Ignacy Feliks Dobrzyński - Piano Concerto; Symphony No. 2 (Emilian Madey; Łukasz Borowicz)

Information

Composer: Ignacy Feliks Dobrzyński

CD1:

• (01) Overture to 'Monbar, or Te Filibusters', Op. 30
• (02) Piano Concerto in A flat major, Op. 2

CD2:

• (01) Symphony No. 2 in C minor, Op. 15 'Characteristic'
• (05) Original slow movement of Symphony No. 2 (Andante grazioso)

Emilian Madey, piano

Polish Radio Symphony Orchestra

Łukasz Borowicz, conductor

Date: 2013

Label: Chandos

https://www.chandos.net/products/catalogue/CHAN%2010778

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Review

Orchestral works by the Chopin contemporary who stayed put

Ignacy Feliks Dobrzyn´ski (1807-67) was a contemporary of Chopin; both exhibited a precocious talent for the piano and were students of Józef Elsner (1769-1854) at the Warsaw Conservatory. Whereas Chopin headed west shortly before the November Uprising of 1830, Dobrzyn´ski remained in Poland where he struggled to make much headway until 1834, when the second of his two symphonies scooped a prestigious composition prize in Vienna. It’s engagingly tuneful, soundly constructed and unashamedly home-grown in flavour, each movement taking its cue from a Polish national dance – namely a polonaise, kujawiak, mazurka and krakowiak. However, Dobrzyn´ski was prouder still of his opera Monbar, composed between 1836 and 1838 but not staged until 1863 (that same year’s January Uprising condemned it to a cruelly short run of just three performances). The Overture serves up a highly enjoyable cocktail of Weber and Rossini, with some ear-ticklingly imaginative scoring for the bass clarinet. Rather less distinctive is the very early Piano Concerto of 1824, though it remains a mightily impressive achievement for a teenager. Fascinatingly, the slow movement’s middle portion would seem to pre-echo its counterpart in Chopin’s F minor Concerto.

The music-making on this enterprising Chandos twofer brings no cause for complaint. Emilian Madey proves an uncommonly deft and sympathetic soloist in the concerto, and Łukasz Borowicz draws some nicely turned and consistently bright-eyed playing from the Polish Radio SO. The sound, too, is very good, if lacking that last ounce of bloom and richness.

-- Andrew Achenbach, Gramophone

More reviews:
http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2013/July13/Dobrzynski_orchestral_CHAN10778.htm

https://www.theguardian.com/music/2013/jul/11/dobrzynski-overture-monbar-review

https://www.amazon.com/Symphony-No-Characteristic-Overture-Monbar/dp/B00C30ZA8W

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Ignacy Feliks Dobrzyński (15 February 1807 – 9 October 1867) was a Polish pianist and composer. He studied with Józef Elsner at the Warsaw Conservatory, where he was a classmate of Frédéric Chopin. In 1835, he won second prize in a composition competition for his Symphony No. 2, Op. 15. This symphony was later called "Symfonia charakterystyczna" and movements were conducted by Felix Mendelssohn. In 1845 Dobrzyński toured Germany as a soloist and conductor. His compositions included an opera, two symphonies, a piano concerto, a cantata, incidental music, chamber music, piano music and lieder.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ignacy_Feliks_Dobrzyński

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Łukasz Borowicz (born 25 September, 1977 in Warsaw) is a Polish conductor. He graduated with honors in orchestral and opera conducting from the Warsaw Academy of Music in the class of Bogusław Madey. From 2007 to 2015 he was Chief Conductor of the Polish Radio Symphony Orchestra in Warsaw. Considered one of the leading conductors of younger generation, Borowicz is distinguished from others by his interest in the less-known repertoire. A prolific recording artist with over 75 albums to his name, Borowicz's recordings have been awarded three Diapason d’Or, among other prizes.
https://pl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Łukasz_Borowicz
http://lukaszborowicz.com/

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