Composer: Alfons Szczerbiński
Performer: Giorgio Koukl
Format: FLAC (tracks)
Label: Grand Piano
Catalogue: GP876
Release: 2021
Size: 0.97 GB
Recovery: +3%
Scan: yes
Chansons sans Paroles, Op. 3
01. No. 1, Allegro
02. No. 2, Andante con espressione
03. No. 3, Andante con moto
04. No. 4, Con moto
Chansons sans Paroles, Op. 5
05. No. 1, Allegro con fuoco
06. No. 2, Con moto
Chansons sans Paroles, Op. 12
07. No. 1, Con moto
08. No. 2, Moderato
09 .No. 3, Andante con moto
10. No. 4, Allegro
Chansons sans Paroles, Op. 14
11. No. 1, Andante con moto
12. No. 2, Andante cantabile
13. No. 3, Andante con moto
14. No. 4, Moderato
15. Chanson sans Paroles, Op. 36
16. Chanson sans Paroles in D minor
17. Andante Cantabile
Valses, Op. 17
18. Valse No. 1
19. Valse No. 2
20. Valse No. 3
21. Mazurka
Polish composer Alfons Szczerbiński was born at a time of upheaval in Europe during the second half of the 19th century. A prominent Polish talent in the Romantic mould, Szczerbiński was profoundly influenced by the harmonic models of Bach, Haydn and Mozart. His surviving music is mostly written for the piano but many of his compositions were either lost during the First World War or destroyed by the composer himself. Heard here in their world première recordings, the Chansons sans paroles are Romantic miniatures that possess rich melodic elegance and marvellous phrasal beauty, sometimes redolent of Mendelssohn, Chopin or Liszt.
“Eastern Europe had its tremendous share of wars, disasters and looting. It’s a small miracle that some of the scores from the 19th century have survived from that part of the world. In a monastery in Poland, I discovered this astonishing composer: Alfons Szczerbiński. A few of his manuscripts had escaped the fire and destruction of war. His premature death, at only 37 years old, interrupted a compositional career which would surely have seen him rise to be compared with the great names of his time. His melodic invention, rigorous form and a surprisingly fresh creativity definitely deserves to be rediscovered today” (Giorgio Koukl)
Alfons Szczerbiński was born at a time of upheaval in Europe during the second half of the 19th century. A prominent Polish talent in the Romantic mould, Szczerbiński was profoundly influenced by the harmonic models of Bach, Haydn and Mozart. His surviving music is mostly written for the piano but many of his compositions were either lost during the First World War or destroyed by the composer himself. Heard here in their world première recordings, the Chansons sans paroles are Romantic miniatures that possess rich melodic elegance and marvellous phrasal beauty, sometimes redolent of Mendelssohn, Chopin or Liszt.