Mieczyslaw Karlowicz (1876-1909)

Started by Maciek, July 22, 2007, 03:38:59 PM

Previous topic - Next topic

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Maciek

True, the "Polish Richard Strauss" died very young, before his talent could really flourish, but that will not prevent me starting a thread about him! $:)

6 years older than Karol Szymanowski, you could say Mieczysław Karłowicz paved the musical way for his younger colleague by bringing into Polish music all the new "discoveries" of late 19th century Western music.

I've mentioned his songs in the Polish Art Song thread, I've made his Violin Concerto available to GMGers, now comes the time to discuss his tone poems (I suppose we can skip his only symphony... ::)). Watch this spot for several downloads coming real soon.

Maciek

OMG, that ignorant, asinine spell-checker actually had the nerve to suggest I change the name Mieczysław to Mucus...! >:( I'll do my own spelling from now on, thank you. Stupid twit.

J.Z. Herrenberg

#2
Great initiative, Maciek! I hope all Karlowicz fans will 'come out'...

The coming days I'll listen to K.'s symphonic poems again to gather my thoughts on this composer, whose budding greatness and individuality really shine out.

And, as I said elsewhere, I'm really looking forward to the riches you still have in store for us!

Jez

P.S. On from the other thread, about Salwarowski, look here: http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2000/dec00/karlowicz.htm
Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination and life to everything. -- Plato

Maciek

Thanks for that. He must have been exasperated by the fact that DUX didn't get any worldwide distribution (that has changed, AFAIK)!

Anyway, now for a Karlowicz feast.




First of all, for those who might have missed it - the VC (this is still the same recording as the one on the old board):

Mieczyslaw Karlowicz Violin Concerto
Piotr Plawner, violin
Polish Radio National Symphony Orchestra (PRNSO)
Antoni Wit, conductor

http://rapidshare.com/files/23934238/Karlowicz_Mieczyslaw_Koncert_skrzypcowy_A-Dur_op._8_Piotr_Plawner_WOSPR-Antoni_Wit.mp3.html (56149 KB)




And now, the tone poems (4 of them):

Mieczyslaw Karlowicz Returning Waves op. 9
Polish Radio National SO
Grzegorz FITELBERG, conductor
(recorded 1951-53)

File-Size: 52,60 MB

DownloadLink: http://rapidshare.com/files/44479965/01-Mieczyslaw_KARLOWICZ-Returning_Waves_op_9-PRNSO_Grzegorz_FITELBERG__rec._1951-53_.flac




Mieczyslaw Karlowicz Lithuanian Rhapsody op. 11
Silesian Philharmonic Orchestra
Karol Stryja, conductor

File-Size: 26,70 MB

DownloadLink: http://rapidshare.com/files/44472962/Karlowicz_Mieczysl_aw_Lithuanian_Rhapsody_op_11_Silesian_PO_Karol_Stryja.mp3




Mieczyslaw Karlowicz Stanislaw and Anna Oswiecim op. 12
PRNSO
Grzegorz FITELBERG, conductor
(recorded 1951-53)

File-Size: 58,81 MB

DownloadLink: http://rapidshare.com/files/44488457/02-Mieczyslaw_KARLOWICZ-Stanislaw_and_Anna_Oswiecim_op_12-PRNSO_Grzegorz_FITELBERG__rec._1951-53_.fl

RapidShare cut the file name short - after downloading you have to add ".flac" at the end of the file name (by renaming the file) for it to work properly.




Mieczyslaw Karlowicz An Episode at a Masquerade op. 14
PRNSO
Grzegorz FITELBERG, conductor
(recorded 1951-53)

File-Size: 60,87 MB

DownloadLink: http://rapidshare.com/files/44499241/03-Mieczyslaw_KARLOWICZ-An_Episode_at_a_Masquerade_op_14-PRNSO_Grzegorz_FITELBERG__rec._1951-53_.fla

Again, RapidShare cut the file name short - after downloading you have to add ".flac" at the end of the file name (by renaming the file) for it to work properly.

J.Z. Herrenberg

That's quick work, Maciek! I can't wait to dl them and savour these performances!

Many many thanks!

Jez
Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination and life to everything. -- Plato

Lilas Pastia

#5
Maciek, are these recordings good enough sonically? I notice they're quite ancient, but I suppose there are musical compensations? :)

J.Z. Herrenberg

#6
Quote from: Lilas Pastia on July 23, 2007, 02:54:37 PM
Maciek, are these recordings good enough sonically? I notice they're quite ancient, but I suppose there are musical compensations? :)

Hello, Lilas Pastia! I already listened to all of them. Perhaps they're not the best introduction to Karlowicz because not all of them will please the hi-fi buff (Wit and Stryja are okay, though). BUT - these are compelling readings, especially the ones by Fitelberg. If you already know some Karlowicz, you'll be certainly gripped by the way he paces and phrases the music, even if the orchestra cannot quite follow him all the time. Fitelberg knew Karlowicz, completed his last tone poem, and you can feel an immense authority in his readings. I was very impressed.

Jez
Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination and life to everything. -- Plato

Lilas Pastia

Thanks! That's just the kind of information I needed!!

