NOSKOWSKI, ZYGMUNT (1846-1909)
Piano Works - Volume 2
Cracoviennes op. 2 [29:23]
Polnisches Wiegenlied op. 11 [4:22]
Les sentiments op. 14 [13:32]
Aquarelles op. 20 [20:16]
En pastel op. 30 [13:26]
Anna Mikolon (piano)
rec. June 2015, Sala Koncertowa Akademii Muzyczne w Gdansku (Concert Hall of the Musical Academy in Gdansk).
ACTE PREALABLE AP0355 [81:07]
I’ve been familiar with the name of Zygmunt Noskowski
for some time. I believe the first work I heard by him was his rather interesting
and wonderful 3rd Symphony, subtitled “From Spring to Spring”.
I caught this 19th century ‘4 seasons’ in symphonic
form on Through the Night on BBC Radio 3 some years ago. On the evidence of
this disc and volume 1 in the same series, it’s obvious that he wrote
quite a lot of piano music as well, though little data about it shows up on
internet.
Piano Music volume 1 was reviewed
by Jonathan Woolf back in 2009. The pianist there was the excellent Valentina
Seferinova, whose Joachim Raff CD, also
reviewed here by Jonathan Woolf, I greatly really like. For Volume 2 we
have the pianist Anna Mikolon, who I had not previously heard of.
The first thing that strikes you on listening to this disc is how distinctive
a voice the composer had. There are odd hints at Chopin, Liszt, Grieg and
Anton Rubinstein, but overall the style is very much his own and it is very
Eastern European in mood, as you would expect from a Polish composer.
The disc begins with the set of 8 pieces entitled ‘Cracoviennes’,
published as Op.2 and dedicated to Liszt. These are similar to Schumann’s
collections of short, contrasted pieces and are utterly charming. None is
longer than 5’46’’ and the shortest is only 2’35’’.
They were published around the same time as Dvorak’s Slavonic Dances
and are an evocation of the Krakow region of Poland, which lent its name to
a popular dance. The first of this set is bouncy and happy. It should make
you smile as it gambols along playfully. This general mood continues throughout.
The second piece is more powerful while remaining within the same happy vein.
Anna Mikolon makes a very good case for the music. She is very good at characterizing
themes within the pieces and is expressive when needed – a lovely transition
about 2’20 in the 3rd of these pieces (‘Moderato’)
shows this well. The fourth of the set is again bouncy. Here the spirit of
Chopin seems to pervade the slower, more yearning sections of the piece, making
a nice contrast to the jolly opening themes which, to my ears, contain Spanish-sounding
harmonies. I don’t know if Noskowski ever visited Spain but it seems
possible. The fifth piece is the longest of the set and is one which contains
an earworm; a tune in the bass which here is well projected and very memorable.
This piece goes through a series of slower more melancholic stages before
cheering up towards the end with a restatement of the earworm in the bass
and then some nice figuration before ending bouncily. The following piece
is a ‘Molto moderato’ and seems close to a Mazurka in feel. It
also will put a smile on your face with a rather splendid march-like central
section which this composer is clearly loth to let go of – it crops
up several times before modulating back into a minor key for a quiet ending.
Penultimately, we have an ‘Allegretto tranquillo’ which is certainly
both of these, at least to start with – it becomes more aggressive in
the middle. It returns to the original material later and there is some utterly
wonderful playing at around 2 minutes in and also at the ending. The last
piece is an ‘Epilogue’. Oddly enough, it reminds me of Alkan.
It is full of ferocious difficulties at the start and remains resolutely powerful
throughout, with some large leaps and thoroughly virtuoso-sounding music –
all of which is coped with admirably by the pianist. Great stuff!
The 9th track on the disc is an utterly delectable Polish Cradle
song. It’s nothing like Chopin’s Berceuse – it is thoroughly
enjoyable and sounds simple (even though it probably isn’t). The middle
section sounds as if it should have words set to it although I would not hazard
a guess as to which ones. Interestingly, the notes describe many of the pieces
on this disc as “Songs without words”. I would agree wholeheartedly
with this statement, since much of the music on this disc fits that description
well.
The slightly later pieces of “Les Sentiments”, Op.14, are similar
in scope to the ‘Cracoviennes’ although there are only 3 pieces
here. The third of these is the longest piece on the disc (although it only
lasts 6’43”!). The first, ‘Inquietude’ (restlessness)
certainly matches its title. The music leaps about quite a lot and there are
many contrasting sections which, despite the title, hold together well. The
opening theme crops up again towards the end and also sits in the bass, growling
menacingly. It will stick in your head, like the similar idea found in the
5th track on this disc. The end is particularly interesting harmonically.
