Sergei Bortkiewicz's artistic path was shaped by the history and geopolitics of the turbulent 20th century. He was born in Kharkiv, Ukraine, as a Russian of Polish descent; he received his education in St Petersburg and Berlin; after fleeing from revolutionary Russia, he worked in Constantinople; he spent the last decades of his life in Vienna, where he escaped from Nazi-controlled Berlin. All the above had an effect on his piano output – he was influenced by the music of Chopin and Rachmaninoff, an incurable romanticist and lyricist, looking in his compositions for the beauty of the melody. At the same time, he lived up to the musical traditions of Western Europe by composing works full of classical grace, technically refined, entering into a dialogue with the musical trends of the era.
This album presents a diverse selection of Bortkiewicz’s compositions, from lyrical miniatures, including the Chopinesque Preludes, Op. 40, depicting a wide range of moods and feelings, to the beautiful Sonata No. 2 in C-sharp Minor, Op. 60, both extremely emotional and sophisticated.
It is Sławomir Wilk (b. 1982) that is both the performer of Bortkiewicz’s music and the author of the idea of bringing his forgotten output to the audience, an excellent Polish pianist of young generation, soloist and chamber musician, awarded for his artistic activities on a number of occasions, also active in the field of organization of musical life and teaching. © DUX Records