Record Reviews

ATOM ACCORDION QUINTET ~ ATOM ACCORDION QUINTET REQUIEM 120 (Barcode: 5902547013411) ~ POLAND ~ Classical Recorded: 2015 Released: 2016 This is the debut album by Polish ensemble Atom Accordion QuintetFind albums by this artist, which comprises of accordionist Rafal GrzakaFind albums by this artist and the renowned string quartet called Atom String QuartetFind albums by this artist (violinists Dawid LubowiczFind albums by this artist and Mateusz SmoczynskiFind albums by this artist, violist Michal ZaborskiFind albums by this artist and cellist Krzysztof LenczowskiFind albums by this artist). Together they perform four contemporary Classical compositions by young Polish composers: Mikolaj MajkusiakFind albums by this artist, Piotr WrobelFind albums by this artist, Krzysztof Lenczowski and Nikola KolodziejczykFind albums by this artist. While the works by the Majkusiak and Wrobel are single-piece compositions, the work by Lenczowski is a four-part Quintet and the work by Kolodziejczyk is three-part suite. The album was released simultaneously on two Polish labels: RequiemFind albums on this label Records and DUXFind albums on this label Records As much as I appreciate the need to expose young composers, which this album is all about, somehow I felt a bit disappointed when the music was over. Contemporary Classical music can be, and often is challenging and groundbreaking but this album has little of these qualities. The sound of accordion and a string quartet works together well but was already explored before, and although the musicians are top class, but the music itself just fails to make a strong impression. Even the music by Lenczowski, who writes wonderful music in the Jazz idiom, somehow does not present his usual excellence here, being simply too conventional, even if it is beautifully melodic and gracefully melancholic. An example of the lack of originality is the very last track on this album (by Kolodziejczyk), which sounds almost exactly like music by Astor PiazzollaFind albums by this artist with string quartet. Somehow the entire album invokes a kind of a déjà vu symptom. The album is supposed to offer, according to the enclosed booklet, an amalgam of Classical Music, Folklore and Jazz. There is Classical music in abundance, there are some Folkloristic motifs, but there is certainly no Jazz at all, as there is obviously no improvisation involved since all the music is strictly written. This of course is not a problem by itself, but simply an unnecessary confusion. Obviously the album has its positive sides as well: a profound European aesthetics, wonderful performances by all five musicians, who are obviously virtuosic players, an excellent recording and sound quality and elegant packaging that includes informative bilingual liner notes. Overall this is a well done and original presentation of contemporary Polish Classical Music, which can be enjoyed by many Classical Music connoisseurs anywhere in the world and serve as a wonderful calling card of Polish Culture.

Updated: 22/11/2016Posted: 22/11/2016

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LOMZA CHAMBER PHILHARMONIC ~ POLISH IMPRESSIONS DUX 2023 (Barcode: 5902547020235) ~ POLAND ~ Classical Recorded: 2024 Released: 2024 This is an album by the Polish Lomza Chamber PhilharmonicFind albums by this artist, conducted by Jan Milosz ZarzyckiFind albums by this artist, performing three contemporary Classical pieces composed by Polish composers: “Polish Suite” (four parts) composed by Mateusz SmoczynskiFind albums by this artist (usually associated with the Polish Jazz scene), “Venetian Concerto” (three parts) composed by Slawomir CzarneckiFind albums by this artist and “Rhythm Games” (five parts) composed by Mikolaj MajkusiakFind albums by this artist. On “Polish Suite” for flute, violin, baritone violin and string orchestra flautist Jadwiga KotowskaFind albums by this artist and Smoczynski perform the solo parts. On “Venetian Concerto” for clarinet and string orchestra clarinetist Artur PachlewskiFind albums by this artist performs the solo parts. On “Rhythm Games” for cello, accordion, strings and percussion cellist Karolina JaroszewskaFind albums by this artist, accordionist Klaudiusz BaranFind albums by this artist and the orchestra’s percussionist Krzysztof SzmandaFind albums by this artist (also associated with Polish Jazz) perform the solo parts. All three pieces are examples of delightful contemporary Classical music, which stays within the tradition, rather than exploring modernist or avant-garde directions, with strong melodic basis and often incorporating Polish folkloristic themes. The pieces are quite different from each other, which makes listening to the album and adventure and avoiding the danger of falling asleep, which is often associated with listening to albums with Classical music. Of course I strongly recommend to listeners to get acquainted with more works by these three composers, all quite different, but all brilliant. The importance of albums like this one is presenting lesser known and often young composers and their works, which often find it very difficult to find exposure in the repertoire performed by big Philharmonic Orchestras, which often stick to “the obvious” crowd pleasing material and avoid “adventurous” material, making themselves almost obsolete in time. Overall, this is a wonderful presentation of fresh Polish Classical repertoire, which is definitely worthy of being performed and listened to by music lovers the world over. These three relatively short pieces are a breath of fresh air, and a delightful listening experience.

Updated: 31/01/2025Posted: 31/01/2025

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