Emil Młynarski; Aleksander Zarzycki - Violin Concertos (Eugene Ugorski)

Information

Composer: Emil Młynarski; Aleksander Zarzycki

• Młynarski - Violin Concerto No. 1 in D minor, Op. 11
• Młynarski - Violin Concerto No. 2 in D major, Op. 16
• Zarzycki - Introduction et Cracovienne in D major, Op. 35
• Zarzycki - Mazurka in G major, Op. 26

Eugene Ugorski, violin

BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra

Michał Dworzyński, conductor

Date: 2013

Label: Hyperion

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Review

Volume 15 in Hyperion’s series ‘The Romantic Violin Concerto’ features works by two adopted Polish composers, Lithuanian-born Auer pupil Emil Mlynarski and Ukrainian-born Aleksander Zarzycki. Both followed in the wake of Wieniawski, writing in a late Romantic style and often incorporating traditional Polish elements.

Young Russian violinist Eugene Ugorski is a dynamic, agile and committed advocate of Mlynarski’s challenging concertos. He displays an impressive range of colour and attack in no.1, from the dramatic opening movement, through the virtuoso cadenza and the melodious Adagio to the vibrant, dance-influenced finale. He impresses further in the Second Concerto, particularly in its impassioned developmental cadenza, brilliantly executed, its rhapsodic nocturnal Andante based on a popular song, and its folksy bravura finale. He has a tendency to force his tone, particularly in impassioned passages or in double- and multiple-stopping. Equally, though, he demonstrates some enviable subtleties of bowing technique in more delicate, quieter moments.

Zarzycki’s two pieces are very much in the Wieniawski mould. Ugorski is lyrical and reflective in the Introduction, but he brings the Cracovienne and the Mazurka immediately to life, demonstrating extraordinary digital facility and bow control. Michal Dworzy?ski supports his soloist admirably at every twist and turn, but the recorded sound is not from Hyperion’s top drawer.

— Robin Stowell

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Emil Młynarski (18 July 1870 – 5 April 1935) was a Polish violinist, conductor, composer and pedagogue. Trained at the St. Petersburg Conservatory under Leopold Auer, Anatoly Lyadov and Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, he initially enjoyed success as a violin virtuoso before focusing on teaching and conducting. He served as musical director of the Warsaw Grand Theatre and became the first director of the Warsaw Philharmonic. Młynarski later worked extensively in Britain, Russia, Poland and the United States. His compositions include two violin concertos, the Polonia Symphony, chamber works, songs and operas.

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Aleksander Zarzycki (26 February 1834 – 1 November 1895) was a Polish pianist, composer and conductor. Born in Lwów (now Lviv, Ukraine), he studied piano in Berlin and composition in Paris. He gained early recognition through concert tours across Europe, making his Paris debut in 1860. After settling in Warsaw in 1866, he shifted his focus from performing to composing and advancing Poland's musical institutions. He served as the first artistic director of the Warsaw Musical Society, later directed the Institute of Music, and led the choir at St. John's Cathedral. Zarzycki continued performing until shortly before his death.

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Eugene Ugorski (born 1989 in St. Petersburg) is a Russian violinist. He began studying violin at six and made his orchestral debut with the San Diego Symphony at eight. Ugorski has performed internationally across Europe, Asia, the Americas and Australia with leading orchestras and conductors, including Valery Gergiev, Yannick Nézet-Séguin and Vasily Petrenko. His repertoire includes works by Stravinsky, Weinberg, and John Adams. As a recitalist, he frequently collaborates with pianist Konstantin Lifschitz, appearing at major festivals and venues such as Wigmore Hall, the Lucerne Festival and Seoul Arts Centre.

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