Fortepianissimo

Unavailable for purchase.

This CD is the "soundtrack" of the Ballet Spectacle Fortepianissimo. It was add-on of the spectacle's program books and sold only during live shows.

I have been a lucky pianist - it was one of the most unusual and beautiful music projects I was engaged for in my entire life. Having large group of dancers of the Ballet of the Grant Theatre - National Opera in Warsaw, playing live, full featured piano solo recital while being on stage with ballet dancers who were following my interpretations was both artistically fulfilling as well as adrenaline pumping experience. Not only because playing live music for the ballet is a risk bearing activity, but mainly because it was artistically nourishing and inspiring. The dancers were facing extraordinarily challenging environment, having a pianist who - by the Lorca Massine's wish (Ballet Choreographer) was suppose to play without paying any attention to dancers. It was his idea to make them following the music and not vice-versa. This, in fact, was something that made this spectacle so unique. However, it was my greatest pleasure to see them (yes, I could still see them from the spot where the piano was located) and adjust many elements of my interpretations to help them with timing and character of their expressions. To my great surprise, it was in the end a phenomenal lesson I could experience as a soloist, where learning the proper timing and pulsation of dances like Polonaise & Waltz as well as shaping phrases in a most logical and predictable way so they could follow the music without struggling with sudden tempo changes were for me the main benefits of this collaboration. And the music did not suffer at all because of that.

To this day, whenever I play any of the Chopin's compositions that were included in this ballet spectacle, I still see them dancing, I still feel dancers' movements so graciously being blended with what I was playing...

The last track, Largo from Chopin's Cello Sonata is performed together with Tomasz Strahl. Working together on this single movement of the Sonata was also a beginning of our long lasting collaboration - the "Chopin Duo" was born.

There were more works being performed - they did not make it to the CD because of time limitation.

The CD is part of the Grand Theatre - National Opera Collection and it has its internal number: TW-ON CD-001