The mazurka is one of many uniquely Polish musical forms resurrected and championed by
Frédéric Chopin. He revisited the form throughout his short but prolific life. The mazurka has its origins as an early peasant dance, though
Chopin treated it with far more elegance and refinement than its early predecessors could have likely imagined.
Chopin's extensive output influenced future generations of Polish composers and inspired them to continue to sustain the mazurka's importance in Polish music. This album features 15 (only a fraction) of
Chopin's contributions, as well as six mazurkas of
Karol Szymanowski (who was heavily influenced by
Chopin) and three mazurkas of Roman Maciejewski (who was, in turn, heavily influenced by
Szymanowski). Performing on this Altara Classic album is pianist
Peter Jablonski, himself of Polish descent. For fans of the
Chopin interpretations of
Pollini or
Rubinstein,
Joblonski's playing may come across as somewhat overdone. He works hard to draw attention to the rhythmic asymmetries of the mazurka, but comes dangerously close to beating listeners over the head. Every measure is made into an event, sometimes at the expense of a continuous musical line. Still, his technique is quite refined and he plays with a great deal of elegance and attention to detail in the score. The lesser known works of
Szymanowski and Maciejewski are performed with exceptional clarity.