Customer Reviews

Mieczyslaw Karlowicz: Symphonic Poems, Vol. 1

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Mieczyslaw Karlowicz is a relatively obscure composer. He's not discussed hardly ever in classical circles or on Internet forums. Karlowicz's life was cut way too short. He was killed in an avalanche while skiing. There's no telling what he could have done had he lived longer. Most of the music he composed is in a late-Romantic vein.

There are several sets of Karlowicz's orchestral music on different labels: three recordings on Chandos with various conductors and orchestras and two on Naxos with Antoni Wit with either the Warsaw Philharmonic or the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra. I have not heard the Chandos recordings, but this Wit recording acts as a great introduction into Karlowicz's sound-world. I have read some people prefer these performances to the series on Chandos. I'm not really sure as with everything, it's about subjectivity. All I know, is Wit and the Warsaw Philharmonic turn in a remarkably intense performance in this Naxos release. "Stanislaw and Anna" will blow your roof off! The audio quality is also a big plus on this recording. All sections of the orchestra are well-defined and clear.

If you're looking to get more into Polish classical music that's outside of Chopin or Szymanowski, then look into Karlowicz's music. Highly recommended.

Mieczyslaw Karlowicz: Symphonic Poems, Vol. 2
Karlowicz: Rebirth Symphony; Bianca da Molena; Serenade
Stanislaw & Anna / Symphonic Poem / Eternal Songs
Karlowicz: Returning Waves; A Sorrowful Tale; Episode at a Masquerade

Lovely, brooding music with some good tunes you will want to hear over and over again. A good companion to his violin concerto, which is highly underrated.

This entirely satisfying disc of late-romantic music by the relatively unknown composer Mieczyslaw Karlowicz will leave you wondering "WHY is this man's music so obscure?"

I, for one, have not found a satisfactory answer to that question.

These lovely, dream-like Symphonic reminiscences are an excellent introduction to the etherial Karlowicz sound. The rich, elegant orchestration and sparkling 'Richard Straussian' harmonies will simply blow you away!

The Naxos recording is spacious and sumptuous with plenty of air around the instruments. Antoni Wit, likewise, gives gorgeously expansive readings of Karlowicz's breathtaking scores.

If your only experience of Polish composers is Chopin and Szymanowski (and possibly Moszkowski and Paderewski), then prepare to be bowled over by this young Pole who left only a handful of symphonic masterpieces as a testament to his overwhelming genius.

Very highly recommended.

Don't get me wrong. These are nice, sensuous, late-Romantic pieces. But I'm a little surprised by how strong the reviews for this CD are when you consider that the pieces are really just derivative Richard Strauss. Yes, there are some good tunes, some beautiful orchestration, etc., but it isn't as masterful as Strauss' best works and doesn't have the same level of focus. This is a good, solid CD, but it's not a masterpiece.