Search - Stanislaw Skrowaczewski, Saarbrucken Radio Symphony Orchestra :: Stanislaw Skrowaczewski: Works for Orchestra

Finally a recording of Skrowaczewski's Orchestral Music!!

Darin Tysdal | Bloomington, MN 55420 | 10/20/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Skrowaczewski has been very prolific as a composer, yet there is little of his music on CD! Now that is changing, thanks very much! All of these works were premiered in Minnesota. Mary Ann Feldman, program annontator for the Minnesota Orchestra, wrote the program notes. Skrowaczewski's orchestra now of choice, the Saarbrucken Radio Orchestra, is performing. And "Stan" is conducting. What of the music? The toughest nut to crack is the Passacaglia Immaginaria. The language is hard and granitic, not letting up for a second. The clarinet concerto (for clarinet in A) is more intrested in chamber-like sounds-there is a harpsichord in this piece also (what is the deal with the Harpsichord in 20th century music? So many composers seem interested in putting this instrument in a large orchestra-witness Schnittke and Kancheli's symphonic works). Stotlzman plays wonderfully as always. The chamber concerto belies its name most of the time although there are bursts of passion towards its end. Many more listenings will be required to plumb the depths of these pieces, but now with them on CD, you and I can do just that! Now, how about the English Horn Concerto, and perhaps a his piano concerto for the Left Hand (to be premiered later on this season by Gary Graffman)!"