Plawner Quintet perform important chamber music from Poland

Stanislaw Moniuszko is considered the father of Polish national opera, and one of the country's most important composers of the mid-19th Century. This release features his two string quartets. It also has a piano quintet by Juliusz Zarebski, one of Poland's leading composers of the late 19th Century.

The members of the Plawner Quintet have a clean, precise ensemble sound, with very precise attacks and unisons. Their performances are also wonderfully expressive, really bringing the music to life. And the way the musicians are recorded makes it easy to hear fine musical details

Moiuszko's two quartets date from 1839. It's the same year Mendelssohn published his first piano trio. The parallel is relevant, I think. The clear, straightforward construction of these works reminded me strongly of Mendelssohn.

Moniuszko uses simple, easily identifiable motifs to build out his music. Even at first hearing, I always knew exactly where I was in the score, and where Moniuszko was taking me. The quartets have a lightness to them as well, very close to the Mendelssohn ideal.

Zarebski's quintet is anything but. Zarebski was a piano virtuoso who studied with Franz Liszt. The piano part is quite challenging, and the music is written with a different aesthetic than Moniuszko's

Harmonies are thick, with chromatic transitions that sometimes obscure the motion. Zarebski's melodic gestures and big and exciting -- it's drama not form that's top priority here.

In my opinion, all three works are well-crafted and encourage active listening. I can't say I heard anything particularly "Polish" in either Moniuszko or Zarebski's music. But that also didn't matter. This release provided three engaging listening experiences. And that's just fine with me.

Stanislaw Moniuszko: String Quartets 1 & 2
Juliusz Zarebski: Piano Quintet op. 34
Plawner Quintet
CPO