WITOLD MALISZEWSKI (1873-1939): Symphonies No. 1 in G Minor, Op. 8, No. 2 in A, Op. 12, No. 3 in C Minor, Op. 14 and No. 4 in D, Op. 21 “To the Newborn and Recovered Homeland”, Fairy Tale, Op. 30, Legend, Op. 31, Scherzo and Overture Honoring Schubert.

Description: Most of you will remember the Dutton Epoch recording of Maliszewski’s Third Symphony and Piano Concerto which were our featured item in April 2016 (04R001), not to mention three CDs of chamber music and one of piano music on Acte Préalable. Now we have almost all of his orchestral music; only the Kujawy Fantasy, Op. 25 is missing. The symphonies date from 1902, 1905, 1907 and 1923 and the Fairy Tale and Legend from c.1930. His Scherzo and Overture took second prize at the 1928 Columbia Phonograph Company competition to complete Schubert’s Eighth Symphony. Maliszewski studied with Rimsky-Korsakov and Glazunov at the St. Petersburg Conservatory and he was a member of the Belyayev circle in that city and had most of his early works published by the latter so, as you might expect, his style is that of late Russian Romanticism (so much so, I guess, that it explains why Dux have translated their booklet notes into Russian on this release, something I haven’t seen before on this label). Excellent, extensive and detailed notes in an 84-page booklet. A real bargain! 3 CDs. Józef Elsner Opole Philharmonic Orchestra; Przemisław Neumann.