A GOOD PLACE TO START!
If you are looking for a good place to start discovering the music of Karol Szymanowski then you could do a lot worse than try the excellent budget price Naxos releases:-
Piano Works Vol. 1
Martin Roscoe, Piano
Mazurkas, Op. 50, Nos. 1-4
Metopes, Op. 29
Four Studies, Op. 4
Piano Sonata No. 2 in A Major, Op. 21
Naxos 8.553016
Piano Works Vol. 2
Martin Roscoe, Piano
Mazurkas Op. 50, Nos. 5-12
Variations on a Polish Theme, Op. 10
Masques, Op. 34
Fantasia in C Major, Op. 14
Naxos 8.553300
Piano Works Vol. 3
Martin Roscoe, Piano
Mazurkas Nos. 13-16, Op. 50
Etudes, Op. 33
Four Polish Dances
Prelude and Fugue in C Sharp Minor
Sonata No. 1 in C Minor, Op. 8
Naxos 8.553867
Symphonies Nos. 1 and 2
Polish State Philharmonic Orchestra (Katowice)
Karol Stryja
Symphony No. 1 in F Minor, Op. 15
Symphony No. 2 in B Flat Major, Op. 19
Naxos 8.553683
Symphonies Nos. 3 and 4
Polish State Philharmonic Chorus (Katowice)
Polish State Philharmonic Orchestra (Katowice)
Karol Stryja
Symphony No. 3 “Song of the Night”, Op. 27
Symphony No. 4 “Symphonie Concertante”, Op. 60
Concert Overture, Op. 12
Naxos 8.553684
Violin Concertos Nos. 1 and 2
Nocturne and Tarantella
Konstanty Andrzej Kulka – Roman Lasocki
Polish State Philharmonic Orchestra (Katowice)
Karol Stryja
Violin Concerto No. 1, Op. 35
Violin Concerto No. 2, Op. 61
Nocturne and Tarantella, Op. 28
Naxos 8.553685
Songs with Orchestra
Jadwiga Gadulanka – Barbara Zagorzanka
Anna Malewicz-Madej – Ryszard Minkiewicz
Polish State Philharmonic Orchestra (Katowice)
Karol Stryja
Love Songs of Hafiz
Songs of the Infatuated Muezzin
Songs of a Fairy-Tale Princess
Roxana’s Song from King Roger
Three Songs after a poem by Jan Kasprowicz
Naxos 8.553688
King Roger
Hiolski – Ochman – Zagorzanka – Grychnik
Mroz – Malewicz-Madey
Polish State Philharmonic Chorus and Orchestra (Katowice)
Karol Stryja
CD 1, King Roger Act I – Act II
CD 2, King Roger Act III – Prince Potemkin
Naxos 8.660062-63
Harnasie – Mandragora
Etude
Polish State Philharmonic Chorus (Katowice)
Polish State Philharmonic Orchestra (Katowice)
Karol Stryja
Harnasie (Ballet Pantomime), Op. 55
Mandragora (Pantomime), Op. 43
Etude for Orchestra in B Flat Minor, Op. 4, No. 3
Naxos 8.553686
Stabat Mater
Polish State Philharmonic Chorus (Katowice)
Polish State Philharmonic Orchestra (Katowice)
Karol Stryja
Stabat Mater, Op. 53
Veni Creator, Op. 57
Litany to the Virgin Mary, Op. 59
Demeter, Op. 37b
Penthesilea, Op. 18
Naxos 8.553687
String Quartets
Goldner Quartet
String Quartet No. 1 in C - Karol Szymanowski
String Quartet No. 2 - Karol Szymanowski
Three Pieces - Igor Stravinsky
Concertino - Igor Stravinsky
Double Canon - Igor Stravinsky
Naxos 8.554315
Karol Szymanowski
On Disc
INTERESTING CD RELEASES
Symphonies 2 & 3 etc
Musial / Ochman / Kasprzyk / Semkow
EM! Classics 7243 5 65082 2 4
Major recordings ****
Symphonies 3 & 4
Ochman / Zmudzinski / Stryja
Marco Polo 8.223290
Very Good ****
Symphony No. 4 & Violin Concertos 1 & 2
Rattle / Andsnes / Zehetmair
EMI 7243 5 57777 2 0
Brilliant *****
Stabat Mater / Litany / Symphony No 3
Rattle etc
EMI 7243 5 55121 2 3
Brilliant *****
Stabat Mater / Litania / Demeter
Gadulanka / Rappe / Hiolski / Wit
Dux 0349
Extremely moving ****
Complete Songs for voice and piano
Beczala / Gondek / Kryger / Sobotka / Mees
Channel Classics CCS 19398 (4 CDs)
Definitive! *****
Karlowicz & Szymanowski Piesni
Kryger / Jankowska
Dux 0361
Definitive interpretations includes 11 songs by Szymanowski ****
Piesni Kurpiowskie / Szymanowski / Maciejewski / Twardowski / Sikorski / Moryto
Warsaw Chamber Choir / Zimak / Nowak
Imaginative programme very well performed ****
String Quartets from Poland – Szymanowski / Lutoslawski / Pendrecki
Varsovia Quartet
Olympia OCD 328
Absolutely brilliant! *****
String Quartets
Camerata Quartet
Dux 0366
Brilliant *****
String Quartets – Szymanowski / Lutoslawski / Pendrecki / Meyer
Wilanow Quartet
Polskie Nagrania ECD 034
Very Good ****
Stravinsky & Szymanowski Complete Works for String Quartet
Silesian String Quartet
Partridge 1138-2
Very enjoyable ****
The Two String Quartets + Bacewicz String Quartet No 4
Maggini Quartet
ASV CD DCA 908
Sound and thoughtful interpretations ****
Works for Violin & Piano - String Quarter No 2 etc
Kulka / Marchwinska / Wilkomirska / Chmielewski / Wilanow Quartet
PNCD 065
Classic Polish interpretations ****
Violin & Piano Works
Plawner / Malicki
Dux 0287
Superb *****
Oevres Pour Violon et Piano
Jakowicz / Borucinska
Le Chant Du Monde LDC 278 997***
Violin Concertos Nos ! & 2
Rattle / Zehetmair etc
EMI 7243 5 55607 2 8
Brilliant *****
Violin Concertos No 1 & 2
Danczowska / Kord
Accord ACD 026
Classic performance ****
Violin Concertos 1 & 2 plus Gorecki & Baird
Kulka / Maksymiuk
EMI 7423 5 65418 2 5
Sound interpretations ***
Stravinsky Szymanowski Violin Concertos
Juillet / Dutoit
Decca 436 837-2
Very Good ****
Complete Piano Music
Jones
Nimbus NI 1750 (4CD)
Definitive *****
Three Masques for Piano, Twenty Mazurkas
Domanska
Olympia OCD 344
Exquisite *****
The Complete Mazurkas
Bengston
Subtle and deeply moving *****
Sheherazade
Trzeciak
Pavane 7219
Extremely good ****
Piano Works – Masques, Sonata No 2, Mazurkas
Malcuznski / Stefanski / Hesse-Bukowska
PNCD066
Classic Polish interpretations *****
Chopin / Szymanowski
Piekos
PCDZ 1040
Good ***
Chopin / Szymanowski / Moussorgsky
Piekos
Good ***
Polska Muzyka Fortepianowa
Korecka-Soszkowska
Dux 0107
Includes Szymanowski preludes ****
Harnasie
Rowicki
PNCD 242
The Classic Polish recording retains its charm and drama *****
Harnasie etc
Wit / Semkow / Blumental
EMI 7243 5 65307 2 0
Very Good ****