Ignacy Jan Paderewski is better remembered today as a pianist and a statesman than as a composer. Things are changing slowly, as several recent CDs of his music testify. This newcomer explores the sideways of Paderewski’s symphonic production, gathering together orchestral arrangements of pianistic miniatures–among them the famous Menuet Op. 14, excerpts from the long-forgotten opera Manru, and the pastoral, Dvorakian Overture, tinged with Polish folk elements. The heroic, quasi-Wagnerian Prelude and the exciting Gipsy March from Manru are both vibrant, colorful advocates for a resurrection of the complete work. Less so the lengthy Fantasy arranged by Walter Rabl, no matter how skillfully it summarizes the themes from the opera. The lovely miniatures line up like encores at the end of the program, each one a perfect example of Paderewski’s heady melodic charm. The performances are impassioned and solid, but not always as polished as one could wish with this refined music, particularly in the Overture, where the excellent Antoni Wit on Naxos (coupled with the Piano Concerto and the Fantaisie polonaise) outclasses Roland Bader and the Cracow Philharmonic. Abundant resonance spoils the spacious sound recording. Let’s hope the symphony Polonia and the opera Manru will be among the next releases in the ongoing Paderewski series from Koch or Naxos.
