JÓZEF KOFFLER (1896-1943/4): Complete Piano Works , Vol. 1 - 40 Polish Folksongs, Op. 6, Musique Quasi una sonata, Op. 8, Sonatina, Op. 12.

Description: What makes Koffler so remarkable is that he was not only the first Pole to adopt twelve-tone serialism but that he often used folk materials and aligned himself with Neo-Classicism. Reconciling folk traditions with serialism puts him in comparison with Skalkottas, Dallapiccola and Vogel. He also wrote tonal folklorist pieces, like the forty folksongs on this disc (1926) and his sensitivity to color, harmony and form bring surprises in the way he harmonizes this folk material. The Quasi una sonata (no date) may suggest to the casual listener Szymanowski and the Sonatina (1931) sounds quite neo-classical but both are twelve-tone works, cleverly conceived. Elzbieta Sternlicht (piano).