Whereas recently it has mainly been Panufnik's orchestral music which has been recorded, this disc is entirely devoted to piano music and includes two pieces by his daughter Roxanna Panufnik, a piece composed by them jointly, and an arrangement of an ensemble piece. These are interpreted by a young British pianist Clare Hammond, who thus offers an important release in the year in which the musical world is celebrating Panufnik's 100th birthday.
It is quite normal for some other music to be included in the programme, in addition to the 12 Miniatures, the Pentasonata and the Reflections, since Panufnik only really wrote 3 works for piano. The 12 miniatures were written in 1947 and comprised one of the first works after the war. These were written while Panufnik was still in Poland where he was reprimanded because of his music which was strictly controlled. He could no longer tolerate this situation and managed to flee into exile in England, where he lived until his death in 1991.
The miniatures, like so many of Panufnik's works, are based on geometric models but the music does not reveal this construction. The listener experiences them mainly as an enormously varied, colourful, very diverse series of small pieces, the contrasts of which Clare Hammond brings out very well.
Hommage à Chopin is an arrangement by Roxanna Panufnik of a Suite for voice and piano which is based on folk music from the area where Chopin was born.
The Pentasonata was composed in in 1984. Aside from the intellectual strength of its construction it is always meaningful and at times deeply emotional.
Modlitwa is a prayer with two verses, of which Panufnik only set the first to music. The second was composed by his daughter, who then arranged the whole piece for piano. It is a simple but very reflective melody, which acquires a special eloquence when played on the piano.
Reflections, Panufnik's second piece for piano, was written a few days after Roxanna's birth. Technically built on inversions on a triad, in addition it is a kind of contemplation.
Second Home by Roxanna Panufnik is a series of variations on a Polish folk song. The short piece Glo is in memory of a family friend who died of cancer.
The sonorous touch of Clare Hammond does full justice to these pieces and the BIS technicians have again done their job well, so that the CD makes a very positive impression.
In this mixed program with works by Andrzej Panufnik and his daughter Roxanna, Clare Hammond's playing is superb. The pianist has obviously assimilated this music so well that she can fully concentrate on the rhetoric and expressive elements and give the music a full-bodied sound.
Remy Franck