Ignacy Jan Paderewski - Piano Concerto; Polish Fantasy (Janina Fialkowska; Antoni Wit)

Information

Composer: Ignacy Jan Paderewski

• Piano Concerto in A minor, Op. 17
• Fantaisie polonaise sur des thèmes originaux, Op. 19
• Overture

Janina Fialkowska, piano

Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra

Antoni Wit, conductor

Date: 1999

Label: Naxos

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Review

Ignacy Paderewski’s Piano Concerto belongs with the finest works of Romantic nationalism, right up there with the similar works of Grieg, Tchaikovsky, and Rachmaninov. The reasons for its comparative neglect are simply unfathomable: it has great tunes, is very well orchestrated, and sounds like a blast to play. The Polish Fantasy is equally attractive, and would make a very welcome change of pace in concert from the endless parade of Paganini Rhapsodies and other such warhorses. The principal competition for this new release comes from Koch, where Eva Kupiec and conductor Hugh Wolff turn in lyrical, affecting performances of both works (there’s also a Hyperion disc that I find comparatively uninteresting). Janina Fialkowska has more steel in her tone, and plays both works with less “Chopin” and more “Prokofiev” than her compatriot, and this suits the music, which is vintage turn-of-the-century stuff, very well. I find her approach particularly compelling in the finale of the concerto where her firm articulation and slightly more relaxed tempo gives the music more strength of purpose and direction than does Kupiec. Naxos also includes a bonus in the form of the rarely heard Overture, and Antoni Wit’s conducting is easily as fine as Wolff’s. My one reservation concerns the recording: the tone of piano becomes somewhat clattery in the keyboard’s upper octaves, and this is particularly noticeable in the final measures of the concerto’s outer movements, where Paderewski really piles on the treble. It’s a small drawback in what is otherwise a highly recommendable enterprise.

— David Hurwitz

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Ignacy Jan Paderewski (6 November 1860 – 29 June 1941) was a Polish pianist, composer and statesman. He studied music in Warsaw, Berlin and Vienna, and gained international fame with his performances in major cities like Vienna, Paris, London and New York. Celebrated for his passionate interpretations of Chopin, Bach, Beethoven and Schumann, he inspired deep devotion from his audiences. Despite a demanding touring schedule, he composed over 70 works, including the opera Manru and a symphony. A dedicated patriot, Paderewski served as Poland's prime minister and signed the Treaty of Versailles in 1919.

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Janina Fialkowska (born 7 May 1951) is a Canadian pianist. Trained in Montreal, Paris and at Juilliard, her international career began in 1974 after winning recognition at Arthur Rubinstein's inaugural Master Piano Competition. She has performed with leading orchestras and conductors worldwide and received numerous awards for her recordings and premieres. She has been appointed an Officer of the Order of Canada and received the Governor General's Lifetime Achievement Award in Classical Music. Fialkowska also teaches master classes and serves as a competition juror. Her autobiography, A Note in Time, was published in 2021.

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Antoni Wit (born 7 February 1944) is a Polish conductor. Educated in conducting at the Academy of Music in Kraków and in Paris under Nadia Boulanger, he also holds a law degree from Jagiellonian University. Following success at the Herbert von Karajan Conducting Competition, he led major Polish orchestras, serving as director of the Warsaw Philharmonic from 2001 to 2013 and later as music director of Spain's Orquesta Sinfónica de Navarra. Wit has made over 200 records, earning numerous international awards, including a GRAMMY Award, for his acclaimed interpretations of Polish and classical repertoire.

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