Roman Licznerski, Szymon Bywalec & Orkiestra Sinfonietta Cracovia - Françaix, Podkowa & Mozart: Clarinet Concertos (2014)

Music by Françaix is beautiful and refined in sonority, perfectly instrumentated, not alien to Ravel and Poulenc, and with a unique profile. The composer wrote about his Clarinet Concerto of 1968: “This concerto is, or at least I hope it is, amusing to listen to. It is a kind of aerobatics display for the ear, complete with loops, wing-turns and nose-dives which are fairly terrifying for the soloist”. Orexis, written in 2013, is Marek Podkowa’s first voyage into the world of classical music. The work comprises three movements mirroring Podkowa’s characteristic thinking in images, strongly encouraging associations with film music. Very important is the composer’s experience in jazz improvisation, while the piece’s second movement enchants with its melodious phrases.