In recent years, Mieczyslaw Weinberg has become one of the most recognizable Polish composers of the 20th century, which was significantly influenced by the hundredth anniversary of the composer's birth in December 2019. The project of the Amadeus Chamber Orchestra of Polish Radio devoted exclusively to works by Mieczyslaw Weinberg perfectly reflects the peculiar revival related to the interest in the artist in Poland and in the world. This album is another proposal from the Amadeus Orchestra series, this time dedicated to selected symphonies, the Flute Concerto No. 2 and the Sinfonietta for string orchestra and timpani, Op. 74.

Henryk Mikolaj G�recki (1933-2010) thought two sentences in his search for the answer to the question what music is to be closest to capturing the root of the problem - the words of Zbigniew Herbert: "art is a transmission of important spiritual experiences" and the thought of Pope John XXIII: "it is a common thing, but the way is uncommon." The impact of both definitions on the composer's oeuvre is particularly evident in the songs he had been writing since his first compositional attempts (falling in the mid-1950s) until 1996. Although G�recki's songs do not belong to the composer's dominant expressive genres, he would return to them on a regular basis, considering them an important way of articulating the deepest, most personal, intimate experiences. This album, thanks to excellent soloists highly appreciated around the world, not only allows us to commune with the art of the outstanding Polish composer, but is also a great opportunity to hear the most representative Polish vocalists of several generations.

In recent years, Mieczyslaw Weinberg has become one of the most recognizable Polish composers of the 20th century, which was significantly influenced by the hundredth anniversary of the composer’s birth in December 2019. The project of the Amadeus Chamber Orchestra of Polish Radio devoted exclusively to works by Mieczyslaw Weinberg perfectly reflects the peculiar revival related to the interest in the artist in Poland and in the world. This album is another proposal from the Amadeus Orchestra series, this time dedicated to selected symphonies of the Polish artist.

The present album is an attempt to answer the question whether one musician can perform multi-part pieces. In this case, wind instruments are in a particularly unfavorable situation, because, unlike, for example, the violin or piano, one cannot effectively perform chords on them, not to mention the implementation of several melodic lines. The modern recording technique combined with a suitable computer software allows us to register subsequent voices and then combine them into a whole – it is widely used in popular music. However, in the case of classical chamber music, the requirements for this type of recording are much higher... This album by Aleksander Szebesczyk makes the listeners aware that even on the basis of purely instrumental works, this kind of complicated procedures can result in a number of unique and at the same time convincing sonorist and aesthetic impressions.

The Organ of the St. Lawrence Church in Wroclów (1715-1717) comes from a workshop of one of the greatest Silesian constructors, Adam Horatio Casparini. The contemporary disposition, slightly modified in the 19th century, does not differ much from the Casparini concept. The instrument still meets the requirements of very orthodox Baroque literature, including the works by Johann Sebastian Bach. Hence it is perfect for the role that Professors Igor Cecocho and Piotr Rojek, associated with the Wroclaw Academy of Music, have assigned to it. The musicians undertook a task to examine and synthesize differentia specifica of the creative individuality of Johann Sebastian Bach, seen from the perspective of instrumentalists aware of the baggage of experience and the multifaceted inspiration of the cantor of Leipzig. They reached for works from the most famous Bach collections and performed their creative reinterpretation using transcriptions of these pieces and the possibilities of the trumpet and the unique instrument from Wroclów.

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.

Julia Kociuban, began studying piano at age 5, eventually studying at the Fryderyk Chopin University of Music in Warsaw. Currently a student at Universit�t Mozarteum Salzburg, Ms. Kociuban has received awards in many competitions, including the Milosz MaginInternational Piano Competition in 2005 and Les Jeudis du Piano in 2011. A recipient of several prestigious scholarships, Ms. Kociuban has been an invited performer for the Festival de la Roque d'Antheron and the Ludwig van Beethoven Easter Festival. She can often be seen performing with her brothers in "Family Trio" and DUOKociuban.

Even though the merits of Debussy’s music can be appreciated most fully in his orchestral and vocal compositions, works for piano occupy an important place in his output. His pieces for piano solo are mainly small, chamber forms, of which the present CD features three cycles. Pianist Piotr Machnik, prizewinner of numerous national and international piano competitions, has embarked on many foreign recital and concert tours that have taken him to Japan, Turkey, Kuwait and across Europe. He also pursues a teaching career as a member of faculty at Kraków Music Academy, his alma mater, since 2008.

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.

During the preparations for the recording of Concertos for Children, I remembered my very first steps in violin playing and the emotions which are an inseparable part of public performances. I still have fresh in my memory the joy and excitement which accompanied me during my performances, particularly in the first stage of my musical education. I would like the enthusiasm of music-making to be shared by all young musicians, no matter how their careers develop in the future. I hope that this CD with Concertos for Children will help music-school students to prepare for the requirements of the concert stage, at the same time allowing other listeners to recall the joyful and carefree time of their childhood.'

PADEREWSKI IN MEMORIAM (PADERE

In his capacity as conductor of contemporary music ensembles, Kociuban has given premieres of many new pieces. As a cellist, he pursues a career as a soloist, an orchestral player and a member of chamber groups. He’s given many first performances of solo and chamber works. This includes the world premiere recording of Violoncello totale.

V 14: MUSICA CLAROMONTANA

25 POLISH FOLK SONGS FROM WARM

SONATE QUASI UNA FANTASIA OP.

We learn village music straight from the source, from folk masters. We are fascinated by timbral-emotional phenomenon, beyond description, words, notes. We see parallels between the flow of a folk party and the pulse of a club night, between meaty fiddles and glitch electronica. “The band succeeds in conveying this sense to the listener. The electronics helps stippling traditional rhythms, the variantivity of folk music is transmitted through scratching or light glitching – Niewte seamlessly merges the old with the new.” (Katarzyna Ryzel, “Ruch Muzyczny”) This allows for creating personal, up-to-date music, yet still drawn from archaic Polish idiom. Utilitarian and refined, dancing and deep, local and global, from grandpas to kids.

