Polish Chamber Music

5 May 1937

Felix Labunksi (1892-1979), a composer from Warsaw, gave a lecture at the Curtis Institute on "Four Centuries of Polish Chamber Music".

Recordings were played and there was also also some live music making including Juliusz Zarębski (1854-1885), Piano Quintet in G minor Op.34, played by Jorge Bolet, piano, Marian Head and Julius Schulman, violins, David Schwartz, viola, and Leonard Rose, cello.

Of the quintet, Adrian Thomas (Professor Emeritus at Cardiff University, Wales and a specialist on Polish music, author of a study of the music of Henryk Górecki) has written:

'Since it was first published (in 1931, forty-six years after its composition), the Piano Quintet has been regarded within Poland as a masterpiece. It shows a remarkably fresh ear for symphonic thinking, motivic development and sheer melodic invention. It is immediately striking that the piano is cast as primus inter pares rather than as a vehicle for virtuosity.'

Waldemar Malicki (piano), Amar Corde String Quartet =

Listen here to a performance from 1997