Zygmunt Noskowski - Moments Mélodiques Op. 36 (Seferinova)

Описание: Zygmunt Noskowski - Melodic Moments
Pianist - Valentina Seferinova

I - Les Larmes - 0:00
II - Gondoliera - 4:15
III - Chanson Mélancolique - 8:43
IV - Sérénade de Printemps - 12:31

Noskowski's style was formed in absence of Chopin's influence. The reason being that Noskowski's family was involved with Towianism (An apocalyptic sect to which Adam Mickiewicz belonged), which Chopin scorned. Without the influence of Chopin, Noskowski saw Ignacy Feliks Dobrzyński as the ideal Polish composer. Much later, after the death of his father in 1863 and having distanced himself from Towianism, he became an advocate of Chopin's music. Noskowski's unusual evolution as a composer led to some interesting compositions.

Noskowski shows an appreciation for German form, Polish folk music, and a vague, distantly impressionistic attitude. In his piano music, he favors character pieces with a wide variety of names (e.g. Aquarelles, Impressions, Images). It is important not to overstate his impressionism, however. He was a contemporary of Debussy, but despite being close to Debussy in time, he was still rather distant in style. His compositional ideas were still, at their core, romantic and conservative, though they hint at underdeveloped impressionistic ideas that were never allowed to reach their full manifestation.

This work, written in 1891, illustrates some of the competing influences in Noskowski's style:

I - Les Larmes (The Tears/ Łezki) - In some ways this feels like the logical synthesis of later romantic era developments (catalyzed by Chopin) with Ignacy Feliks Dobrzyński's nocturnes. The harmony carries the emotion through and the arpeggios in high registers suggest a short, swift flow of water.

II - Gondoliera (Gondolier's Song/ Pieśń Gondoliera) - One could easily see this piece among Chopin's work. The dotted melody fits Chopin's style almost perfectly. Additionally, the motif of the eight note followed by a quarter note at different intervals indicates a calm, gentile motion. Though less sophisticated than Liszt's, its simplicity better evokes the atmosphere of a Gondolier's song.

III - Chanson Mélancoliques (Melancholic Song/ Pieśń Melancholijny) - This piece is rather simple. It doesn't accomplish quite the same effects of the others, but it manages to keep a dour atmosphere throughout with some standard arpeggios in the left hand harmonizing the melody.

IV - Sérénade de Printemps (Spring Serenade/ Serenada Wiosenna) - This piece does a great job of conveying the energy and warmth of Spring by incorporating a melody that is simultaneously energetic and wrapped up in joyful anticipation. The middle section is a complete wonder and Seferinova does a fantastic job at parsing the melody from this dense section and returning to the warm, refreshing first theme.

imslp: https://imslp.org/wiki/Category:Nosko...
pianist's website: https://valentinaseferinova.com/Home....