• New CD Note (Szymanowski/Chandos)

After four volumes of Lutosławski in its ‘Muzyka Polska’ series, with a fifth to follow shortly, Chandos has begun a new Polish strand.  New Year’s Day 2013 marks the issue of its first Szymanowski CD in the series.  The principal forces remain the BBC Symphony Orchestra under Edward Gardner.

I heard Louis Lortie’s recording of Szymanowski’s Symphony no.4 ‘Symphonie Concertante’ when it was broadcast on Radio 3 last November.  It fairly zinged along and the finale was the best that I’ve heard.  Also on this new CD are the early Concert Overture and Symphony no.2.

The front cover, if I’m not mistaken, shows the Tatra Mountains from the southern, Slovakian side rather than from a Polish vantage point that Szymanowski might have known.  The lake is Štrbské Pleso.

Here’s the link to my booklet note for this new Szymanowski CD, or you can scroll the CD NOTES tab above.