Tobias Koch; Katarzyna Drogosz
Release Date: 17 February 2023
Label: NIFCCD
Packaging Type: Jewel Case
No of Units: 1
Barcode: 5906395034888
Genres: Classical Solo Instrumental
Description
Stanislaw Moniuszko (1819-1872) is known to be the most outstanding Polish opera composer of the nineteenth century and the composer of around 300 songs. Less familiar is his instrumental output, although in quantitative terms his piano works occupy second place in his Å“uvre, behind only the songs.
This disc contains twenty-three of Moniuszko's works for solo piano, including polonaises, bagatelles, waltzes, an elegy, a lullaby, an album 'souvenir' and an aria with carillon.
Moniuszko left around 180 works for piano, for two and four hands. They are stylistically quite homogeneous, rather short, with symmetrical design, simple harmonies and unsophisticated textures, ideal for performing in the home or the salon. They are characterised by their smooth, lively flow, their elegance and the individual musical language that typifies the whole of Moniuszko's output. These compositions display artistic, as well as technical, qualities.
They can be divided into two groups: works based on dance rhythms; lyrical miniatures. The former, clearly in the majority, are dominated by polonaises and mazurkas, followed by waltzes and polkas. The lyrical miniatures, meanwhile, include bagatelles, works with programmatic titles, villanelles, and songs without words. They are dominated by transcriptions of excerpts from the operas Halka, The Haunted Manor, The Raftsman and The Countess. Moniuszko also arranged works by other composers, including the fantasy Zamek na Czorsztynie [The castle at Czorsztyn], based on themes from Karol KurpiÆ’ski's opera, and the same composer's song 'Olszynka' [The alder].
On this disc, Moniuszko's works gain a new lease of life beneath the fingers of Tobias Koch, playing on a period instrument that the composer himself once used to play on.
"Tobias Koch plays all with charm and grace […] a wonderful introduction to his [Moniuszko] more salon style." – MusicWeb International
Tracklisting
Cyprien Katsaris
Vadym Kholodenko
Ewa Poblocka
Maria Joao Pires
Halina Czerny-Stefanska
Ewa Poblocka
Aleksandra Swigut
Chouchane Siranossian, Oh! Orchestra, Martyna Pastuszka
Celeste-Marie Roy
Yarno Missiaen
Mishka Rushdie Momen
Sergey Tanin
David Jalbert
David Jacques
Donald Berman
Michael Kaykov
