This disc features Chopin's complete songs, as well as transcriptions of four of his mazurkas by Pauline Viardot, performed by sisters Olga and Natalya Pasichnyk in their Naxos debut.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Chopin's songs, though often overlooked compared to his piano works, possess the same combination of delicacy, power, and beauty as his greatest compositions.
Composer Biography
Fryderyk Chopin, born in 1810 near Warsaw, was a child prodigy who gave his first public recital in 1818 and was touted as the new Mozart.
Composition History
The famous singer Pauline Viardot, a close friend of Chopin, made twelve transcriptions of his mazurkas for her concerts, setting them to poems by Louis Pomey.
Compositional Technique
Many of Chopin's songs, including "A Maiden's Wish," are modeled on traditional Polish dance forms like the mazurka, kujawiak, krakowiak, and oberek, hinting at his nationalist sympathies.
Performer Biography
Olga Pasichnyk, the soprano on this recording, was nominated by the international opera magazine Opernwelt as the best opera singer of the 2004/2005 season.
Historical Context
Chopin's commitment to Polish nationalism was cemented by the ill-fated November Uprising of 1830, when Poles rebelled against Russian rule.
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