Jan Skrzydlewski (1867-1943)
Impressions musicales op.2 (publ.1905)
24 Préludes (1915-1920)
Elżbieta Tyszecka (piano)
rec. 2024 Studio im Witolda Lutosławskiego, Warsaw
Reviewed from download
Acte Préalable AP0575 [71]

Elżbieta Tyszecka is working tirelessly with Acte Préalable to uncover some of the hidden and forgotten chapters of Poland’s musical heritage. Last month I reviewed her disc of piano music by Tadeusz Joteyko (Acte Préalable AP0587 review) and now have music by his near contemporary Jan Skrzydlewski. He was a piano student of the great Theodor Leschetizky and developed the rest of his musical training through the Musical Academy in Berlin. After a period in Paris he moved to Lvov where he founded his own music school after teaching at the Musical Institute and went on to be one of the founders of Poznań’s National Music Conservatory, becoming a piano professor. His relatively small output seems to be restricted to instrumental and vocal works; apart from the works here there is a Sonata, ballades, études and other short pieces.

The Impressions musicales are dedicated to another Leschetizky pupil, Ignaz Friedman and comprise four pieces, a nostalgic Impromptu in the form of a minuet based around the distinctive rhythm of the opening bar followed by another minuet like piece, chant du passé that opens in A minor but soon emerges into a sunnier major mood. A little idyll is next and the set ends in the twilight but still genial world of crépuscule in which Skrzydlewski is a little bit fussier than he needs to be with constant changes of accompanying rhythm for what is a very basic theme. Tyszecka does not always follow these accurately; the four against three in the early bars becomes the much easier six against three and when the left hand is given a melody in six/eight against a right hand two in the bar she just plays two in the bar in the left hand. There was some of this cross rhythm inaccuracy on the Joteyko disc as well but it is more noticeable here.

Then we have yet another set of twenty four préludes! We hear those by Chopin, Scriabin and Rachmaninov on a fairly regular basis but it always surprises me just how many composers followed suit, from A to Z – Alkan to Żeleński if we allow préludes sets with 25 items. While not ever approaching the quality of the composers listed above Skrzydlewski’s, arranged in four books of six, are immediately more advanced than the modest Impression musicales,whether in the opening prélude with its hints of harmonics over a pedal note or the noble third prélude, a dynamically wide ranging organ-like choral prelude. The fourth is wonderful, deliciously chromatic and echoes Chopin’s melancholy. The second book are pleasant without any particular highlights. The fifth is perhaps the best, chordal like its equivalent in Chopin’s set with some false relations in its chromatic harmony and a major key ending but it is nowhere near the miniature epic that Chopin squeezes into just thirteen bars. I like the prélude that opens book three, chordal once again and with five bar phrases and some quirky turns of harmony. I would, however, question Tyszecka’s hesitation at the end of each bar and occasionally even after a short motif which suggests many more fermata than the five that are marked. It is also pedalled rather heavily which muddies much of the interesting harmony. Hints of early Scriabin inhabit the next two préludes, especially the enchanting third. It is not quite the vivace that is asked for but I am more concerned that I am not hearing the three against four rhythm that is in all but three of the bars; it sounds more like quavers in the left hand rather than the quaver triplets which are written. Book four has some interesting ideas; the figuration of the second which creates some nice suspensions and only lacks some variety or the rather pompous fifth with its chordal theme over a staccato left hand. As with the rest of the set there is much melodic interest and for the most part more successful than the set by Joteyko. While not sufficiently original or innovative to appear back in the repertoire there are pieces here that I will certainly be playing and they are idiomatically written for the instrument. We can be grateful to Elżbieta Tyszecka for unearthing and presenting this music so conscientiously and mostly attractively though as I found on the Joteyko recital she does not seek to charm and it is all rather earthbound; the final prélude for example is marked appassionata and could make a fantastic impression in a recital but is too cautious here by half. It is well recorded and for those interested in the byways of Polish piano music it is well worth  hearing.

Rob Challinor