The June 2014 issue of Muzyka 21 features on its cover such teasers as “Jacek Urbaniak—the Renaissance hits of Cyprian Bazylik from Sieradz,” and “Ewa Podleś—Still Topping the Charts.” Further into the magazine, Łukasz Kaczmarek nominates Maria Szymanowska (1789-1831) – Complete Piano Works on Acte Prealable by Sławomir Dobrzański, pianist and a group of assisting artists, as the “Record of the Month.” Mr. Kaczmarek also gives thumbs up to CD Accord’s All-Chopin recording by Katarzyna Popowa-Zydroń, once a finalist in the 1975 Chopin Competition, but now one of the most successful piano pedagogues in Poland specializing in Chopin.
Continuing the Chopin theme, Mr. Kaczmarek also raves about the CD Accord recording featuring Paweł Wakarecy, a fascinating young pianist who attracted much positive comment during the 2010 Chopin Competition in Warsaw. Mr. Wakarecy presents a program of works by Juliusz Zarębski, Ignacy Jan Paderewski and Frederic Chopin.
In his review of a recent recording devoted to the music of Wojciech Kilar, Stefan Banasiak recommends the CD “Kilar – Aukso – Marek Moś” featuring AUKSO Chamber Orchestra, pianist Beata Bilińska, tenor Wiesław Ochman and the Choir of the Katowice Music Academy, led by Maestro Marek Moś. Published by PWM and produced by the Katowice Cultural Institute – City of Gardens, the disc inaugurates the Masters of Music CD series, whose aim is to present the achievements of composers associated with Katowice.
Pianist Cedric Tiberghien’s recording of Karol Szymanowski’s Etudes Op. 4 and Op. 33, Masks Op. 34 and Metopes Op. 39 for the Hyperion label earned a strong recommendation from Paweł Chmielowski. The same reviewer had excellent things to say about violinist Kinga Augustyn’s CD of “Polish Violin Music” on Naxos, presenting works by Aleksander Zarzycki, Witold Lutosławski, Henryk Mikołaj Górecki, Ignacy Jan Paderewski, and Zygmunt Noskowski.
The Accord CD titled “Landscape of Memories” and featuring piano trios by Hanna Kulenty, Zbigniew Bargielski, Sir Andrzej Panufnik, Roxana Panufnik and Zygmunt Mycielski in performance by the BMF Piano Trio (Bartłomiej Wezner, Michał Szałach, and Filip Syska) was praised for its “passion for discovering and bringing to the public Polish contemporary music” by Maria Ziarkowska.
[Sources: Muzyka21 (July 2014), bilinska.pl, tvp.pl, bilinska.pl]