Karol Szymanowski (1882-1937)

[Maciek]

You can get the old ones back by changing the set you use (to "Classic") in your profile ("Look and layout")!

[Guido]

ahhhhhh! Much better!

[Guido]

Thanks for all those files!

[snyprrr]

They looove you!

[Maciek]

Some more stuff to download:

The Second Symphony (live recording, Warsaw Philarmonic/Antoni Wit, 2002)

String Quartet No. 2 (LP transfer, The Borodin Quartet!)

[Mirror Image]

I really like Szymanowski and he occupies a very interesting place in 20th Century classical music. Sadly, my Szymanowski collection is severely lacking. All I own is the Simon Rattle box set and a 2-CD set on EMI. This said, I adore Stabat Mater and Symphony No. 4 (Symphonie Concertante). I haven't heard much of his music at all, but I will be listening to the recordings I own and perhaps my next purchases will be Wit's recordings on Naxos with the Warsaw Philharmonic.

[Maciek]

So, still no feedback on the Frank Peter Zimmermman recording of the VCs? I heard it on the radio (the 2nd concerto) and thought it was pretty good.

Somehow I suspect there will be more comments on the upcoming Boulez disc, with Tetzlaff in the 1st Violin Concerto and Steve Davislim in the 3rd Symphony...

BTW, how weird is that, a 2-disc album where the second disc consists solely of interviews with the conductor (in 3 languages)?

I'm not the greatest fan of Boulez, but it's nice to see him turn his interests towards Szymanowski.

Due out on 6th September.

[Maciek]

Based on what I once heard Boulez say about Szymanowski (and because of his stature as a musical authority), I am a bit concerned about the content of the interviews on that second disc. Unless, of course, he has finally decided to check the dates.

For instance Szymanowski's against Bartok's. As in the following example, which I am taking from a site (http://www.classicalsource.com/db_control/db_concert_review.php?id=979) which I found while browsing around for details for the above mentioned disc:

A similar strategy was evident in Szymanowski’s First Violin Concerto. Boulez’s take on this composer, whose music he will be investigating further, is that of a synthesis between Ravel and Bartók.

It would be almost OK if the sentence I underlined was a sample of the author's own inventive powers. But the way it is worded, I suspect he is indirectly quoting Boulez himself (further down in the text there is evidence that he had indeed spoken with the conductor).

Now, the 1st violin concerto was completed in 1916, and I would really like to know which of Bartok's compositions Szymanowski was "synthesizing" here? And, well, this may sound petty, but I actually mean Bartok's pre-1916 compositions...

But we'll see what the CD brings...

(Come to think of it, I'm curious which Ravel he could have in mind too. Hey, I'd be even willing to give him some slack on the dates here... 0:))

((I did notice that the semi-quoted sentence from Boulez does not specifically mention the violin concerto. So perhaps the author is disfiguring the conductor's intentions. Still, given the documented influence of Szymanowski on Bartok, and not the other way around, I'm a little worried... Not to say that Bartok didn't reciprocate the influencing at all. But I still think this is not right.))

(((Besides, for all I know the two pieces he has recorded are the only two he has conducted so far - after all, he "will be investigating" the music "further". So he seems to be saying that stuff about Ravel and Bartok based - mainly? - on two compositions completed by Szymanowski in 1916.)))

[Edited to add notes in brackets, double-brackets, and triple-brackets. Wheee!!! ]

[Mirror Image]

Maciek:


It will be interesting to hear what Boulez does with Szymanowski. I would be very interested in hearing him conduct Symphony No. 4 with maybe Krystian Zimerman on piano. That would be ideal since the two musicians have already worked together on the Ravel recording on DG.

[Maciek]

Judging by the concert reviews (and it seems that this DG release is actually a live recording?), Boulez's approach to the 3rd Symphony is similar to Dorati's. If that's indeed the case, I might yet become a Boulez fan...

Zimerman and Boulez... They've also recorded one of the Bartok PCs, if I recall correctly (I have the disc, but where is it?). I remember that Zimerman was supposed to play the 4th Symphony in Poland during the Szymanowski year (not with Boulez, obviously), but I'm not sure if that was just a project or something that actually came to be. I wouldn't mind a disc of Szymanowski's solo piano music played by Zimerman either. Though, given the uncertain economic times, I'm not sure DG go for something like that.

[Maciek]

BTW, how weird is that, a 2-disc album where the second disc consists solely of interviews with the conductor (in 3 languages)?

Even weirder, though I only noticed it now (says a lot about my powers of observation), is the way they've set the text on the cover:
SONG OF THE NIGHT
SZYMANOWSKI
SYMPHONY NO. 3

Doesn't make much sense, unless they mean "Song of the Night" to be the title of the album...

