave any listener indifferent. An album for long-time admirers of the artist's talent and for those who, thanks to recordings, have a chance to get to know one of the most beautiful voices of the operatic stage.

In September 2019, the Stanislaw Moniuszko International Competition of Polish Music took place in Rzesz�w, whose main goal was to promote our native compositions and to draw the attention of musicians around the world to them. The auditions were divided into two categories (performances by pianists and chamber ensembles), which meant that, in less than 10 days, the audience had the opportunity to commune with countless extremely rarely performed gems of Polish music. We present you with selected competition interpretations of participants of auditions in both categories. In addition to the Patron's works, the albums include compositions by may Polish composers. The present album features the work of Stanislaw Moniuszko and Henryk Melcer- Szczawinski.

In September 2019, the Stanislaw Moniuszko International Competition of Polish Music took place in Rzesz�w, whose main goal was to promote our native compositions and to draw the attention of musicians around the world to them. The auditions were divided into two categories (performances by pianists and chamber ensembles), which meant that, in less than 10 days, the audience had the opportunity to commune with countless extremely rarely performed gems of Polish music. We present you with selected competition interpretations of participants of auditions in both categories. In addition to the Patron's works, the albums include compositions by may Polish composers. The present album features the work of Maurycy Moszkowski.