Władysław Żeleński - Piano Works & Songs (Maria Gabryś-Heyke; Marta Trybulec)

Information

Composer: Władysław Żeleński

1. Un songe, Op. 15
2. 2 Morceaux, Op. 63: No. 2, Idylle
3. Polonez for Piano
4. Mazur for Piano
5. Polka for Piano
6. 2 Mazurkas, Op. 31: No. 1, Moderato
7. 2 Mazurkas, Op. 31: No. 2, Non troppo vivo, ma con gran brio
8. Rêverie in A Minor for Piano, Op. 48
9. Pięć śpiewów z królodworskiego rękopisu, Op. 10 (Excerpts): No. 3, Opuszczona
10. Pieśni Gabrieli, Op. 25 (Excerpts): No. 3, Tęschnota
11. Pięć śpiewów z królodworskiego rękopisu, Op. 10 (Excerpts): No. 1, Zazułka
12. 2 Songs, Op. 23: No. 1, Sen nocy letniej
13. Słowiczku mój
14. Pieśni Gabrieli, Op. 25 (Excerpts): No. 5, Łaskawa dziewczyna
15. Pieśni Gabrieli, Op. 25 (Excerpts): No. 6, Co bym ci chciała dać
16. 3 Songs, Op. 19: No. 1, Młodo zaswatana
17. 2 Lieder, Op. 12: No. 1, Czarna sukienka
18. Marsz uroczysty, Op. 44
19. Pieśni Kazimierza Tetmajera: No. 2, Cień Chopina
20. 3 Polish Songs, Op. 8: No. 3, Wspomnienie

Maria Gabryś-Heyke, piano

Marta Trybulec, soprano

Date: 2022

Label: DUX

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Description

Lovers of Polish music and unexpected discoveries of lost works will certainly enjoy the album featuring piano pieces and songs by Wladyslaw Zelenski (1837–1921). On the album, we present both famous and recently discovered works by the composer.

Wladyslaw Zelenski was mainly associated with Cracow. He was a man-institution – he composed music, performed, organized the musical life of the city. His output, apart from the obvious aesthetic qualities, uplifted and spoke to the national feelings of Poles deprived of official statehood at the time. Zelenski specialized mainly in vocal music – he was passionate about composing operas, but he also created songs, some of which, to the words of well-known, mainly Polish poets, we present on the album. His piano oeuvre is slightly less known and therefore worthy of the highest recommendation. This is the field where we will find the recently discovered pieces, namely Un song-Allegro fantastique, Op. 15 and... a potpourri of stylized Polish dances written by the eleven-year-old composer for his grandmother (Souvenir for Grandma).

The recording was made on a period piano from 1890, while the vocal performance manner is consistent with the then customs. Maria Gabrys-Heyke plays the piano, and the soprano part is performed by Marta Trybulec.

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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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Maria Gabryś-Heyke (born 24 June 1979) is a Polish pianist and professor at the Fryderyk Chopin University of Music in Warsaw. A graduate of leading music institutions in Warsaw, Lucerne and Basel, she specializes in both modern and period piano performance. Renowned for reviving overlooked Polish repertoire, she has released acclaimed recordings, several of which received Fryderyk Award nominations. An award-winning international performer, she has appeared across Europe, Asia and the United States, including for heads of state. Gabryś-Heyke is also an experienced competition juror and masterclass instructor.

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