After well-received albums devoted to
Bach
and
Schumann
, pianist
Piotr Anderszewski
turns to music of his native Eastern Europe on this 2024 release, which made classical best-seller charts early that year.
Anderszewski
is known for his artfully curated and constructed programs, but this one is not so cohesive; the excerpts from
Janá¿ek
's
On an Overgrown Path
set were recorded in 2016, while the short pieces by
Szymanowski
Bartók
were added in 2023. The
works, though short, are of a slightly different kind from the other pieces, which are real miniatures. When
gets to those, however, he hits his stride. Especially interesting are
14 Bagatelles, Op. 6
, presented in full. These aren't heard overly often.
says that "the works recorded on this album carry within them a spirit of rebellion," which doesn't quite fit these short pieces, but then on his second try, he comes much closer: "No room here for stylization or decorum; they draw upon the very roots of music." Early works composed in 1908, they contain ideas that
would explore over his entire career. They have folkish accents but also intensive exploration of mode and rhythm.
's careful style is ideal here, and the listener hearing the whole set will become increasingly engrossed. Hardly less appealing are the six pieces from
20 Mazurkas, Op. 50
, which explore the folk dance model in a less radical but no less detailed way. For the lover of Eastern European music of the early 20th century, which is finally and rightfully finding a consistent place on concert programs, this is a recording that will merit multiple hearings. ~ James Manheim