Szymanowski: Complete Music for Violin & Piano - Alina Ibragimova, Cédric Tiberghien

Nocturne and Tarantella Op 28[11'40]
1
Nocturne: Lento assai[6'07]
2
Tarantella: Presto appassionato[5'33]
Mythes 'Trois Poèmes' Op 30[21'02]
3
La fontaine d'Aréthuse[5'29]
4
Narcisse[7'37]
5
Dryades et Pan[7'56]
6
Romance in D major Op 23[6'10]
Violin Sonata in D minor Op 9[19'03]
7
Allegro moderato: Patetico[8'19]
8
Andantino tranquillo e dolce[6'01]
9
Finale: Allegro molto, quasi presto[4'43]
Three Paganini Caprices Op 40[14'24]
10
Andante dolcissimo – Vivace scherzando – Andante dolcissimo 'Caprice No 20'[3'02]
11
Adagio, molto espressivo ed affettuoso 'Caprice No 21'[2'53]
12
Thème varié: Vivace – Variations I-X 'Caprice No 24'[8'29]
13
Lullaby 'La Berceuse d'Aïtacho Enia' Op 52[3'56]

This disc contains some of Szymanowski’s most overtly sensual and vividly gestural music; his lush, exotic textures intensified and crystallized in miniature.

From the early Violin Sonata in D minor onwards, evidence of the composer’s unusual brilliance in writing for solo violin is paramount. The Romance in D major Op 23 (1910), first performed in Warsaw in April 1913, already reveals a considerable advance towards the exotic, strangely inward exaltation of mature works. In the extraordinary Mythes (1915) Szymanowski reaches the zenith of his artistry, creating ‘a new mode of expression for the violin’ and through this an intoxicating, other-wordly musical language.

This recording features the wonderful young violinist Alina Ibragimova, who appears on her third Hyperion disc. Her growing catalogue is receiving the highest critical acclaim. Accompanying her is an equally youthful yet highly distinguished performer, the French pianist Cédric Tiberghien.