Piotr Plawner - Szymanowski: Violin and Piano Works, Vol. 2 (2013)

Violinist Piotr Plawner continues in his quest to provide listeners with a magnificent collection of the violin works of Karol Szymanowski. This album is the second volume of works for violin and piano. Szymanowski's literature is inexcusably absent from recital halls, and this album features most of the obscure ones. While there are plenty of composers out there whose "unheard" works are dormant for a reason, such is not the case with Szymanowski. His close working relationship with violinist Paul Kochanski ensured that everything Szymanowski wrote for the violin was completely idiomatic to the instrument and filled with his characteristic Polish passion and introspection. The majority of the works on this album is actually transcriptions Szymanowski made of his own works. In the case of the three Paganini Caprices, it is not sufficient to say that Szymanowski merely "arranged" these works for violin and piano. They are more likely a very sophisticated and thoroughly engaging exploration based on Paganini's themes. Throughout the album, Plawner gives these obscure pieces precisely what they need: immense amounts of conviction and assuredness that convince listeners of the importance of each track. Intonation, musical interpretation, and technique are superior as is the interplay between Plawner and pianist Wojciech Switala. This album is another must-have for anyone seeking to broaden the collection of violin repertoire.