Feliks Nowowiejski : Piano Concerto in D minor "Slavic", Op. 60, Cello Concerto, Op. 55 Poznan Philharmonic Orchestra, Jacek Kortus, Bartosz Koziak & Łukasz Borowicz

• Feliks Nowowiejski (1877 - 1946): Piano Concerto in D minor, Op. 60 "Slavic":
• 1 Nowowiejski: Piano Concerto in D minor, Op. 60 "Slavic": Allegro con fuoco (Allegro con fuoco) 10:16
• 2 Nowowiejski: Piano Concerto in D minor, Op. 60 "Slavic": Andantino. Poetry of Old Cracow (Andantino. Poetry of Old Cracow) 07:02
• 3 Nowowiejski: Piano Concerto in D minor, Op. 60 "Slavic": Maestoso - Vivace (Maestoso - Vivace) 10:45
• Cello Concerto, Op. 55:
• 4 Nowowiejski: Cello Concerto, Op. 55: Allegro con brio (Allegro con brio) 12:19
• 5 Nowowiejski: Cello Concerto, Op. 55: Aria – Andante tranquillo (Aria – Andante tranquillo) 11:53
• 6 Nowowiejski: Cello Concerto, Op. 55: Passacaglia – Allegro moderato (Passacaglia – Allegro moderato) 10:42
• 7 Nowowiejski: Cello Concerto, Op. 55: Passacaglia – Allegro moderato – 2nd version (Passacaglia – Allegro moderato – 2nd version) 12:43
• Total Runtime 01:15:40

Info for Feliks Nowowiejski : Piano Concerto in D minor "Slavic", Op. 60, Cello Concerto, Op. 55

This new release from DUX presents Feliks Nowowiejski's Piano Concerto in D Minor Op 60, and Slavic Cello Concerto, Op 55, performed here by Jacek Kortus (piano), and Bartosz Koziak (cello).

Written in 1938, the Cello Concerto is dedicated to the Polish cellist, Dezyderiusz Danczowski.

The very extensive, three movement work is a very rare example of such a composition in the Polish music of the inter-war period.

Stylistically, the piece belongs to "Slavic Modernism": it combines liltingness, lyricism, and inspiration drawn from the Slavic body of motifs with the symphonic accomplishments of Albert Roussel.

Full use of the orchestra and monolithic tutti are juxtaposed with chamber moments (here, the influence of German Modernists, whose music Nowowiejski also followed very closely, is easily discernible).

Bartosz Koziak, the soloist, performs the concerto on the instrument that once belonged to Dezyderiusz Danczowski, the piece's first performer.

The Piano Concerto was composed in 1941 and presents something of a sum of Nowowiejski's oeuvre: fascination with modernism, which imbues the Cello Concerto and Symphony No. 2 (Praca i rytm - Labour and Rhythm), yields to the previous Slavic liltingness and the Neo-Romantic idiom.

"The Concerto for Cello and Orchestra in E minor, Op. 55, was composed just before World War II and belongs to the neoclassical style. It sounds much more modern than the Piano Concerto and is technically very challenging for the soloist. Borowicz, the motivated Poznan Philharmonic and outstanding cellist Bartosz Koziak deliver virtuosic and powerful interpretations from the corner movements. Since the manuscript of the Cello Concerto contains an alternate ending, Borowicz decided to record both versions, so the movement is available twice. The alternate version is exactly two minutes longer than the first version. However, the second movement, Aria – Andante tranquillo, is particularly well done. Borowicz, with the orchestra, creates a delicately colored mood marked by charm, to which the cellist responds with slightly melancholy, sometimes haunted-mysterious playing. This makes for a captivating interpretation. Despite the unflattering, not very clear acoustics of the concert hall of the University of Poznan, this is a recommendable recording, especially since these are first recordings." (Remy Franck, pizzicato.lu)

Jacek Kortus, piano (tracks 1-3)
Bartosz Koziak, cello (tracks 4-7)
Poznań Philharmonic Orchestra
Lukasz Borowicz, conductor

Lukasz Borowicz
Music Director and Chief Conductor of the Poznań Philharmonic, Principal Guest Conductor of the Cracow Philharmonic. One of the most versatile conductors of his generation, Łukasz Borowicz regularly leads the major European orchestras in the core Germanic repertoire as well as important Central and Eastern-European works. He conducts opera and has received numerous prizes for his over 110 recordings. From 2007 to 2015 he was Chief Conductor of the Polish Radio Symphony Orchestra in Warsaw, and from 2006 to 2021 he was Principal Guest Conductor of the Poznań Philharmonic.

