Władysław Żeleński - Piano Quartet (Joanna Ławrynowicz; Four Strings Quartet)

Information

Composer: Władysław Żeleński

1. Piano Quartet in C minor, Op. 61: I. Allegro con brio
2. Piano Quartet in C minor, Op. 61: II. Romanza. Andante sostenuto
3. Piano Quartet in C minor, Op. 61: III. Intermezzo. Allegretto
4. Piano Quartet in C minor, Op. 61: IV. Finale. Allegro appassionato
5. Variations on an original theme in G minor, Op. 21

Joanna Ławrynowicz, piano

Four Strings Quartet

    Lucyna Fiedukiewicz, violin

    Grzegorz Witek, violin

    Beata Raszewska, viola

    Łukasz Tudzierz, cello

Date: 2011

Label: Acte Préalable

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Review

If one has heard much or anything about him at all, Wladyslaw Zelenski has garnered a reputation as a composer for the voice. Nevertheless this label has been actively promoting his music for chamber forces and for piano as well, so it’s good to encounter his compositions once more.

 

Briefly, as I wrote in a previous review, he was born near Cracow and studied there and in Prague and Paris. Back in Cracow he began a distinguished pedagogic career - succeeding Moniuszko as composition teacher - before moving to an even more distinguished position in Warsaw. He was soon back in Cracow however and was eventually to become Director of the Music Conservatoire. So, a strong academic pedigree and clearly an important teacher – his most famous pupil was Zygmunt Stojowski.

 

The big work in this release is the Piano Quartet. In its rugged, sinewy direction it recalls, as so often in his music, the influence of Brahms. This is particularly true of the piano writing, which is strongly muscular and full of urgent power. Material is nicely contrasted in the extensive and impressive opening movement, though I hear distinct reminiscences of Brahms’s First Piano Concerto. In addition to this influence, Zelenski leans strongly to stern Slavic models and this, combined with his gift for melody and very busy writing, gives the music an attractively clotted feel. In the Romanza the cello sings a Song without Words, and here one feels the impress of Zelenski’s powerful vocal qualities. Noteworthy is the terse B section and also the songful reprise, now decorated by elegant piano figuration. Witty piano chimes animate the scherzo, whilst the sheer sweep of the composer can be gauged by the finale which, whilst rather disappointingly conventional, is still well laid out.

 

The companion work is the Variations on an original theme in G minor for string quartet, written significantly earlier — though neither work, unfortunately, is dated in the notes. The yearning theme is rather lovely, and we pass through eight variations, including a fugal section, a Siciliana and an Alla Polacca. Throughout, the string writing is idiomatic and effective, not least the rising unison effect produced and the quietly withdrawn way Zelenski ends the piece. It’s by no means a major work but at a quarter of an hour in length an attractive one.

 

The major work is the Piano Quartet, extremely well performed and recorded, which once again advances the claims of this Polish composer as a valued follower of Brahms.

 

— Jonathan Woolf

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Władysław Żeleński (6 July 1837 – 23 January 1921) was a Polish composer and educator, widely considered the most influential Polish composer of the late nineteenth century, and the teacher of a generation of composers. After studying in Kraków, Prague and Paris, he earned a Ph.D. in philosophy from the University of Prague and later became a professor of music theory and composition in Kraków. Renowned for his operas inspired by Polish literature, Żeleński blended French grand opera, post-Wagnerian influences, and elements of Polish folk music. He also composed numerous lyrical songs based on Romantic poetry.

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Joanna Ławrynowicz (born 16 April 1975) is a Polish pianist. Born in Warsaw, she studied at the Fryderyk Chopin Academy under Teresa Manasterska and later with Halina Czerny-Stefańska. An award winner at international competitions, she has performed extensively as a soloist and chamber musician across Europe, Asia, the Americas and New Zealand. Ławrynowicz has recorded more than 40 albums, many featuring world premiere recordings of Polish repertoire, earning international critical acclaim. She also teaches masterclasses worldwide and is a professor of piano at the Fryderyk Chopin University in Warsaw.

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The Four Strings Quartet, founded in 2004 by Lucyna Fiedukiewicz, consists of musicians from the Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra in Katowice. The ensemble has performed alongside internationally acclaimed artists and conductors, enriching its artistic development and musical interpretation. Its repertoire spans from the Baroque period to contemporary works, with a particular focus on quartets by Haydn, Beethoven, Schubert and Dvořák. Recognized for its expressive and distinctive performances, the quartet won the 2009 Grand Prix in the "Forgotten Polish Music" Recording Project Competition.

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