Poolse MeesterwerkenChannel Classics CCS31010 Barbara Hannigan, soprano Members of the Ebonby Band (Werner Herbers, artistic leader) Jacques Meertens, clarinet Bram van Sambeek, bassoon Marleen Asberg, violin Roland Krämer, viola Daniël Esser, cello Berard Bouwhuis, piano 2010 |
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| Józef Koffler (1896–1944?) : String Trio Op.10 (1928) (premiere recording) | ||
| 1 | Allegro molto moderato | 7.06 |
| 2 | Andante (molto cantabile) | 4.13 |
| 3 | Allegro molto vivace | 4.42 |
| Józef Koffler : Die Liebe Cantata Op.14 (1931) (premiere recording) | ||
| 4 | Adagio – Vivace – Un poco mosso – Tempo | 5.00 |
| 5 | Andante tranquillo – Agitato | 2.35 |
| 6 | Allegro moderato – Tranquillo | 2.10 |
| 7 | Tempo I | 3.05 |
| Konstanty Regamey (1907-1982) : Quintet for clarinet, bassoon, violin, cello and piano (1942–1944) | ||
| 8 | Tema con variazioni | 17.23 |
| 9 | Intermezzo romantico (lento) | 4.38 |
| 10 | Rondo (vivace giocoso) | 9.00 |
|
(live recording Concertzender, Amsterdam) Total time |
60.13 | |
My quest of many years for unknown but worthwhile repertoire has seldom
yielded such outstanding works as the Polish masterpieces on this recording.
Koffler and Regamey are such unknown names that one would be inclined to
conclude that they must be typical 'musiciancomposers', but even that is not the
case. Among musicians too, their names do not usually ring a bell. But never
before have I seen my musicians react so enthusiastically and emotionally to
music I had placed before them. The Quintet by Konstanty Regamey, to which
Katarzyna Naliwajek-Mazurek drew my attention during a visit to the library of
Warsaw University, is a fascinating journey through a most varied and colourful
landscape; one forgets the 12-note technique completely when faced with so much
imagination and creativity. Józef Koffler's music, in particular the cantata Die
Liebe, is of the greatest conceivable purity: one cannot sing of love, as
expressed in this biblical hymn, in a purer and more intimate manner.
Why are these pieces hardly ever heard in our concert halls? Does Regamey make
too heavy technical demands on the performers? Is Koffler's music too subtle for
our time?