Classical Music in Poland and the Europe of Chopin - From the Reviewer's Notebook

St. Mary's Church, Perivale, around 1860 Andrzej Wierciński  As the years pass it is always a great pleasure to witness the development of an artist. There are many fine, young Polish pianists but few that flower in the convincing musical manner of a summer bloom as Andrzej Wierciński. He gave an outstanding recital in St. Mary's Church, in west London. This intimate church, now one of the most important concert venues in London, is set in the picturesque rural surroundings of Perivale, a small town in the Borough of Ealing. It is reputed to have one of the fest acoustics in the capital. Domenico Scarlatti  Sonata in F minor K 466 The refined discrimination of this pianist was clear from the outset when he chose to open his recital with one of the seductive,  cantabile  sonatas  of Domenico Scarlatti (1685-1757). This sonata K 466 was particularly suitable for the modern piano.  It is highly likely Scarlatti conceived it for one of the five recently invented Cristofori instrum

"Cease, anxious world, your fruitless pain" (1687) Henry Purcell Song Z 362 I f one was fortunate enough to be present at the recent Warsaw recital by the great pianist Grigory Sokolov , one is taken unresisting through deep valleys and alpine pastures of music. It is an inspired voyage within a timeless musical landscape of immense variety and scope.   Tonight we passed through two centuries of musical inspiration of the highest order and guidance.   Certainly historically we are presently in dire need of reminders of the creative and beautiful rather than the destructive, brutal and ugly in human nature. We need daily to summon up the courage required to face current human adversities of many types and complexions, most of them deeply tragic.  The recital was therapeutic and uplifting in its way. His playing expresses the deepest humanism, creativity and maturity in conceiving an appropriate profundity of musical interpretation, a direct metaphysical connection to th