The pieces included on Naxos' 2008 release of choral works by Karol Szymanowski exactly matches those of its 1996 recording featuring Karol Stryja leading the Polish State Philharmonic Orchestra and Chorus, but the remarkable quality of this new version fully justifies the duplication of the repertoire. Antoni Wit, whose stature has become more recognized in the West since the turn of the century, conducts the Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra and Choir in luxuriant readings of some of the composer's most appealing choral and ...
Read More
The pieces included on Naxos' 2008 release of choral works by Karol Szymanowski exactly matches those of its 1996 recording featuring Karol Stryja leading the Polish State Philharmonic Orchestra and Chorus, but the remarkable quality of this new version fully justifies the duplication of the repertoire. Antoni Wit, whose stature has become more recognized in the West since the turn of the century, conducts the Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra and Choir in luxuriant readings of some of the composer's most appealing choral and vocal compositions. The Stabat Mater is a paradoxical work (in the best way), monumental but intimate, austere in tone but lush in its musical language. Szymanowski's success in integrating these disparate elements gives it a power and uniqueness that demand attention; it certainly deserves to be recognized as one of the masterworks of twentieth century choral music. In this impassioned performance, the orchestra, chorus, and soloists soprano Iwona Hossa, mezzo-soprano Ewa Marciniec,...
Read Less
