‘Exoticism’ explores music written for violin and piano by the 20th century Polish composer Karol Szymanowski. It is performed by a compatriot of Szymanowski’s, the acclaimed violinist Jerzy Kapłanek alongside the highly talented Canadian pianist Stéphan Sylvestre. Amongst the works included on the disc are the Violin Sonata in D minor, the Nocturne and Tarantella opus 28, and Mythes opus 30.
Violinist Jerzy Kapłanek was born in Poland in 1965 and it was there that he received his early music training, first in piano and then violin. He went on to study at the celebrated Karol Szymanowski Academy of Music in Katowice. A member of the Penderecki String Quartet as well as a critically acclaimed soloist, chamber musician, and teacher, he is in great demand and has performed throughout the Americas, Asia and Europe. Stéphan Sylvestre ranks among the most sought-after and brilliant Canadian pianists of the new generation and has received lavish praise from critics on both sides of the Atlantic.
The music of Karol Szymanowski is intense and virtuosic with a unique brand of expressive, lyric modernism. This recording features some of his most popular music, written in the composer's most productive period around the time of the First World War, including the Violin Sonata in D minor; the Nocturne and Tarantella; and the Myths.
