Szymanowski-Zimerman: the poster is a myth. Fans had heard of a recording of pieces by this composer blocked by the pianist. First question: is this the one? Probably yes, for cycle capital Masks, op. 34. It dates from 1994, captured by the engineer elected, then, by Zimerman: Helmut Burk. Everything else — four of Preludes op. 1, Mazurkas op. 50 nbone 13 to 16, Variations on a Polish Theme, Op. 10 — was recorded last June. Do artistic questions lead Masks ? Not really, even if Zimerman does not downgrade Piotr Anderszewski (Warner), so dreamy in Scheherazade and flexible in tantris. In our view, the reluctance had everything to do with Krystian Zimerman’s relationship to sound, a sound “which is used to build the music”, which has become on the CD “an end”, in its perspective and its terms. But Zimerman can’t change that: the sonic escapes are part of Szymanowski’s harmonically complex language. And the pianist uses sound refinement as an expression, bringing him closer to Scriabin.
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