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I just turned on the spotify version - it's a fine performance and I agree - it's exciting, it has rich thematic work, keeps tension, maybe someday the large score will appear somewhere but still as a sextet the work is destined to be present on records and stages. A work of truly romantic, dramatic passion - the composer keeps the pace without blind or weak spots, no boredom here - still listening... Wide themes, elaborate rich, progressive climaxes...

It's probably Kontski's own arrangement for sextet - according to the score

"Partition a grand orchestre arrange en seqtuor" as the title page states

Here's a link to score

https://vivaldi.nlr.ru/br000000111/view/?#page=1

There is also a symphony fantastique... I have manuscript parts (probably incomplete - lacks some instruments, or scoring was just unusual), it's like military march/scherzo, maybe it's incomplete fragment of larger work, perhaps one movement or so.

Polish Encyclopedia of Music PWM indicates 3 symphonies - Heroique, Phantastique and "?" ...the 3rd in c minor (performed partially in 1855) (Heroique in A-Minor, Fantasique in A-Major - the one movement work I have from Staatsbibliothek Berlin)

But I wonder if someone finally finds his Piano Concertos which biographers indicate and also we know their key signatures, but no scores nowhere... no. 1 in E-flat Minor no. 2 in F-Major (numbering may be switched because they are not numbered in the original article from Polish Encyclopedia PWM)

Hello!

Just wanted to share the news that the album is now approved by the distributor and sent to streaming services like Spotify. In the link to the album there is possibility to save the premiere date on desired streaming service. Mirecki Sonatas will premiere on 15th August. On download based services there should be preview function where listeners can listen to fragments of tracks. The album takes over 90 minutes of Mirecki's Sonatas... Best regards!

https://onerpm.link/691121118217

Do You know Przytocki's recording - it's very recent, the CD is by DUX (coupled with Józef Wieniawski Symphony in D-Major btw)

https://youtu.be/7l6thV7fWDo

https://open.spotify.com/album/4MaraGBqHD8C5a4fmshw0E?si=OMfat1OPRLe_IO-zBl3S-A

Hello everyone!

I just wanted to inform that all Piano Sonatas by Polish composer Franciszek Wincenty Mirecki has been recently recorded and are set to be published on 15th August on all major streaming services as Spotify, Tidal, Amazon, Apple etc. Pieces dating from 1819-23 in classical/early romantic style were recorded in July 2023. It's a set of 9 Sonatas with a timing of 90 minutes. As a teaser I am posting 3rd mvt. of D-Major Sonata from op 12. which is called "La Chasse"...

https://youtu.be/iF1Bcw_1Y4A

Looking forward to see all unsung composers enthusiasts having a listen of Complete Piano Sonatas album.

Franciszek Mirecki (1791-1862) was a Polish composer who gained international recognition as one of the first Polish composers before Chopin. He composed italian style operas mainly but also symphonic works, sacred music, chamber works and solistic repertoire like the Sonatas. He studied with Hummel and Salieri, he knew Beethoven in person - they've met because of Beethoven's research on Polish National songs which had a fruition in Beethoven's work Songs of Foreign Lands - Mirecki had a Polish input in this set - one of the songs is entitled "How badly I am drunk"

All the best to all members of the UC Forum,

Artur Slotwinski

Hello Unsung Composers Forum!

This is Artur with a new project - I created a new yt channel on which I am presenting first in history recordings of Wojciech Sowinski's piano works. I cordially invite and encourage all interested music lovers to visit my channel. There are also lectures but only in Polish - I will post new recordings regularly in next few months. I received some grant to record Sowinski's music - all in studio conditions on good Yamaha piano:

https://www.youtube.com/user/TheSlotart

All the best for Unsung Composers Forum

Artur Slotwinski

Hello everyone! This is a historical moment - here I present world premiere recording of 2nd Piano Concerto in B-Minor by Józef Władysław Krogulski. Work dating from 1831 in original 1-piano arrangement by Krogulski. I also managed to perform my own orchestral restoration of this work in December 2019 but the recording is in private archives without a right to be published and is incomplete. Here it comes, entire concerto, learned by heart from original manuscript:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xv14UoPYgnU

As I said I forgot what to play next - stage fear, black hole in mind We tried to start again but same thing - I explicitly explained what we did in the previous post - the alternate version is much worse - lot of shreds and missing notes - I was more nervous and then I just improvised the ending based on what I remembered. I could run and take the piano score but there was no time - I was just paralysed - it never happened to me before, we had to make break before Symphony for orchestra to give them some rest.

Hey Guys!

Thanks! I appreciate Your interest into my Mirecki restoration - parts found in Aarhus, brought to Poland and with help of my friend who is engraver we created a score for conductor. We had also a conference on our Chopin University in Warsaw. I gave a lecture about Mirecki's piece and other people also talked about Mirecki's life and output. As in a topic any info on Ludwik Grossman Concerto in C-major are welcome. About Bobinski 2nd Concerto - I found only second movement in piano arrangement (worldcat says so in search). But no entire concerto. Thanks for links to Bobinski and Puchalski (as written in Polish version). There is so much treasures to be found - it is about crawling in mud on some last stories where garbage is kept - and also maybe lost manuscripts - it's a pity that orchestral scores were not published or even many Piano Concertos stay in manuscripts so Pazdirek is obviously silent - Grossman's PC was probably in manuscripts - his house was destroyed in 1939 in bomb attacks... Maybe he buried a box in ground with the scores.... Looking forward also for info about Wiktor (Victor) Kazynski (Każyński) ( or in russian version - he worked in Petersburg) Concerto in f-sharp minor, Anton de Kontski (Antoni Kątski) Piano Concertos - I searched many libraries and dissertations but find no answer where Kontskis Concertos are to be found (I wrote even to Grand Rapids in US where Kontski lived). And finally I searched in Lviv libraries for Wilhelm Czerwinski Concerto but found only some Nocturnes. Wish You all the best and looking forward to any tips on Grossman, Kazynski, Kontski, Czerwinski Pno Concertos....

