From the Chopin University Press
The Polish Music Center recently received a large package of gifts for our library from our colleagues at the Chopin Music University. Sent by Marzena Radowska, the delivery was filled with fascinating recordings made by musicians associated with this prestigious institution, many of which are award nominees or winners already. It also included two expertly researched tomes written about or by two important figures in modern Polish music history: pianist and composer Józef Hofmann, and composer and pedagogue Krzysztof Baculewski. Both books are particularly precious to our collection as the author of the Hofmann book, Krystyna Juszynska, is a childhood schoolmate of PMC Director Marek Zebrowski, and Krzysztof Baculewski has been a longtime collaborator of the PMC whose works feature prominently in our Manuscript Collection.
Below is the full listing of items from this donation, which are now available in the PMC library as well as in the online store of Chopin University Press.
CDs:
- Alexandre Tansman String Quartet | Tansman: String Quartet nos. 3 & 4, Triptyque
- Bartosz Jakubczak | Renaissance & Baroque Reminiscences
- Jakub Jakowicz & Lukasz Chrzeszczyk | Departures
- Elzbieta Karaś Krasztel | Polish Piano Music of the 20th Century
- Meccore String Quartet | Paris Polonais
- Anna Mikołajczyk-Niewiedział, Marta Piórkowska & Wojciech Świętoński | Stanislaw Wislocki: Solo and Chamber Works
- Michal Markuszewski | Organ improvisations
- Andrzej Karalow | There are some nebulae no eye can dispel
- Maria Gabrys-Heyke | Piano Works: J. Andrychowicz, Emilia Potocka, Jozefina Wejnert & Maria Szymanowska
- Klaudiusz Baran | Accordion Concertos
- Warsaw Saxophone Orchestra feat. The WHOOP Group | Debut
- Marcin Tadeusz Łukaszewski | Marian Borkowski: Complete works for solo piano
- Agnieszka Bryla | Jan Ekier: Complete Piano Works
- Alina Ratkowska & Pawel Gunsaw | Le clavecin modern plus saxophone Vol.2
- Monika Quinn | À Kalergis
Books:
- Krystyna Juszynska | Jozef Hofmann
- Krzysztof Baculewski | Pół wieku z piórem ręku
Thank you to all the musicians and scholars who rigorously applied themselves to these varied explorations of the many facets of musical creation, and to the Chopin University for sharing them with us!
New Recording by Czarakcziew/Kowal Duo
PMC audiences will well remember the dynamic musical duo of cellist Paweł Czarakcziew and pianist Piotr Kowal, two artists associated with the Kraków Music Academy. During his tenure as a Fulbright Award recipient studying the life and works of Fred Katz at the University of Southern California in 2022-23, Czarakcziew invited his chamber partner to Los Angeles. Together, Czarakcziew and Kowal performed two soulful concerts organized by the PMC at USC and the Holocaust Museum in January 2023. These moving programs highlighted the works of Katz—including a collaboration with composer’s son, Hyman Katz—and the recently deceased Polish composer, Joanna Bruzdowicz, whose many intelligent and lyrical works are highlighted in the PMC’s Manuscript Collection.
In late May of this year, the Czarakcziew/Kowal Duo sent us their latest CD, entitled Aurora: Jerzy Gablenz – Works for Cello and Piano (DUX 2046) These two artists have long been known for seeking out and specializing in outstanding but unknown music of the 20th and 21st centuries, and this recording is no different. Spotlighting forgotten Kraków composer Jerzy Gablenz who, having an outstanding talent as a composer, also partially devoted himself to running the family business and studying law. We are delighted that the collaboration of these two excellent young colleagues of the PMC continues, and highlights such enjoyable and rarely-heard works of music.
As always, to all our donors, many thanks! Dziękujemy!