Szymanowski: Études Op 33; Masques; Études Op 4; Métopes

The works on this disc were written between 1900 and 1916 by Poland's greatest composer after Chopin, one who had absorbed the impressionism of Debussy in a unique way. They reveal a dramatic change in Szymanowski's style, from the Chopinesque and Scriabinesqe flavours of the Op 4 Études to the meticulously distilled, floating perfumes of the often shimmering, sometimes explosive Métopes (1915) and Masques (1916). French pianist Cédric Tiberghien is an insightful guide, especially in the Études, Op 33, in which Szymanowski dared to follow on where Chopin had left off by writing his own set of 12 concentrated studies. Tiberghien brings them to life with impeccable taste and poise. url.ie/4qdb