Description
The presented album is yet another initiative culminating in a recording made at the DUX record label, the aim of which is to remind listeners of the still too little-known output of 19th-century Polish composers. In times of turbulent historical changes, with the borders of the Polish state changing under successive partitions, the Polish national school was established, the most famous representative of which was the brilliant Fryderyk Chopin.
However, less attention is paid to other creators. Meanwhile, Jozef Elsner (1769–1854) was not only Chopin's teacher and an excellent organizer of musical life in Lviv and Warsaw, but also a talented composer. He created pieces still rooted in Classical aesthetics, although open to new, Romantic trends. The 1830 cheerful Septet in D Major for flute, clarinet, violin, viola, cello, double bass and piano reveals interesting sound qualities. One of Elsner's many disciples was Ignacy Feliks Dobrzynski (1807–1867), an unjustly forgotten creator, whom Elsner appreciated almost as much as Chopin. His String Sextet in E-flat Major, Op. 39 is a brilliant, elegant piece, proving his great knowledge of instrumentation; it is an impressive mature composition. In turn, the Octet in D Minor, Op. 6 by Jozef Krogulski (1815–1842) is completely different. Here it is the freshness and youthfulness of the prematurely deceased artist's composition that come to the fore; it is a harbinger of his future possibilities, which never had the opportunity to manifest themselves.
The performers are: Zofia Neugebauer (transverse flute), Adrian Janda (clarinet), Maria Machowska (violin), Kamil Staniczek (violin), Mateusz Doniec (viola), Magdalena Bojanowicz (cello), Agata Dobrzaska (cello), Tomasz Januchta (double bass) and Jakub Kuszlik (piano).
"The musicians give fine performances and though one might mention pianist Jakub Kuszlik for his sterling work in the Krogulski or first violinist Maria Machowska in the Dobrzyski the ensemble playing from all is marvellously joyful."- MusicWeb International