Witold Maliszewski was a prolific Polish composer who is remembered not only for his compositional oeuvre, but also his contribution to education- he was a founder of Odessa Conservatory and a professor at Warsaw Conservatory. Students of Maliszewski include Witold Lutoslawski, Mykola Vililnsky, Shimon Shteynberg, and Boleslaw Woytowicz. His style was largely shaped by Russian musical traditions. His symphonies are non-programmatic, and only the Fourth Symphony in D major contains any trace of traditional Polish music. The present release is a showcase of his symphonic works, performed by the Opole Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Przemyslaw Neumann.

Szymanowski: Violin and Piano Works, Vol. 2

In November 1900, the music journalist Yevgeny Petro-vsky gave Rimsky-Korsakov his libretto, entitled Prince Ivan, which is loosely based on Russian folk tales about a mean and ugly wizard. Despite being initially interested in the text the composer eventually rejected it, put off by its unfathomable symbolism. However, in the summer of the following year the score of Wagner’s Siegfried pro-vided inspiration for fresh and innovative harmonic ideas, which he decided to include in a work dealing with motifs of black magic. With the help of his daughter Sofia, he wrote his own script based on Petrovsky’s original, and as early as in spring of 1902 he had a one-act opera in three scenes ready – Kashchey the Immortal – which was successfully staged in Moscow before the year had ended. The work is presented in a brilliant new interpretation on this new release.

Ewa FABIAŃSKA-JELIŃSKA is one of the most active and recognized composers of her generation. Her oeuvre is regularly presented at national and international music festivals and appreciated by music authorities, which is confirmed by numerous awards she has received in prestigious composers’ competitions. The creative output of Fabiańska-Jelińska, despite her young age, includes over a hundred compositions (excluding incidental music and arrangements), written for diverse ensembles, and is constantly expanding. In her work, we can find pieces representing various genres, including songs, solo concertos, symphonic works, while nearly half of them are written for one to four instruments. The present album features compositions created in the years 2015–2019, most of which represent a sui generis specialization of Fabiańska-Jelińska in the genre of instrumental chamber music, including instrumental duos and quartets. The album is complemented with four songs for solo instruments. Together, the compositions constitute a showcase of Fabiańska-Jelińska’s musical language; its indicators include high formal discipline and attention to material coherence, important role of tone color and melody in shaping expression, often marked by the presence of lyrical element, and frequent use of viola and trombone.

MIROIRS, LA VALSE, AND OTHER W

This new release from Dux presents Violin Concertos by composer Tadeusz Paciokiewicz. Paciokiewicz used to say that “even the best craftsmanship and compositional skills are only a means to achieve the goal of expressing a work”. In every composition by Tadeusz Paciorkiewicz, there is a multiplicity and changeability of moods. The character of his music oscillates between the poles of extreme emotions, using refined nuances. The composer received many awards and distinctions for his pedagogical and artistic activity. Tadeusz Paciorkiewicz wrote the following about his works: “The most characteristic features of my style include, above all, the symbiosis of homophony with polyphony and the use, especially in themes, of all twelve notes of the scale. The use of the full twelve--note scale does not imply, however, any connection with the dodecaphonic technique. I tend to lean towards the atonal style, without sacrificing tonality, which I use quite individually. In my works, I prefer classical forms: sonata, concerto, symphony, rondo, or variations. I also often use baroque forms, such as passacaglia, fugue, or cantata. Emotionality is an inherent feature of my com-positions, without which the music is dead and boring, and boredom is actually the enemy of art.”

MEDIA VITA: POLISH PASSION SON

In the work of Johann Sebastian Bach, two groups of sonatas composed for violin and harpsichord can be distinguished. The first group features the harpsichord performing only the role of basso continuo. The second group includes the harpsichord as an equal partner to the violin. This release features six sonatas of the latter category. Aleksandra Bryla is a versatile violinist with rich artistic achievements. She performs as a soloist and chamber musician, cooperating with prominent figures of the international music scene. She is a laureate of several violin and chamber music competitions around the world. In 2007 she cofounded the Meccore String Quartet, with which she carries out dynamic international concert activity. As a soloist, she has achieved major success at the National Zdzislaw Jahnke Violin Competition in Poznan, the Michael Hill International Competition in New Zealand, the International Violin Competition Valsesia-Musica in Italy and the International Violin Competition in Avignon in France. Maria Banaszkiewicz-Bryla is a graduate of the Ignacy Jan Paderewski Academy of Music in Poznan, where she studied in the harpsichord class of Z. Brencz-Budny and E. Mielczarek-Poprawa and in the organ class of R. Sroczynski. She has taken numerous courses in the interpretation of early music, and is founder and director of the early music ensemble Brill'ante.

The Goldberg Variations, composed for harpsichord, have a potential that allows various instrumentalists to discover completely new sound and expressive values in them. They are most often played on the piano, but there are arrangements for organ, harp, guitar, orchestra, jazz trio... the list goes on and on. Each of the arrangements is met with scepticism at first, only to gain a group of enthusiasts over time. The genius of The Goldberg Variations is based on the fact that the work operates in its own universe, and each of the new interpretations or arrangements reveals something different here. The version for a string trio was developed in 1984 by a well-known Russian violinist Dmitry Sitkovetsky, working, as he admitted, under a strong influence of Glenn Gould’s famous interpretation. This album presents the first Polish recording in this arrangement, made by excellent chamber musicians in the sensational acoustics of the concert hall of the Academy of Music in Lódz.