Henryk Melcer-Szczawinski: Piano Concertos Nos. 1 & 2 (Hyperion Romantic Piano Concerto 44)

Featuring

Jonathan Plowright
Christoph König
BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra
Henryk Melcer-Szczawiński

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Composition History

Melcer's Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor won the Paderewski Prize in the concerto category of the Ignacy Jan Paderewski Competition in Leipzig in 1898, sharing the award with Emil Młynarski.

Composer Biography

Melcer studied mathematics and music simultaneously at Warsaw University and Warsaw's Music Institute, and later continued these studies in Vienna.

Composer Biography

Melcer, one of the best pianists of his time, is primarily remembered in his native Poland for his pedagogical work, having trained an entire generation of Polish musicians.

Compositional Technique

Melcer's concertos demand technical virtuosity, versatility, and stamina from the pianist, with continuous playing in the second concerto posing a significant challenge.

Compositional Technique

The finale of Melcer's Piano Concerto No. 1 in E minor has a strong Polish character, starting as a mazurka and increasing in excitement to the frenzy of a kujawiak or oberek.

Composer Biography

Henryk Melcer, a Polish composer, was born in Marcelin, a small town on the northern outskirts of Warsaw, which was under tsarist rule at the time of his birth.