Zarzycki & Żeleński: Piano Concertos (Hyperion Romantic Piano Concerto 59)

Featuring

Jonathan Plowright
Łukasz Borowicz
BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra
Władysław Żeleński
Aleksander Zarzycki

Did you know?

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Album & Artwork

This album is volume 59 in Hyperion's 'The Romantic Piano Concerto' series, which aims to introduce unfamiliar repertoire.

Composer Biography

Władysław Żeleński (1837–1921) was deeply involved in music education, succeeding Zarzycki as director of the Warsaw Music Institute and later helping to establish and direct the Kraków Conservatory for 33 years.

Composition History

The Piano Concerto in E flat major by Władysław Żeleński (1837–1921) was written in 1903 and dedicated to the young Ignacy Friedman, who premiered it the following year.

Composer's Artistic Vision

Zarzycki's Grande Polonaise follows Chopin's legacy of encapsulating Poland's spirit in dance forms, aiming to arouse national pride during a time when Poland had lost its statehood.

Composition History

Aleksander Zarzycki (1834–1895) premiered his Grande Polonaise and Piano Concerto in A flat major in the Salle Herz, uniting his talents as a composer and pianist.

Composer Biography

Aleksander Zarzycki (1834–1895) played a significant role in Polish music education, becoming the first director of the Warsaw Music Society in 1871 and later engaging Paderewski as a teacher at the Music Institute.

Performer Biography

Jonathan Plowright, the pianist on this recording, is a British Gold Medallist at the Royal Academy of Music and a Fulbright Scholar, known for his advocacy of the Polish Romantic repertoire.