Emil Młynarski; Mieczysław Weinberg; Krzysztof Penderecki - Polish Music (Jacek Kaspszyk)

Information

Composer: Emil Młynarski; Mieczysław Weinberg; Krzysztof Penderecki

• Penderecki - Polonaise
• Weinberg - Polish Melodies, Op. 47 No. 2
• Młynarski - Symphony in F major "Polonia", Op. 14

Warsaw National Philharmonic Orchestra

Jacek Kaspszyk, conductor

Date: 2018

Label: Warner Classics

-----------------------------------------------------------

Review

Mynarski (1870-1935) was a composition pupil of Rimsky-Korsakov and it shows, most particularly in the sparkling Presto scherzo which, in the composer’s programme, symbolises hope for Poland’s release from partition and foreign domination, eloquently depicted in the preceding Adagio. Poland’s past and hopes for the future are the themes of the outer movements, the music shot through with the flavour and rhythms of Polish dances, such as the oberek and cracovienne. Written in a late-Romantic style, this is an attractive score, played with compelling fervour.

The couplings are lighter but no less nationalistic in tone. Penderecki’s 2015 Polonaise is not so much a setting of the dance as a tone poem on the idea of it. An appealing concert-opener, I doubt anyone listening with an innocent ear would guess Penderecki as its creator. Weinberg’s Polish Melodies (1950) are more individual, written at a time of personal danger having fallen foul of the Soviet regime. The orchestration in the first dance reminded me a little of Nielsen, curiously; elsewhere there are touches of Shostakovich (in lighter, raucous vein). The four dances make an endearing and appealing set that at times looks into the abyss but turns away. Excellent performances, fine sound.

— Guy Rickards

-----------------------------------------------------------

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.

***

Mieczysław Weinberg (8 December 1919 – 26 February 1996) was a Polish-born Soviet and Russian composer and pianist. Born in Warsaw to a family connected with Yiddish theatre, he fled Poland in 1939 following the German invasion and settled in the Soviet Union, where he gained the support of Dmitri Shostakovich. Weinberg became a prolific and respected composer, particularly during the 1960s, when his concert and film music achieved considerable recognition. His later years were marked by declining health and reduced official support. International appreciation of his music grew significantly in the 1990s.

***

Krzysztof Penderecki (23 November 1933 – 29 March 2020) was a Polish composer. After graduating from the Academy of Music in Kraków, he began teaching there and gained international recognition. His innovative compositions, characterized by experimental sonorities and distinctive orchestral techniques, include Threnody to the Victims of Hiroshima, St. Luke Passion, Anaklasis, Utrenja and Polish Requiem. His output also include 5 operas, 8 symphonies, concertos, chamber works and numerous choral compositions. Penderecki received many prestigious honors, including 4 Grammy Awards.

***

Jacek Kaspszyk (born 10 August 1952) is a Polish conductor. He graduated from the Fryderyk Chopin University of Music in Warsaw in 1975, studying under Stanisław Wisłocki. He has held prominent positions with major Polish and international orchestras and opera institutions, including the Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra, Grand Theatre–National Opera in Warsaw, NFM Wrocław Philharmonic and Warsaw National Philharmonic Orchestra. Kaspszyk has received numerous honors, including the Elgar Medal and Diamond Baton. He has made recordings for Collins, EMI and Warner Classics.

-----------------------------------------------------------