COMPOSERS: Chopin
LABELS: Arabesque
WORKS: Polish Songs, Op. 74,
PERFORMER: Ewa Podles (contralto), Garrick Ohlsson (piano), Elizabeth Mann (flute)
CATALOGUE NO: Z 6746
Chopin’s Polish Songs are rather like his Mazurkas – folk-flavoured miniatures, rarely technically taxing, but with an emotional effect out of all proportion to their modest means. Ewa Podles has a powerful contralto voice, though her expression can be surprisingly intimate and graceful; Garrick Ohlsson is a responsive, discreet accompanist. Stephen Johnson
Chopin: Polish Songs, Op. 74,
Chopin’s Polish Songs are rather like his Mazurkas – folk-flavoured miniatures, rarely technically taxing, but with an emotional effect out of all proportion to their modest means. Ewa Podles has a powerful contralto voice, though her expression can be surprisingly intimate and graceful; Garrick Ohlsson is a responsive, discreet accompanist. Stephen Johnson
Our rating
4
Published: January 20, 2012 at 1:19 pm