Angela Hewitt is not only a great interpreter of Bach’s music. She numbers among the most distinguished pianists of our time. She specializes in the music of J. S. Bach, but few remember that already in 1980 at the Chopin Competition she revealed her uncommon talent and, though she did not win a prize, she certainly did figure among the most interesting artistic personalities. Unfortunately, almost “no one at the time, among the jury, the critics or the audience, stood up for this brilliant pianist… One thing, however, is certain: her competition performances of Chopin’s works, despite the technical glitches, are impressive for their maturity and their individual stamp. The 22-year-old Angela Hewitt has a perfect grasp of the sense of Chopin’s rubato, creates subtle phrasing and employs a refined, rounded sound, although perhaps of limited amplitude…” (press from the 1980 competition). Her competition recordings are being brought back by The Fryderyk Chopin Institute in its Blue Series which reminds listeners of the most interesting performances of the Fryderyk Chopin International Piano Competition.

PIANO QUINTET

Chopin: Polonezy / Mazurki / Rondo C-Dur

PIANO CONCERTO MAZURKAS OP.50

This new, outstanding live release featuring esteemed pianist Martha Argerich was recorded in Warsaw in 2006 at the Chopin and His Europe International Music Festival. For this programme, she performs one of her favorite Concertos: Shostakovich’s First. She is joined from the podium by her long-time musical partner Alexander Rabinovich. Also featured on this recording is the light-spirited Symphony No. 9, also by Shostakovich. The International Music Festival ‘Chopin and his Europe’ – an international music festival organized in Warsaw since 2005 by the Fryderyk Chopin Institute, presenting European music within the context of its links with the life and work of the Polish pianist, composer and teacher Fryderyk Chopin (1810–1849). The project is realized as part of the government programme ‘Fryderyk Chopin Heritage 2010’. One important strand to the festival programme is historical performance – presenting works as they were originally heard, on period pianos in the possession of the Fryderyk Chopin Institute: an Erard from 1849, a Pleyel from 1846 and a Graf (a copy of an instrument from c. 1819). The festival is organized in collaboration with the Warsaw Philharmonic, Teatr Wielki – Polish National Opera and Polish Radio II.

BALLADE IN F MIN

Chopin: Chamber Music

In the history books of the International Fryderyk Chopin Piano Competition, 2015 will go down not only as the year of the North Americans but of the young contestants. Coming in ahead of Canada's Tony Yike Yang, whose fifth prize made him the youngest-ever laureate in the history of the competition. Eric Lu was placed fourth at the age of still only 17. The Boston-born pianist had already achieved success earlier in 2015 by winning first prize in the National Chopin Competition of the US in Miami, and he stood out early on in Warsaw, playing on a Yamaha with consistently warm results. Writing in the Chopin Courier, Dorota Szwarcman was quick to spot Lu when he played on the first Sunday afternoon: "The best, however, was Eric Lu...His maturity, especially in the Ballade in F minor, was a suprise, especially as he is on 17 years old." As required in the First Stage, Lu played a Nocturne and chose Op. 27 No. 2 in D flat. All the formal characteristics of this Chopin genre are distilled into the two Op. 27 Nocturnes, in particular the floating melody of this D flat work - a jewel of Chopinesque craftsmanship. the musicologist Jim Sampson has described his use of ornamental melody here as "exquisite, if sweet-toothed", but goes on to analyse in detail how such a typical Chopin melody functions, even tracing some of its roots back to the "galant" style and Mozart.

The Fryderyk Chopin Institute’s Blue Series, begun in 2010, featured portraits of the most interesting participants in the previous Chopin Competition. Shortly, it will release recordings of the best pianists from this year’s edition of the competition. However, the label would like to expand the series a big, for the first time recalling exceptional Competition events from years past. Andrzej Czajkowski’s performances at the 1955 Competition definitely numbered among those events. At the time, he won a mere 8th Prize; but a year later, together with Vladimir Ashkenazy, he triumphed in Brussels at the Queen Elizabeth Competition, thereby beginning a brilliant international career. Were he still alive today, Andrzej Czajkowski would be 80 years old; he is presently being rediscovered by the whole world, not only as one of the 20th century’s most interesting pianists, but also as a distinguished composer of, among other works, a Piano Concerto which has been presented at the Chopin and His Europe festival; the opera The Merchant of Venice, and many solo and chamber works.