In the 22/23 season Borowicz debuts with Israel Philharmonic, Bohuslav Martinů Philharmonic (Zlin) and Georgisches Kammerorchester (Ingolstadt) and returns to WDR Sinfonieorchester, Prague Philharmonia PKF, Staatskapelle Halle, Janáček Philharmonic Orchestra (Ostrava), Orchestre National de Lille.

In the 2020-2022 seasons Borowicz made his debuts with Orquestra Titular del Teatro Real (Madrid), Chœur de l’Opéra national du Rhin, Orchestre symphonique de Mulhouse, Brandenburger Symphoniker and returned to L’Opéra Orchestre national Montpellier Occitanie, Prague Symphony Orchestra FOK, Prague Philharmonia PKF among others.

Łukasz Borowicz has appeared as guest conductor and recorded with London Philharmonic Orchestra, BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, BBC National Orchestra of Wales, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Paris Opera (Les Huguenots), SWR Sinfonieorchester, Bamberger Symphoniker. Gürzenich-Orchester Köln, Düsseldorfer Symphoniker, Hamburger Symphoniker, MDR Sinfonieorchester, Luzerner Symfonieorchester, Luxembourg Philharmonic Orchestra, Queensland Symphony Orchestra, Trondheim Symphony Orchestra, Los Angeles Philharmonic New Music Group and a number of other orchestras and ensembles, including all the major Polish symphonies. He has led concerts at the Rossini Festival in Pesaro, Schleswig-Holstein Music Festival and Kissinger Sommer Festival, and has an ongoing relationship with the Beethoven Easter Festival in Warsaw, which has seen nineteen rarely played operas performed to date.

Borowicz made his operatic debut at Polish National Opera with Don Giovanni, which has been followed by over 190 performances at the house including several premieres. Recent opera premieres include a new production of Moniuszko’s Halka at the Theater an der Wien and the Teatr Wielki – National Opera of Poland as well as Janacek’s Journal d’un disparu and de Falla’s El amor brujo at the Opéra national du Rhin.

Borowicz’s recordings have been awarded four Diapason d’Or prizes. Symphonic recordings include the complete Violin Concertos by Grażyna Bacewicz (Chandos), the Complete Symphonic Works by Andrzej Panufnik (cpo), and several titles for Hyperion. The final installment of the Panufnik cycle was selected as an Editor’s Choice by Gramophone magazine, and Borowicz received the ICMA Special Achievement Award in 2015 for his pioneering work on the cycle. In 2018 he received another ICMA award for his recording of Quo Vadis by Feliks Nowowiejski (cpo). His collaboration with Piotr Beczała on Deutsche Grammophon’s recording Heart’s delight – Songs of Richard Tauber was met with wide critical and public praise. Recent DVD of Moniuszko’s Halka (Unitel) was awarded Critic’s Choice of the Opera News (July 2022). Ongoing recording projects include release of Hugo Alfven’s Complete Symphonies with the DSO Berlin as well as Bacewicz’s Complete Symphonic Works with WDR Sinfonieorchester (cpo).

Born in Warsaw in 1977, Łukasz Borowicz graduated from the Frederic Chopin Music Academy, where he studied under Bogusław Madey. He has received the Polityka Passport Award (2008), Coryphée of Polish Music Award (2011), Norwid Award (2013) and Tansman Prize honouring an outstanding musical personality (2014) as well as Honorary Award of Polish Composers Union (2021).

Łukasz Borowicz is a Professor of the Krzysztof Penderecki Academy of Music in Cracow.

Booklet for Feliks Nowowiejski : Piano Concerto in D minor "Slavic", Op. 60, Cello Concerto, Op. 55