Jonathan Plowright, the pianist on this album, is a Gold Medallist at the Royal Academy of Music and a 'Commonwealth Musician of the Year', known for his advocacy of Polish Romantic repertoire.
Compositional Technique
The Piano Sonata in E flat minor, Op 21, demonstrates Paderewski's embrace of cyclic thematicism, with the main theme of the finale intimately related to the opening of the first movement.
Composer Biography
Ignacy Jan Paderewski, the composer, was also a passionate advocate for Polish independence and briefly served as Prime Minister of newly independent Poland.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Paderewski's Symphony in B minor, 'Polonia', Op 24, includes a subtle weaving of the Polish national anthem into its finale, showcasing his embrace of nationalism.
Compositional Technique
The Variations and Fugue on an original theme in A minor, Op 11, shows Paderewski's closeness to Brahms, with whom he had much contact while studying in Vienna.
Composition History
Paderewski considered his Piano Sonata in E flat minor, Op 21, and Variations and Fugue, Op 23, among his most important and best works, despite their extreme difficulty.
Composer Biography
Despite his fame as a performer, Paderewski found performing torturous and is best known for repertoire by other composers, such as Chopin, rather than his own music.
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