Fantastic recording. A worthy follow-up to Szymanowski's Mythes with Kaja Danczowska (also DG) from way back in 1980. Get it!

As my new headphones just came in this was a very welcome recommendation!

Happy Holidays Dave! I didn’t realize the Masques were recorded earlier, since I only listened on streaming services. Interesting! I had heard a couple of bootlegs of him playing them from around that time so knew they were in his repertory. I would also strongly recommend Richter (who only does the 1st 2 of them, but they are beyond masterful, probably in my top 5 Richter performances). I must say, as much as I enjoyed the rest of the disc, I found the 4 Mazurkas to be much too foursquare and stilted…perhaps he was trying to have them sound as far away from Chopin as possible, but I’ll take the lilt along with the Scriabinesque harmonic perfume of late Szymanowski. But overall, it’s a great disc! Thanks Dave!

My introduction to Szymanowski was with a complete 2 CD set from Sinae Lee, I immediately fell in love with the composer, her performances were fabulous. Thank you for reviewing this, I have been meaning to hear it.

@mark-jannederhof6808

Жыл бұрын

The complete edition by Sinae Lee set was 4 CDs. Very good, but I found the performances by Mikhail Rudy more compelling, back then coupled to works for violin and piano (played by Ulf Hoelscher and Michel Béroff), which are also very very good. This was a 2 CD set; not sure whether it is still available.

@episodesglow

Жыл бұрын

@Mark-Jan Nederhof yes, 4 CDs sorry, brain lapse as each double disc set was was a single width case

Heard Zimerman in a brilliantly played all Szymanowski program in Copenhagen some ten years ago and remarked to him afterwards with a hint of dissatisfaction in my voice that it would have been so nice to have heard him include something by Chopin, to which he answered: "I have played so much Chopin for so long; now it is time for the young generation to take over and carry the torch". As he said it with a ambiguous smile I couldn't figure if he was joking.

@OuterGalaxyLounge

Жыл бұрын

You criticized a major artist's choice of programme "with a hint of dissatisfaction" in your voice and you wonder why HE reacted ambiguously. OK, dude.

@igorgregoryvedeltomaszewsk1148

Жыл бұрын

Well @@OuterGalaxyLounge if one had longed for hearing Zimerman play Chopin almost since his winning the first place in the Chopin competition (my Fathers friend from Poland brought the original "Muza" live recording LP's which I shortly afterwards listened to in ave) then some sort of inevitable disappointment was probably bound to occur. Perhaps also because I some ten years previously had heard Ashkenazy live in a partial Chopin program in the same concert hall. A revelation that was...

@heifetz14

Жыл бұрын

@@OuterGalaxyLounge You nailed it in one,sir.

Dear David, will you introduce to us more Szymanowski's music, like you did similarly with many exciting videos about Janáček?

Wonderful video as usual Dave. Do you like the Martin Jones Szymanowski complete piano edition on Nimbus?

@DavesClassicalGuide

Жыл бұрын

Too many Martins--I prefer Roscoe on Naxos.

It doesn't even have the Second Sonata - the only great piano work by Szymanowski, and one of the mightiest in the repertoire. Zimerman probably can't handle it at this stage of his career (if he ever could). He is no Hamelin, technically.

@DavesClassicalGuide

Жыл бұрын

Some people just have to complain.

Worse thing is it was cheaply made.. they didn't use a CD case.

Not to be confused with Frank Peter Zimmerman,s disc of Szymanowski violin concertos. It is awful as he slides about like a cafe fiddler.

@DavesClassicalGuide

Жыл бұрын

No, it's lovely. What's your problem with cafe fiddling?