Stojowski: Piano Concertos Nos. 1 & 2 (Hyperion Romantic Piano Concerto 28)

Featuring

Jonathan Plowright
Mary James
Rudi De Groote
Martyn Brabbins
BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra
Sigismond Stojowski

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Compositional Technique

The Piano Concerto No 1 in F sharp minor, Op 3, features a unique cyclic character, where two themes from the first and second movements are brought back and combined before the final coda.

Critical Reception

Despite being hailed as one of Poland's most outstanding composers at the fin de siècle, Stojowski's music later declined in popularity due to his 'die-hard Romanticism' and was often considered 'old-fashioned' or 'high tosh' by critics.

Composer Biography

Zygmunt Stojowski, a Polish composer, began his musical training with his mother and later studied with eminent Polish composer Władysław Żeleński in Cracow.

Composer Biography

In 1905, Stojowski moved to the USA to head the piano department at the Institute of Musical Art, which later merged to form the Juilliard School of Music, where he also taught.

Composer Biography

Stojowski moved to Paris at age eighteen, studying piano with Louis Diémer and composition with Léo Delibes, and later won first prizes in piano, counterpoint, and fugue at the Paris Conservatoire.

Historical Context

Stojowski's music was featured in the inaugural concert of the Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra on November 5, 1901, where his Symphony in D minor, Op 21, which had won a Paderewski Music Competition, was performed.

Notable Performances

Stojowski's works were performed by many of the greatest musicians of his time, including his teachers Ignacy Jan Paderewski and Louis Diémer, and violinists like Jascha Heifetz.