The second piece is a ‘Consolation’, although it bears no resemblance
to Liszt’s pieces of the same name. It is short and rather sunny in
outlook. Even in the middle section, in the minor key, it retains an atmosphere
of positivity. This, too, goes through a series of related sections, all of
which are nicely held together and beautifully played. Last follows ‘Resignation’.
As might be guessed, this is more melancholic in mood but again, there is
an atmosphere of cheerfulness hiding behind the sadness. It doesn’t
last long and there is a stormy section at around 2 minutes which contains
some powerful forte writing and a pleading theme which stands out. The piece
continues with some really wonderful music and playing. It’s generally
in a resigned manner with sections of more agitated music before ending quietly
with, as elsewhere, some very quirky harmonies.
Next follows another set of small pieces like those of Op.2. These are entitled
‘Aquarelles’ – a title used elsewhere by various composers
for pieces suggestive of watercolours. They are varied in mood, more direct
and each has a subtitle. No.1 is a ‘Caprice’, a conventionally
styled piece with a very odd harmonic progression which crops up around 1’
00” and again several times later – it sounds to me like a tritone
but I don’t possess absolute pitch so might be wrong. It’s not
the most capricious of Caprices but it’s pleasant and certainly jumps
about, especially at the end. The second is a ‘Cantique d’amour’.
Again, it sounds as if it should have words set to it. It is another rather
lovely little construction, with a wandering bass for a contrasted middle
part. The third is a miniature waltz and is just brilliant. It’s one
of those pieces you think sounds like something you know, but due to the obscurity
of the composer, you realize it can’t be. The playing here is absolutely
top notch and perfectly in keeping with the spirit of a piece that I feel
deserves to be better known. The following ‘Impromptu’ is nothing
like Chopin’s pieces of the same name. There is nice middle part, with
the tune alternating between the hands around 1’ 00” and gradually
building to a repeat of the music heard at the outset. It then wanders off
somewhere quite unexpected and works up the keyboard before descending in
an amusing manner. The next piece is an oddity entitled ‘Vogue la galère’,
which may be translated as “Come what may”. It is another short
contrasted piece and is fantastically well played. Small fragments of melody
float around rather nicely during this piece and there is an atmosphere of
calm throughout. Lastly comes a dance entitled ‘La Gitana’. This
is a Spanish Dance and it sounds very Spanish indeed. Maybe Noskowski did
visit Spain after all? I have to say this is a memorable little piece and
I have grown fond of it over multiple listenings. All these pieces in this
set are very well composed. They are charmingly played throughout and well
worth a listen.
The last 3 pieces on this disc form a cycle published as ‘En Pastel’
and are given subtitles. First we have ‘En printemps’, which is
appropriately spring-like. There are lots of arpeggios at the beginning, with
the theme picked out in the bass, rather like Liszt’s Concert Etude
‘Un sospiro’ (S144 no.3) or something by Thalberg. There is some
lovely shading here in this very difficult sounding piece and Anna Mikolon
plays it extremely well. Next follows a ‘Valse sentimentale’.
This is another characteristic little piece. Unlike the remainder of the works
on the disc, it sounds like something Moszkowski might have written. Here,
too, everything is wonderfully played and this really is a rather splendid
little piece, excellently interpreted. For a piece with the word sentimental
in the description, it’s actually quite jovial! The final piece is an
atmospheric ‘Berceuse mélancolique’. This is a sad little piece,
but even here the central section is smiling. It ends melancholically and
quietly. I feel these 3 pieces are probably the best works on the disc and
all deserve a wider audience.
The recorded sound is bright and clear. The piano is perhaps a fraction too
close to the microphone but this does not affect overall enjoyment of the
music. The cover notes are short but informative and the disc is very generously
filled at 81’07’’. I look forward to volume 3. This composer
has plenty of interesting things to say and I hope Anna Mikolon will be the
pianist as she seems perfectly in tune with his writing. I will be listening
to this disc often, as there is certainly plenty here to hold the interest.
I will also be keeping an ear open for other works by the composer. Noskowski’s
works are certainly well worth hearing and there is little of his output recorded.
Luckily, most of what has been recorded is on this wonderful record label.
Jonathan Welsh
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