Paderewski - Piano Concerto; Polish Fantasy - Kenner

"Andrzej Solski, one of the biographers of Ignacy Jan Paderewski (1860-1941), described him as 'a personality worthy of Plutarch'. Paderewski was not only one of the greatest piano virtuosos of his time but also a talented composer, pedagogue, statesman, businessman, philanthropist and social activist. (...) Ignacy Jan Paderewski was among the staunchest advocates of the cause of Polish independence and served as Prime Minister of the first government of newly-independent Poland. (...) Paderewski's compositional legacy consists of the opera Manru, the 'Polonia' Symphony, chamber pieces, songs, and - primarly - works for piano. (...) While in Paderewski's lifetime his works enjoyed tremendous popularity, in later years they were treated as a sideline to his concert activities and public service. However, many of his pieces, firmly rooted in the post-Romantic aestethic and harking back stylistically to the music of Fryderyk Chopin and Franz Liszt, have preserved their artistic vitality. Among them are two youthful compositions, the Piano Concerto in A minor, op.17 and the Polish Fantasy in G sharp minor op.19 (...)"

[Brygida Blaszcyk in the booklet]

Ignacy Jan Paderewski (1860-1941):
Piano Concerto in A minor, op.17
Polish Fantasy in G sharp minor, op.19K

Kevin Kenner - piano
The Orchestra of the Podlasie Opera and Philharmonic in Białystok
Marcin Nałęcz-Niesiołowski - conductor

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