Ilya Kaler (violin)
Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra
Antoni Wit


Karol Syzmanowski was born in the Ukraine into a wealthy artistic family. Following the Russian Revolution the family returned to their native Poland, where Syzmanowski found inspiration in the indigenous music. His lyrical Violin Concerto No1 was dedicated to his great friend, the violinist Pavel Kochanski. Inspired by Kochanski's visit to Poland in 1932, the Violin Concerto No2 was written towards the end of his creative life.


“A wonderfully compelling disc from Ilya Kaler…in the sense that you never want to stop listening to it…as on his other Naxos discs [Ilya Kaler] gives pure, clear readings with flawless intonation and careful use of vibrato…beautifully and idiomatically played.” Gramophone

“Ilya Kaler is a near ideal interpreter of these works and the delightful Nocturne and Tarantella which serve as makeweight. His playing certainly has the requisite passion, but he also has a strong sense of line.” BBC Music Magazine, August 2007 ****

“Ilya Kaler, as on his other Naxon discs, gives pure, clear reading with flawless intonation and careful use of vibrato. Having a Polish conductor and orchestra as his accompanists adds to the idiomatic feel of each, with the magical orchestral sounds beautifully conjured up, particularly in No. 1, the more radical of the two works.” Gramophone Magazine, July 2007