Szymanowski: King Roger

COMPOSERS: Szymanowski
LABELS: Accord
ALBUM TITLE: Szymanowski
WORKS: King Roger
PERFORMER: Wojtek Drabowicz

Olga Pasiecznik

Piotr Beczala

Krzysztof Szmyt

Romuald Tesarowicz

Polish National Opera Chorus and Orchestra

Jacek Kaspszyk


CATALOGUE NO: ACD 131-2

Kr—l Roger occupied Szymanowski



for six years (1918-24) and finds



him at his most inspired: there is an



exotic luxuriance, a sense of longing,



a heightened awareness of colour and



glowing, luminous textures. Apart



from Simon Rattle’s EMI recording,



there have been three earlier Polish



sets, but this newcomer is easily the



best so far. Indeed in some respects it is possible to prefer it to Rattle’s.



In the title role Wojtek Drabowicz is



every bit as commanding as Thomas



Hampson and arguably better



characterised, and in vocal quality



the Roksana of Olga Pasiecznik is



even purer in tone than Rattle’s



Elzbieta Szmytka. Her famous aria



is quite ravishing. Indeed the whole



performance is strong vocally and



the choral singing magnificent. Jacek



Kaspszyk gives us a finely paced



and expertly controlled account of



the score. The opening in Palermo



Cathedral is one of the most glowing



and atmospheric in all Szymanowski



and its sense of ecstasy and mysticism



is conveyed with authority.



This newcomer can be said to



hold its own with the EMI and it has



economy in its favour accommodating



the whole opera on a single disc.



The recording, too, has impressive



range and definition even if it must



ultimately yield to the EMI which has



greater space around the sound. If the



orchestral detail is well delineated in



the new set, there is, I think, slightly



greater refinement and atmosphere in



the Rattle set. Robert Layton