?

Gee...

Well, the violin concerto is supposedly inspired by Miciński's poem "May Night", so that would maybe make some sense...

But since when do Boulez albums have titles? Isn't that typical for, er, I don't know - crossover stuff? And maybe song recitals. And "anthologies". OK, OK, so it does happen sometimes, OK, never mind.

[Mirror Image]

Judging by the concert reviews (and it seems that this DG release is actually a live recording?), Boulez's approach to the 3rd Symphony is similar to Dorati's. If that's indeed the case, I might yet become a Boulez fan...

Zimerman and Boulez... They've also recorded one of the Bartok PCs, if I recall correctly (I have the disc, but where is it?). I remember that Zimerman was supposed to play the 4th Symphony in Poland during the Szymanowski year (not with Boulez, obviously), but I'm not sure if that was just a project or something that actually came to be. I wouldn't mind a disc of Szymanowski's solo piano music played by Zimerman either. Though, given the uncertain economic times, I'm not sure DG go for something like that.

I have forgotten about the Bartok recording with Zimerman. Didn't he play the 3rd? I forget. I have the recording somewhere. I'll have to look it up.


Yes, I would very much like to hear Zimerman tackle some Szymanowski somewhere down the road. I'm not sure if Boulez will do a complete survey of Szymanowski or not, but let's hope he does as I would love to hear what he does with the Stabat Mater.

[Maciek]

Actually (and speaking of Bartok - because here it would make some sense 0:)), I would be really interested in hearing Boulez conduct Harnasie! Now that would be something.

But, frankly, anything post-WWI will do - all my favorites come from that period. So, yeah, Stabat Mater (for example) would be great.

Or King Roger!!!

[Mirror Image]

Actually (and speaking of Bartok - because here it would make some sense 0:) ), I would be really interested in hearing Boulez conduct Harnasie! Now that would be something.

But, frankly, anything post-WWI will do - all my favorites come from that period. So, yeah, Stabat Mater (for example) would be great.

Or King Roger!!!

Boulez could totally pull off Harnasie. I would love to hear that!

[Drasko]

I wouldn't mind a disc of Szymanowski's solo piano music played by Zimerman either. Though, given the uncertain economic times, I'm not sure DG go for something like that.

I wouldn't mind either, and I'm pretty sure DG would go for it, Zimerman hasn't recorded, or allowed for release anything for last 7 years (apart from that phantom Bacewicz disc, don't know where that got stuck but wouldn't surprise me if he refused to approve it for release at the last moment).

btw, how do you pronounce Z in Zimerman in Polish, plain z or ts like in German?

[CaramelJones]

String Quartet No. 2 (LP transfer, The Borodin Quartet!)

Have you had a chance to hear the Varsovia String Quartet play this?

Their CD is superb.   Thanks for uploading the Borodin Quartet version too.

[Maciek]

(apart from that phantom Bacewicz disc, don't know where that got stuck but wouldn't surprise me if he refused to approve it for release at the last moment).

I think that's what might have happened - AFAIK all (or most) of the material had already been recorded!

btw, how do you pronounce Z in Zimerman in Polish, plain z or ts like in German?

ts

Have you had a chance to hear the Varsovia String Quartet play this?

Their CD is superb.   Thanks for uploading the Borodin Quartet version too.

Hi and welcome to the forum!

I'm not the one who uploaded the Borodins, I just found the place where they could be downloaded.

I've never heard the Varsovia SQ recording, wasn't even aware of its existence. Thanks for the recommendation!

[CaramelJones]

I'm sure those who haven't heard the fabulous Borodin version will be very pleased

The Varsovia String Quartet versions are the best I've heard - theirs came out about 30 years ago.  Only the Carmina Quartet come close (on a Denon release).  the Varsovia String Quartet won the European chamber award in 1981 or 1982 - fabulous recording for its age.  This also has some of the best couplings with Lutoslawski and Penderecki all on one disc.

I'm not happy with the modern versions.   The Maggini, the Szymanowski Quartet and the Royal String Quartet take it too slow and lose the shimmering line at the expense of deft phrasing. 

Of the older versions, the Silesian String Quartet is extremely well played but the recording is a bit soft.  The old Wilanow Quartet is worthwhile hunting for if you're looking for a LP version.

[Dax]

Varsovia 4tet versions downloadable at the High Pony Tail

http://highponytail.blogspot.com/search?q=szymanowski

[Maciek]

Wow, thanks! I seem to have stopped keeping track of that blog and that was clearly a mistake.

BTW, the Wilanow recording of the first Szymanowski quartet was once available on CD, but now out of print, I'm sure.