In Britain, Paweł Szymański’s name began to appear a few decades ago, seeming to be a natural successor to such composers as Tavener and, particularly, Górecki, but to have taken such an aesthetic in a more overtly postmodernist direction. However, his interest in music of the past, and the way in which he interacts with it, was in any case perhaps closer to Schnittke in many ways. At all events, in his native Poland, and far beyond, he has continued to be a respected and innovative force, as this magnificent disc of four of his works for choir (and instruments) demonstrates.
Don Giovanni’s special amalgam of dark drama and sparkling comedy is captured with startling immediacy by Carlo Maria Giulini. The Viennese baritone Eberhard Wächter faces a particularly formidable pair of noble ladies: Donna Anna in the form of Joan Sutherland (in one of her rare recordings for a label other than Decca) and the Donna Elvira of Elisabeth Schwarzkopf.
This outstanding concert performance of Manon Lescaut with Anna Netrebko and Yusif Eyvazov was the absolute highlight of the 2016's Salzburg Festival – a moment of operatic glory, captured live for this unique release.
Anna excelled herself and fascinated the audience with the perfection of her exceptional voice, her unrivaled interpretation and her devotion to this very part – she is the Manon Lescaut of our time. While Verismo already features the aria "In quelle trine morbide" and the fourth act of Manon Lescaut in a breathtaking studio-version, documenting her great passion to this work, the complete recording of Manon Lescaut will be a great addition to Anna's fans and opera lovers alike.