Historical interpretations of Friderick Chopin works

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Zofia Rabcewicz - skill characteristics

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Pianistic art of Zofia Rabcewicz – together with interpretations of Robert Casadesus and Zbigniew Drzewiecki – may be labelled as modernist. However, she combines her extraordinary artistic temperament with humble execution of the printed score.

It is well-exemplified in Ballade in F major Op. 38, where after calm, balanced and rhythmical opening section, played with great simplicity, entrancing stormy fragment emerges. She put emphasis on and makes meaningful groups of notes which are often neglected by most pianists. The second occurrence of the stormy fragment resembles dramatic development, where each harmonic and textural change has its own meaning. It is contrasted with almost laconic conclusion of the work.

Mazurka in C sharp minor Op. 63 No. 3 is played with magnificent tempo rubato. In her interpretation this music is full of poetry, far from drawing room style, and embellished with beautifully articulated rhythmical variants. In Mazurka in C major Op. 56 No. 2 Rabcewicz presents ideal unification of lively idiom of the source with lordly-delicate poetry of the outstanding stylization.

All recordings are reconstructions of standard records and were issued by Polskie Nagrania labelled Muza XL 0159.

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