Polish Journey
Łukasz Krupiński piano
Kacper Nowak cello
DUX CD 1998
Reviewed by Tony Magee
In this recent release on the Polish DUX label, pianist Łukasz Krupiński and cellist Kacper Nowak masterfully present works by Chopin, Panufnik and Penderecki in a stunning recording both in performance and audio engineering.
Opening with the Sonata in G minor for Piano and Cello Op. 65 by Fryderyk Chopin (1910 - 1849), the work is widely regarded as a new stage in the output of Chopin. It is visionary and pioneering in its advanced chromaticism and polyphony.
The piece was composed for Chopin’s friend, the cellist Auguste Franchomme. It is dedicated to her, and was the last of Chopin's works published during his lifetime. It was premiered by the two at the composer's final public concert at the Saille Pleyel on February 16, 1848.
Krupiński sets a commanding opening standard in the introductory motifs of the piece for both players to follow. The cello joins with mournful passages before the two engage in complex counterpoint, all wonderfully executed, played with intensity and confidence.
Both players bring forth a diverse range of musical textures, transitioning expertly from piano-solo passages to piano and cello counterpoint, with Nowak capturing the cantabile qualities of the Scherzo movement beautifully.
Born in Poland, Kasper Nowak has won many awards at international competitions including the Johannes Brahms Competition in Pörtschach, Austria, the Rotary International Competition Madrid Velázquez, the International Music Competition in Vienna and the Edmond Baert International Cello Competition in Brussels. In 2022, he made his debut at the Wiener Konzerthaus performing Beethoven’s Triple Concerto with the Wiener Kammerorchester.
Continuing with Chopin’s Introduction and Polonaise in C major for piano and cello Op, 3, it shares many themes and motifs with his Andante Spianato And Grande Polonaise In E-Flat Major, Op. 22, composed around the same time.
Nowak captures the main theme of the introduction wonderfully whilst Krupinsk’s realisation of the piano accompaniment stylistically explores Chopin’s nocturne form.
Both players bring forth a cheerful quality to the piece with Krupinski delivering frenzied, almost playful piano inserts.
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| Łukasz Krupiński (left), Kacper Nowak. Photo courtesy Mechelen Cultural Centre |
Andrzej Panufnik (1914 - 1991) composed Dreamscape in 1977. Originally for Mezzosoprano and piano it is characterised by various tone colours creating a dreamy wash with feelings of different sleep phases.
Challenging to capture, Nowak brings forth the atonal and oblique harmonies wonderfully. The effect of detuning the cello intensifies the composer’s penchant for quarter tones which Nowak delivers vividly. Both players explore the tonal possibilities of the piece in an incredibly convincing way. The listener is transported to a sense of mystery and illusion.
Composed in 1976, Love Song is also originally for voice and piano.
Krupinski plays the gentle opening piano motif with tenderness. Nowak on cello contrasts with definitively played oblique harmonies.
Łukasz Krupińsk is the winner of many major piano competitions including all prizes at the 7th San Marino International Piano Competition, the Chopin Geselschaft in Hannover, Aachen, Goerlitz, and the Yamaha Music Foundation of Europe. His debut album Espressione was nominated for the International Classical Music Awards in 2018, alongside albums by Kristian Zimmerman and Evgeny Kissen.
Krzysztof Penderecki (1933 - 2020) composed his Sonata No 1 for violin (cello) and piano in 1953.
The two players brilliantly capture the sublime effects in the first movement, contrasting with intense passages of counterpoint.
The gentleness of the opening of the Andante movement is brought forward by both players with delicacy in a kind of musical respect for both the instruments, the music and the composer. Nowak explores the upper register of the cello in an inquisitive way as the movement progresses.
The two players are aligned in their musical thought and capture the contrasts between delicate phrases and abstract boldness in others. The final Allegro vivace movement is played with great authority, with both players completing the piece convincingly with a definitive structured cadence point of staccato.
The Polish DUX recording is superb. Stereo qualities of the piano are brought forward magnificently and the full dynamic range of both instruments are wonderfully captured from the softest pianissimos to huge fortes.
Polish Journey is a wonderful CD showcasing two outstanding musical talents of whom Poland can be proud.
