GHCD 2323 Secure E-shop Broadcast & Review

WITOLD MALCUZYNSKI (1914-1977) WITOLD MALCUZYNSKI: CONCERTOS by CHOPIN & RACHMANINOFF Frederic Chopin: Piano Concerto No 2 in F minor Opus 21 Philharmonia Orchestra - PAUL KLETZKI (recorded: Abbey Road Studio 1, London, 20. November 1946) Serge Rachmaninoff: Piano Concerto No 3 in D minor Opus 3  Philharmonia Orchestra conducted by Paul Kletzki Philharmonia Orchestra PAUL KLETZKI (recorded: Abbey Road Studio 1, London, 26 & 27 April 1949)     Frédéric Chopin Piano concerto No. 2 in F minor op. 21 III Allegro Vivace Sergei Rachmaninov Piano concerto No.3 in D minor op. 30 III Finale: Alla Breve

Contents:

Witold Malcuzynski was arguably the most important Polish pianist of international repute of his generation.   He was born in Warsaw, a few days after the outbreak of World War I, and his musical gifts were such that, when little more than a child, he entered the Warsaw Conservatory as a pupil of Joseph Turczynski, eventually graduating with distinction in 1936. He was introduced to Paderewski that same year, and the great man agreed to give him lessons in Switzerland.  Thus it was that Malcuzynski became possibly the last pupil of his famous compatriot. 

Malcuzynski entered the third Chopin International Piano Competition in Warsaw in 1937, where he was awarded third prize.  Another entrant for the competition was a young French pianist, Colette Gaveau, and the young artists fell in love almost at first sight.  They were married the following year. After their marriage they moved to Paris and in January 1940, six months before the Armistice with Germany was signed by France, Malcuzynski made his French debut with the Pasdeloup Orchestra in a Chopin Concerto.  He made a profound impression, but after the German invasion of France, Malcuzynski and his wife left, first for Portugal and then to the Americas. His debut in the United States was at Carnegie Hall in 1942; his impact was considerable, and thereafter he toured widely throughout the USA, Canada and Latin America.  

Shortly before the end of hostilities in continental Europe, Malcuzynski returned and appeared in London in April 1945 with the London Philharmonic Orchestra and gave a series of solo recitals.  In 1946 he created enormous interest in Britain by recording for the BBC a recital on the very instrument that Chopin had used during his last visit to London in 1848. In 1946 also, Malcuzynski began what became a long association with English Columbia, and made many records for the company over more than twenty years, during which time he was established throughout the world as a foremost interpreter of Chopin.  

His first concerto recordings also began in 1946.  It was on Wednesday, November 20^th, that he recorded the Chopin F minor Concerto reissued on this CD. The orchestra was the newly-formed Philharmonia, whose members were chosen from the cream of British instrumentalists, and the conductor was his fellow-Pole, Paul Kletzki, who had made his own recording debut with the Philharmonia a week earlier with Schubert’s Unfinished symphony. As was the custom of the time, Malcuzynski’s performance observed two cuts in the orchestral tuttis in the first movement of the Concerto, the larger being in the long opening ritornello and the other towards the very end (it is only in relatively recent years that the work tends to be given in full), but of course the solo piano part remained unaltered.  In this performance, the second and third movements are given complete, and what must be mentioned is Kletzki’s handling of the long passage of string tremolandi in the second movement, which is superbly done and which can so often degenerate into an unnatural background colour.  It provides the perfect background to Malcuzynski’s expressive recitative-like octave playing.    

In this work, Malcuzynski faced formidable competition on disc, notably from Arthur Rubinstein, whose much earlier recordings of both Chopin Concertos were long established.  But with this performance it was clear that Malcuzynski was already “a masterly expositor of Chopin’s lyrical spirit”, as the London Times said. One contemporary review of the recording will suffice to demonstrate the esteem in which Malcuzynski’s Chopin playing was held:

            “Regarding Malcuzynski’s playing – one has to be restrained in writing  about this magnificent pianist, for he seems to be able to combine virtuosity  of technique with delicacy of understanding.  His decorative passage-work is  as good as his declamatory chords.  A very fine performance…”           

If Chopin was Malcuzynski’s speciality, so far as the general musical public was concerned, it is exceptionally interesting to hear also his recording of Rachmaninoff’s Third Concerto, made just over two years later, also with the Philharmonia under Kletzki, and also at EMI’s Abbey Road Studios.   Once more, Malcuzinski observes a number of small cuts in this work (the composer made them in his own recording) which are customarily restored today. A rather surprising feature for modern ears may be the relatively swift tempo adopted for the first movement, which some may feel is a little fast for Allegro ma non tanto, certainly in comparison with Rachmaninoff’s own recording, but it is exceptionally well maintained by Malcuzynski and Kletzki.  In quoting from a contemporary review of this later recording, one again understands a little of the admiration in which this pianist was held – although it must be admitted that this performance did not enjoy universal acclaim.  None the less, at his brilliant and virile best Malcuzynski delivered a performance that contained:

            “………plenty of the right sort of empressement for this lush yet firmly masculine music…..this is a version of No 3 that will probably not be replaced  for some long time to come.   Malcuzynski has a great range of tone-colour in his playing and his mastery of the delicate passage-work is no less impressive than his bold power at other times.”                                 Robert Matthew-Walker © 2006

Page revised Tuesday March 06 2007