The new disc in the Young Talents, Debuts series, where The Fryderyk Chopin Institute presents recordings by outstanding Polish musicians of the younger generation. The debut album of Andrzej Wiercinski - the winner of, among other competitions, the Fryderyk Chopin National Piano Competition in 2015 - contains works by Fryderyk Chopin, three sonatas by domenico Scarlatti and Robert Schumann's Carnaval Op. 9. It was recorded at the Witold Lutoslawski Concerti Studio of Polish Radio, Warsaw in 2015.

Poland had three contestants left in the Third Stage of the 17th International Fryderyk Chopin Piano Competition, and only one went through to the Grand Final concerto round. So the country's hopes were resting on Szymon Nehring, and although few would have tipped him as a winner he enjoyed understandable support in the hall and countrywide, winning the Audience Prize in the final analysis. The Krakow-born pianist, who had just turned 20 when the competition opened, certianly aroused interest with his playing. Reviewing his Second Stage appearance in the Chopin Courier, Kacper Miklaszewski said, ''The search for subtlety took away a bit of clarity from the interpretations of Szymon Nehring, who nevertheless built a convincing dramaturgy in the Polonaise in F sharp minor.'' Getting across all the hurdles in this most demanding of competitions, Nehring certainly proved his worth by the time he stepped out to play the Piano Concerto in E minor in a performance that mixed muscularity and gracefulness. Showing qualities that in retrospect can also be found here in performances recorded earlier in the competition, he found the sweep of the concerto's first movement and the dreaminess of the second, before dispatching the rhythms of the ifnale with a natural, native flexibility. It was a well-rounded performance that justified his place as a laureate.

Few pianists in the 17th Internatioanl Fryderyk Chopin Piano Competition exuded quite the confidence of the 20-year-old Georgijs Osokins from Latvia. Yet his obvious self-belief - which manifested itself in a stron gmix of flamboyance and focus - was not misplaced. Despite not winning one of the ultimate prizes, he earned a place in the Final Stage and his playing throughout the competition helped him to walk away with a slew of engagements, as valuable as prize as any. His individual style was recognized quickly too. Reporting on teh First Stage for the Chopin Courier, Jacek Marczyfski wrote that ''Fortunately, an effective finale was provided by Georgijs Osokins...who drew attention with hi spersonality and mature interpretations, in which insight was combined with virtuosic elan.'' Responding in the sam epaper to his performances in the Second Stage, Kacper Miklaszewski called him ''a personality...but also controversial.'' During October, 2015 in Warsaw, the Latvian pianist was never in any danger of disappearing from the spotlight.

POLONAISES MAZURKAS PRELUDES

Maria Joao Pires, grand dame of the piano world with her deep devotion to understanding the personality of the music which she performs, has performed three times during the Chopin and His Europe Festival at the invitation of the Fryderyk Chopin Institute. The recordings on this release come from her concerts in 2010 when she performed the Piano Concerto in F minor op. 21 with the Sinfonia Varsovia Orchestra under the baton of Christopher Warren-Green) and in 2014 when she performed a recital including, among other items, the Nocturnes presented here. This release is a presentation of- by nature- completely different interpretations, which nonetheless form an extraordinarily coherent artistic whole. Superb creations displaying the most beautiful side of pianistic art.

As a pianist Philippe Entremont is recognized for his performances in the early 20th century repertoire and music of the Classical era. He has also performed and recorded the concertos of the major Romantic composers, as well as conducting orchestral works from the same periods. Entremont’s father was a conductor, who, when Philippe was a boy, was conductor at the Strasbourg Opera. Philippe’s mother was a pianist, who gave him his first lessons. He studied with Marguerite Long, then in 1944 he went to study at the Paris Conservatory with Jean Doyen. At the age of twelve, Entremont won the Harriet Cohen Piano Medal. He made his professional debut in 1951 in Barcelona and began touring in Europe. He made his American debut in 1953 with the National Orchestral Association. He became particularly well-known for his interpretations of music by such composers as Milhaud, Stravinsky, Jolivet, and Bernstein. For this outstanding release, he has taken up Frederic Chopin’s Ballades, Impromptus and 3 Ecossaises.