REFLECTION about ROMAN MACIEJEWSKI CD

Prof. Jerzy MARCHWIŃSKI

Warsaw, 13 September 2020

REFLECTION about ROMAN MACIEJEWSKI CD.

Performed by  Pianoduo Artists Joanna DERENDA-ŁUKASIK and Marzena BUCHWALD

- As always, let me  traditionally point out at the beginning that I do not write reviews.  I think that reviews and criticism are the domain of reviewers and critics. In my view, it is rather tactless for an artist to evaluate another artist.  For this reason, I  prefer the concept of a REFLECTION, which gives me the space to express my personal opinion without any qualification or evaluation.

- This recording is an excellent performance, brilliantly constructed, understandable, and logical!

- It was a great decision of the artists  to record some of the extraordinary works of this Polish composer, who really deserves a wider recognition.   His music is thoroughly individual, full of emotions, philosophical reverie, and very special reflections.  In my opinion, all these features have been included in the performance. 

- I was also strongly impressed by the instrumental perfection of the performers and by what I would dare to call a sense of drama. The most convincing proof of that is the performance of the Fugue.

- Negro Spirituals are performed in an atmosphere of poetry and allusion, far from literalism. I listened to them with great interest.

- In my opinion, it would be very helpful and useful  to include bilingual (Polish & English) information about the composer and his work in the booklet; it should be concise and to the point, without any subtleties of a  musicological dissertation.