Szymanowski: Piano Works Vol 3 (Mazurkas, Op. 50 ; Etudes, Op. 33; etc )

"Roscoe's full-bodied sonority and impeccable technique lovingly serve Szymanowski's kaleidoscopic, richly communicative keyboard idiom. His grand treatment of the 13th through 16th Op. 50 Mazurkas points up the music's sensual textures and rustic melodicism. A marvelous disc."
- Jed Distler, classictoday.com

"More in a masterly series from the Manchester-trained pianist who is immensely respected and in demand- and now head of keyboard at the Royal Northern College of Music, too. The principal item on this disc is the set of 12 Etudes, op.33, in which Szymanowski writes a succession of brilliant miniatures, hardly any of them more than a minute or so in duration. Yet there is amazing variety of musical style and imaginative texture, and, in the slow studies such as no.5 and no. 8, some breathtakingly beautiful music."
- Manchester Evening News (Robert Beale), Friday July 28, 2000

"These exquisite miniatures by Szymanowski explore, along with even more experimental Etudes, a highly individual harmonic and textural world. For greater approachability, try the Four Polish Dances of 1926 from Szymanowski's last phase. The early Prelude and Fugue and Piano Sonata, Opus 8, lean more obviously on Chopin, though coloured by Liszt, Reger and Scriabin. Even so, such lyrically rewarding works could hardly be termed immature - just try the middle movements of the Sonata. In this third volume of the complete piano music, Martin Roscoe continues to show himself perfectly attuned to Szymanowski's wide-ranging music. He takes the early works seriously and provides one of the most convincingly "symphonic" readings of the Etudes I have ever heard."
- BBC Music Magazine (Jan Smaczny), October2000

"This disc completes Martin Roscoe's survey of he piano music of Szymanowski for Naxos and contains many gems. Principal among these are the 12 Etudes, Op. 33. Composed in 1916, they date from the same period as such masterpieces as the Third Symphony, the First Quartet and the First Violin Concerto and share with them the same luscious chromaticism. Each Etude is little more than a precious morceau, but they make for a very satisfying whole. There are some gorgeous moments along the way, such as the outrageous blues chord at the end of the first, the dazzling passagework of the faster movements and the echt-Szymanowski sensualism of the penultimate Etude. He really is one of the supreme composers of pianistic colour (think also of the Métopes) and Roscoe conveys this very clearly. His performances of the faster Etudes are dazzling, the intricate passagework always clear, especially when it is soft. In the louder moments, he is never too hard, which given Szymanowski's propensity for dense textures, is a major plus point. ... Highly recommended."
- International Record Review (David Trendell), August, 2000