Piotr Pawlak is one of the most versatile Polish pianists of the young generation. A winner of numerous international competitions, including those in Helsinki (2022) and Darmstadt (2017), he was awarded the Second Prize at the 2nd International Chopin Competition on Period Instruments in Warsaw, which took place last year. His recital on a historical piano will feature works by classical composers—Haydn and Mozart—and the pre-classical Domenico Scarlatti, creating a natural context for the music of the first of the three piano sonatas by Józef Elsner included in the program.
Elsner was not a performing pianist; his closer instrument was the violin, which he skillfully employed and used as a conductor in his work with various ensembles. Although piano works do not constitute a significant portion of his compositional legacy, they encompass most genres of contemporary piano music. All three solo piano sonatas preserved to this day were published in 1805 and, along with the piano sonatas of Franciszek Lessel, represent the first examples of this genre in Polish music.
The three-part Sonata in B-flat major possesses all the characteristics typical of the classical style: a cyclical structure, a periodic construction of musical material, a dominance of homophonic texture, and the so-called Alberti bass as an accompaniment to the developing themes. The first movement (Allegretto) follows the pattern of sonata form, in which both themes are expressively similar; the slow second movement (Adagio, E-flat major) unfolds in an arch form, while the finale (Presto) is a rondo. The individual character of the music is highlighted by rhythmic patterns that appear in the cadences of the central movement, evoking associations with the polonaise, and in the rondo, reminiscent of the dance-like quality of the krakowiak. This is music that is cheerful and straightforward, filled with the pure joy of making music.
Piotr Pawlak’s recital will conclude with compositions by Fryderyk Chopin: Nocturne in C minor, Op. 48 No. 1, and Ballade in F minor, Op. 53.