Karol Szymanowski: "Sonata op. 9", "Romans op. 23", "Nocturne and Tarantella op. 28", "Mythes op. 30", "Lullaby". Piotr Pławner - violin, Waldemar Malicki - piano. DUX 2002 - DUX 0287, DDD 67'48''.
This title contains the complete recording of all of Karol Szymanowski's works for violin and piano. The five pieces were written in different periods of the composer's development. The earliest SONATA OP. 9 was written before 1904, at the time when Szymanowski was still studying with Zygmunt Noskowski. Even though it is maintained in a neoromantic style it displays some individual traits like the deep expression and the original colours. ROMANS OP. 23 / ROMANCE IN D MAJOR OP. 23 from 1910 is the first piece written in cooperation with the outstanding violin player and later a friend of the composer - Paweł Kochański. Next pieces - NOKTURN I TARANTELLA / NOCTURNE AND TARANTELLA and the famous MITY/ MYTHES belong to the composer's late work. One can find here the individual, fully shaped style of the composer from the second period - with the references to impressionism and the oriental music. The disc ends with a simple, delicate, almost ethereal LULLABY OP. 52 "LA BERCEUSE D'AITACHO ENIA" from 1925.
The violin parts are performed by Piotr Pławner, one of the most remarkable violin players of the younger generation, the winner of the INTERNATIONAL HENRYK WIENIAWSKI COMPETITION in Poznan, the INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION IN BAYREUTH and the INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION ARD in Munich. The piano is played by Waldemar Malicki, a versatile musician, the author of many TV shows about music. One can admire their performance of the violin pieces of Karol Szymanowski for its balanced virtuosity, interesting sound colours, spectacular expression and dynamics and also subtle lyricism.
Karol Szymanowski: "Sonata op. 9", "Romans op. 23", "Nocturne and Tarantella op. 28", "Mythes op. 30", "Lullaby". Piotr Pławner - violin, Waldemar Malicki - piano. DUX 2002 - DUX 0287, DDD 67'48''.
Polish Music Information Center
Polish Composers' Union
September 2002