Paul
Kochanski – I prefer to use the form
normally encountered, rather than the
more correct Polish Paweł Kochański
– was a tragic figure. Dead of cancer
at the age of forty-seven he made pitifully
few recordings. We must be grateful
for his Brahms Op.108 collaboration
with his old friend Rubinstein but the
handful of acoustic Vocalions barely
begins to compensate for the performances
that were not recorded, prominent among
them Szymanowski whose music he did
so much to propagate. It was left to
a later generation of Polish violinists
to set down their markers on the repertoire
– players such as Uminska and Wilkomirska.
This is a tribute disc
to Kochanski (1887-1934) and contains
arrangements made by the violinist,
works written by him (three morceaux)
and a work dedicated to him by a young
Polish composer, Antoni Szałowski.
Clearly the results are top-heavy in
terms of arrangements of songs but Kochanski’s
skill in this area was genuine; he was
resourceful and clever and a number
have stood the test of time.
We start with three
of his own published works. Szymanowski
contributed the piano parts in all cases.
Down is an impressionistic piece,
a compound of Debussy and Szymanowski,
whilst the Wild Dance is full
of sly slash and folkloric humour. Flight
was inspired by Lindbergh and is an
aerial onomatopoeia, with a decidedly
warm little tune at its heart, almost
spiritual-like. It’s fitting that we
have the expected Roxana’s Song from
Szymanowski’s King Roger but
the less well known Dance from
Harnasie is here as well - this
arrangement from his ballet-pantomime
has really otherwise only been essayed
by Wanda Wilkomirska.
The Four Spanish
Songs by Nin have been equally neglected
and hardly anyone presents them in this
violin and piano arrangement, however
attractive it may be. The Song from
Andalusia is the high point – touchingly
realised. El amor brujo might
seem an unlikely source from which to
quarry an arrangement but it’s the Canciones
populares esponalos that has cornered
a place in the repertoire, not least
for Jota, which everyone plays
in Kochanski’s arrangement. The violinist
omitted Seguidilla murciana from
the set of arrangements.
Antoni
Szałowski’s early 1930s sonata
is a cosmopolitan one with touches of
Parisian Jazz – the composer had come
to Paris to study with Nadia Boulanger.
Its larky Les Six
profile does it no harm, though it’s
arguable whether it does it any good;
anyway the abrasive finale goes well
and at nine minutes it doesn’t hang
around.
So, some known quantities
and some novelties – all most valuable.
I wish I could be as whole-hearted about
the performances and recording. There
is persistent ambient noise which can
be grating. Malina Sarnowska does her
best but the Roxana demands are
merciless and her tone becomes deadened
by the end of it. This coupled with
a slow vibrato and some technical weakness
(adjacent string touching, bowing problems)
mean that the suavity and dash one might
have hoped for is missing. The opening
of Jota should really have been
re-taken – it’s horribly flat – and
her playing all too often remains earthbound.
These are certainly limiting factors.
Jonathan Woolf
Full
Acte Préalable Catalogue
ACTE PRÉALABLE MUZYKA POLSKA AP 0061
[69.57] 
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