My best

Artur

Hello

I am Polish investigator of lost Piano Concertos. I am in touch with Grossman family and they told me their family house of the son of Ludwik Grossman was devastated during WWII. I hope the Concerto score wasn't there... And this is my kind request for any of You who might now something in this matter. We are looking for a manuscript (probably) signed by Ludwik Grossman or Louis or Wojciech Horejszo (his nickname). I searched some published scores by Grossman but no a piano concerto was found. Polish Encyclopedia of Music says only the title of the work and the key - no year nor publishing info or place of depository. We are looking for Piano Concerto/Concerto pour piano/Klavierkonzert etc. I need Your help now.

With best regards,

Artur

Hello!

I investigated many library catalogues in search of Anton de Kontski (Antoni Kątski, Anton von Kontski, Chevalier de Kontski) Piano Concertos. Polish Encyclopedia Of Music claims he composed 2 Pno. Ctos: in E-flat minor and in F-major. I mainly searched online catalogues of the libraries in cities where Anton Kontski resided: Petersburg, Moscow, Berlin, Buffalo, London, Wellington, Sydney, San Francisco and Grand Rapids. I found many of his works there but no piano concertos. The Concert Allegro in A-minor op 40 is a different thing. I would like to ask for Your kind help in search of the his Pno Ctos. After I find it I will perform it as pianist with orchestra as I did with Sowinski G-minor concerto which is available now on YouTube as live performance. I am going to e-mail as much libraries in the world in search of these works - probably in manuscrpits and not in on line catalogue as I suppose. Perhaps someone has seen this scores in some antique shop? I invite You to fruitful conversation!

With kind regards

Artur

I e-mailed him to reveal this mysterious little birdy and asked other urgent questions about my case...

Are we talking about this private recording? It is the only one recording - performed by myself with my orchestration of tutti and composition of lacking orchestral material (the accompaniments). Apparently there are plans of releasing a CD but no budget for that is reserved for that purpose. I will never agree to release that private recording on any CD - it is only a promotional youtube video - good 1st and 2nd movement but with lot of "issues" with the 3rd. Acte Prealable? Mr Jarnicki are You here???     Once again I don't agree to release on a CD this recording and the only one existing today to my knowledge; the only performable version is this one (my restoration) or some one just found the original score??: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EC4Tp1SeJQw&t=1006s

With all due respect,

Artur Slotwinski - founder, performer and the author of restoration and owner of the score of Wojciech Sowinski/Artur Slotwinski Piano Concerto in G-minor - the score is protected under the law (ZAiKS - Polish Copyright Agency)

Re: Kątski Symphony

I am in contact with the library in Berlin. They have it: Symphonie fantastique by Kątski, it is 84 pages manuscript(!)-according to the info it's an orchestral score or just parts, but from parts a score can be created in Finale.... I am now negotiating reasonable priced copy. I asked them to make xero and send it by trad. mail. Maybe it will be cheaper than scanning...I don't know. They offered free xero after negotiations so I will pay only for post. Stay tuned...

Dear friends

A bunch of news hear. First I'd like to thank that I am note alone in my mission and search for scores of Polish Piano Concerti and Symphonies as well. I e-mailed Staatsbibliothek Berlin for a pdf copy of Antoni Kątski Symphony in A-major and they replied with an info that it would be a  cost of 90 euro. If it was 90 polish zloty: fine, but 90 euro is 360 polish zloty - for that you can buy Blu ray player of very good shape. i proposed them 20 euro which is 80 zloty - for that you can buy a score by Schott or another publishing house. They have very high prices, perhaps it is because of taxes... Perhaps somone is from Berlin and could xerox it for lower price - I can refund 20 euro for that person.

Another discovery is Adagio and Allegro Concertans by Franciszek Mirecki (that guy famous of Symphony in c-minor). It seems to be kind of Concertante work, scored for piano and strings. I found that score in Aarhus Denmark. Unfortunately they seem to be very official and buraeucratic if may say so. The "commander in chief" librarian replied that they cannot make a photocopy for me because I am private person. They can do it only if National Library of Poland will request that, because they don't make xeros for foreigners. For goodness sake - we are EU, we are not foreigners, Poland is a member of the whole European family - I belive in that despite the dangerous times. The same request here - is there a Dannish citizen among us? As a Pole I can refund circa 20 euro for that person who will xero it for me from Aarhus library. Here is the address: DET KGL. BIBLIOTEK / ROYAL DANISH LIBRARY - Aarhus
VICTOR ALBECKS VEJ 1
8000 AARHUS C
DENMARK

and Kątski Symphony A-major in Berlin: http://staatsbibliothek-berlin.de/ (Symphony does not appear in web search but it is there, the librarian confirmed that they have it in archive)

Looking forward to another news on Polish forgotten or lost Piano Concertos or Symphonies. I would sell my kidney for Władysław Żeleński Symphonies from which we have only Trauerklange (an Adagio movement from 1st or 2nd Symphony, I don't remember). I made midi realization few years ago - promissing music, really making an impression how would sound other movements. How sounds In Tatra Mountains Overture I know and it's gorgeus, proficient and valuable in artistic terms, work of gifted composer.

All the best for You, Dear Friends,

Artur