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VIRTUOSITY WITH A FLOURISH. ELŻBIETA SIKORA’S CONCERTOS ALBUM PREMIERES ON 2ND DECEMBER!
2022-11-18
When asked to attempt a definition of her music, she called it lyrical expressionism. The choice of this term says much about the emotional intensity of Elżbieta Sikora’s music, which may reflect the experience of her two home countries, Poland and France, but is also a consequence of her artistic maturation in an age when two powerful trends – the avant-garde and neo-Classicism – were vying for the palm. Such a label may also result from the artist’s focus on the listener as her target, whom she invariably attempts to surprise, shock, or bewilder.
The CONCERTOS album portrays the composer’s speciality by presenting three unique works: Violin Concerto No. 1 (with violinist Linus Roth and NOSPR orchestra under José Maria Florêncio), her Organ Concerto (Mari Fukumoto – organ, NFM Wrocław Philharmonic, cond. Pascal Rophé), and Piano Concerto (Adam Kośmieja – soloist, Sinfonia Varsovia, cond. Bassem Akiki). The composer thus recalls her work on Concerto for piano and orchestra No. 1 ‘Hommage à Frédéric Chopin’: ‘I strove virtually to forget about Chopin or any kind of piano concerto and make it all my own.’
Orchestral colours are the trademark of Elżbieta Sikora’s music. They remind us of her electroacoustic beginnings, not only through the sudden interventions of percussion, but also in the dense ‘syntheses’ of traditional colours. Her other distinguishing mark may be the unusual, nervous vitality, which defies all the sugary stereotypes of ‘feminine expression’ in music.
Listeners to this CD will find it hard to believe that the solo concerto only appeared in Elżbieta Sikora’s output as the last of the classical genres she has worked in. While waiting for Sikora’s next solo concerto, let us find pleasure in listening to three of her previous outstanding works in this genre.
The album CONCERTOS, released in the PORTRAITS series from PWM Edition’s label ANAKLASIS, will go into distribution as of 2nd December this year and be available from the best bookstores and music shops, as well as the virtual shop of the empik chain.
On the same day, 2nd December at 7 p.m., one of the three concertos contained on this CD, the Oliwa Concerto, premiered at Oliwa Cathedral in 2007, will be presented at the National Forum of Music in Wrocław. This organ work by the contemporary Polish composer will be performed by NFM Wrocław Philharmonic under the French conductor Pascal Rophé, with the Japanese virtuoso Mari Fukumoto as soloist. The Oliwa Concerto is an expressive and somewhat dark piece in which a virtuoso solo instrumental part is contrasted with the spectacular sound of the orchestra, stunning the ear particularly with the sound of its percussion. We warmly recommend this event. Tickets can be purchased here.
#sharpenyourears for the PORTRAITS series from ANAKLASIS.
Media patrons of the CONCERTOS: TVP Kultura, RMF Classic, Culture.pl
Partner of the release: Ruch Muzyczny
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When asked to attempt a definition of her music, she called it lyrical expressionism. The choice of this term says much about the emotional intensity of Elżbieta Sikora’s music, which may reflect the experience of her two home countries, Poland and France, but is also a consequence of her artistic maturation in an age when two powerful trends – the avant-garde and neo-Classicism – were vying for the palm. Such a label may also result from the artist’s focus on the listener as her target, whom she invariably attempts to surprise, shock, or bewilder.
