Symphonies Nos.1 & 2

Valery Gergiev explores the intense expression, fervour and spirituality of Polish composer Karol Szymanowski (1882-1937) with his first recording of the early symphonies on LSO Live. For decades Szymanowski's music was rarely heard outside Poland. Today, he is recognised as one of Poland's greatest musical figures. His desire to embody the music of his native land and his incorporation of the folkloric sounds of the Polish mountains make his orchestral works a must for anyone with an interest in Polish culture and music. During Szymanowski's early career, he wrote works of a grandiose, densely chromatic nature in the Germanic style of Strauss and Wagner. His first symphony is drenched in evocative Romanticism and is an extremely powerful and emotionally intense composition. His second, chamber-like Symphony artfully interweaves layer upon layer of seemingly disparate musical ideas to form a complex tapestry that became one of the composer's favourite of