The title The Polish Violin suggests a kind of survey, and advertising for this album, cutting and pasting from the introduction of the booklet notes, mentions Grazyna Bacewicz and other Polish composers who have written for the violin. In fact, none of these composers appear on the program, which is dominated by the music of a single composer, Karol Szymanowski. Once you know what you're getting into, however, the news is extremely good. None of the music here is exactly common, except perhaps in Poland, but all of it is ...
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The title The Polish Violin suggests a kind of survey, and advertising for this album, cutting and pasting from the introduction of the booklet notes, mentions Grazyna Bacewicz and other Polish composers who have written for the violin. In fact, none of these composers appear on the program, which is dominated by the music of a single composer, Karol Szymanowski. Once you know what you're getting into, however, the news is extremely good. None of the music here is exactly common, except perhaps in Poland, but all of it is worth getting to know. Polish violin music has a reputation for being virtuosic, but the three Mythes, Op. 30, of Szymanowski are not so much virtuoso works as densely expressive and programmatic counterparts of Szymanowski's symphonies and stage works. Sample the gorgeous "Chant de Roxane" from the opera Król Roger, here idiomatically arranged for violin and piano, which will also give you an idea of the passionate commitment British violinist Jennifer Pike brings to this music (her...
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