Różycki: Works with Violin

Album review

Although Ludomir Różycki is known to only a few internationally, he is indisputably regarded as the most famous Polish opera composer after Moniuszko and was the founder of the Polish national ballet. His symphonic poems, masterfully instrumented and designed with highly animated, melodious creativity, enriched what was then as yet his country’s modest symphonic repertoire. During his creative career Różycki occupied an important place in Polish artistic circles and his works were presented on Polish and other stages.

Unfortunately, he left one of his Violin Concertos unfinished. It was not until 2000 that Zygmunt Rychert, the artistic director of the Baltic Philharmonic, prepared his own instrumentation of the Violin Concerto for symphony orchestra, lending it a fascinating character very much like that of Różycki’s earlier orchestral works. The outstanding young violinist Ewelina Nowicka interprets the difficult solo part of the Concerto with skill and great verve on this recording presenting the result of this harmonious collaboration between these two musicians. The miniature pieces also heard here offer us melodic invention illustrating Różycki’s sound and the inner warmth of his compositions. These works put violinists to the test while also offering them an opportunity to demonstrate their virtuosity. © CPO