Maciek

Johan, I think you'll be happy to know that DUX have reissued the Salwarowski set (and under a much more fetching cover!):

(they're apparently a bit stingy about image sizes)
And it's dirt cheap (unless there's a mistake on their site): 28 zlotys for the two CDs (that's roughly 8 euros, or 12 dollars)! :o I'd snatch it up immediately but, as you know, I'm between jobs right now and have to keep a very, very tight budget... $:)

Clicking on the link will take you to the brand new DUX site (I think it's been open for only a couple of days). Apparently they are planning to start selling MP3s - there's an "mp3" option in their search engine. That would be really great. Unfortunately, at the moment no files are available... ::)

J.Z. Herrenberg

Quote from: Maciek on February 08, 2008, 04:42:49 AM
Johan, I think you'll be happy to know that DUX have reissued the Salwarowski set (and under a much more fetching cover!):

(they're apparently a bit stingy about image sizes)
And it's dirt cheap (unless there's a mistake on their site): 28 zlotys for the two CDs (that's roughly 8 euros, or 12 dollars)! :o I'd snatch it up immediately but, as you know, I'm between jobs right now and have to keep a very, very tight budget... $:)

Clicking on the link will take you to the brand new DUX site (I think it's been open for only a couple of days). Apparently they are planning to start selling MP3s - there's an "mp3" option in their search engine. That would be really great. Unfortunately, at the moment no files are available... ::)

Thanks for the info, Maciek! Yes, it really would be great if I could buy these CDs as mp3s AND if you could pay with PayPal (I don't have a credit card)... I'll have a peek at their site.
Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination and life to everything. -- Plato

j.horowitz

Oh, please repost those recordings! I've been looking for Karlowicz for ages. Well, almost. ;-) But I can't get enough of his "Lithuanian Rhapsody" - true masterpiece. Harmonies in this piece are seriously very modern. You'll propably crucify me for comparison but first few staves reminds me very much of... classic, 'atmospheric' black metal. Well, please don't beat me. ;-)

Anyway, I'd be grateful for link's repost.
"- You know why this case is so heavy?
- No, sir...
- Because I carry all these wrong notes with me."

J.Z. Herrenberg

Quote from: j.horowitz on August 14, 2008, 03:45:47 PM
Oh, please repost those recordings! I've been looking for Karlowicz for ages. Well, almost. ;-) But I can't get enough of his "Lithuanian Rhapsody" - true masterpiece. Harmonies in this piece are seriously very modern. You'll propably crucify me for comparison but first few staves reminds me very much of... classic, 'atmospheric' black metal. Well, please don't beat me. ;-)

Anyway, I'd be grateful for link's repost.

Hello, j.horowitz! Good to see a fellow Karlowiczian!

If Maciek won't re-up the recordings, I will. "Watch this space."
Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination and life to everything. -- Plato

DFO

I've other (excelent) recording of his v.c. by
Andrzey Kulka with Rowicki,+Symph.op.7 E minor
"The Revival" See Olympia OCD 304 (1988)

j.horowitz

#13
Quote from: Jezetha on August 14, 2008, 03:55:42 PM
Hello, j.horowitz! Good to see a fellow Karlowiczian!

If Maciek won't re-up the recordings, I will. "Watch this space."

Great! I'll be watching then.

By the way, there is fairly recent reedition (originally recorded in Nov 2006) of his Symphonic Poems on Naxos. It's with Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Antoni Wit  - sounds pretty good to me.
"- You know why this case is so heavy?
- No, sir...
- Because I carry all these wrong notes with me."

J.Z. Herrenberg

#14
Quote from: j.horowitz on August 15, 2008, 01:49:31 AM
Great! I'll be watching then.

I am uploading as we speak.

Look here -

http://rapidshare.com/users/UT0KCX
Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination and life to everything. -- Plato

j.horowitz

Thank you very much! My life is now complete.  ;D
"- You know why this case is so heavy?
- No, sir...
- Because I carry all these wrong notes with me."

Maciek

Given the recent Naxos releases, I felt this thread could use a bump. 0:)

Maciek

Lots of Karlowicz releases recently (sad anniversary ahead) but one that should interest Johan is this:



The Rebirth Symphony played by the National Philharmonic in Warsaw under Jerzy Salwarowski. Should complement his complete tone poems nicely.




Perhaps also worth mentioning (I heard the Symphony on the radio and it really made me want to buy it! 8)) - both are SACD Hybrids:



CDB043.19443343
Mieczysław Karłowicz
Violin Concerto in A major Op.8, Eternal Songs Op.10
Performers:
Agata Szymczewska violin, Sinfonia Varsovia/Jerzy Maksymiuk
solo part performed on an Antonio Stradivari instrument (Cremona, ca.1680)

CDB042.1944342
Mieczysław Karłowicz
"Rebirh " Symphony in e-minor op.7
Performers:
Sinfonia Varsovia/Jerzy Maksymiuk

J.Z. Herrenberg

Yes, interesting releases, Maciek, all of them. Of course I have a soft spot for Salwarowski, as you well know. I don't know the 'Rebirth' symphony, btw - it precedes the glorious sextet of symphonic poems and isn't generally considered to be truly 'Karlowiczian'. Still, Karlowicz is Karlowicz. He wrote so little that everything becomes essential.

Yes, 8 February is the centenary of Karlowicz's untimely death (in his 33rd year). I'll be playing all of the symphonic poems that day, + the Violin Concerto, ravishing piece.
Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination and life to everything. -- Plato

Maciek

Quote from: Jezetha on January 29, 2009, 03:08:13 PM
I don't know the 'Rebirth' symphony, btw - it precedes the glorious sextet of symphonic poems and isn't generally considered to be truly 'Karlowiczian'.

Well, I never liked it very much but that Maksymiuk recording just about changed my mind. But still: there's so much stuff to buy, and BeArTon - the label it's on - is one of the most expensive in Poland so I'd rather wait for a cheaper second-hand copy (which might well never come ::)).