Nigel Kennedy - Polish Spirit [EMI 3 79934 2] {Europe 2007} (REPOST)

Emil Szymon Mlynarski (18 July 1870 – 5 April 1935) was a Polish conductor, violinist, composer, and pedagogue.
Mlynarski was born in Kibarty (Kybartai), Russian Empire, now in Lithuania. He studied violin with Leopold Auer, and composition with Anatoly Lyadov and Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov. He was the founding conductor of the Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra and subsequently served as principal conductor of the Scottish Orchestra in Glasgow from 1910 to 1916. He conducted the premiere of Karol Szymanowski's opera King Roger.

He composed, among other things, a symphony dedicated to his homeland (Symphony in F major, Op. 14, Polonia), and two violin concertos (1897, 1917). The latter concerto, in D major, Op. 16, has been recorded by Konstanty Kulka and Nigel Kennedy.

Emil Mlynarski died in Warsaw at age 64. His daughter Aniela (Nela, Nelly) married Mieczyslaw Munz and later Arthur Rubinstein. He is the grandfather of John Rubinstein and the great-grandfather of Michael Weston, both American actors.

Mieczyslaw Karlowicz (11 December 1876 – 8 February 1909) was a Polish composer and conductor.
His music is of a late-romantic character. Karlowicz was great admirer of Tchaikovsky whose 6th symphony he praised. Influence of his music can be seen in earlier works of Karlowicz: E minor symphony and the violin concerto. Like most of late romantics he also fell under considerable influence of Richard Wagner with Tristan und Isolde above all. Nevertheless he managed to develop original musical language expressed in harmony and orchestration, latter of which Karlowicz mastered like few other composers and wrote some of the most colourful orchestral music to be found.

Karlowicz wrote a symphony in E minor (Rebirth, opus 7), a violin concerto in A major (opus 8) and his output also contains several tone poems, including Eternal Songs, Stanislaw and Anna Oswiecimowie, The Returning Waves and The White Dove. He also wrote a number of songs for voice and piano, setting words by Kazimierz Przerwa-Tetmajer, Adam Asnyk, and others. Much of the rest of his small output was lost during World War II.

The music of Karlowicz inhabits a prime place in the history of Polish music between Fryderyk Chopin and Karol Szymanowski.

Karlowicz spent much of his later years in Zakopane, in the south of Poland, often enjoying one of his favorite hobbies, photography in the nearby mountain scenery.

Krzesimir Debski born 26 October 1953 in Walbrzych) is a Polish composer, conductor and jazz violinist. His music career as a musician has been that of a performer as well as composer of classical music, opera, television and feature films.

Krzesimir Debski studied composition with Andrzej Koszewski, and conducting with Witold Krzemienski, at the Paderewski Academy of Music in Poznan, Poland. Following graduation, Debski became interested in jazz. Since 1982, as the leader and violinist of the jazz group String Connection, he has performed in the United States, Canada and over 25 countries in Europe.

In 1986 Debski has cut down on his concert performances and concentrated primarily on composition. He has composed more than 60 symphonic and chamber music pieces, including an opera, 2 symphonies, religious works and 9 instrumental concertos. Since 1986, he has composed the music for over 70 films, received 8 platinum albums and has composed music for the highest grossing movie in Polish film history, “With Fire and Sword”.

As deputy chairman of the Polish Association of Contemporary Music, Debski has written music for film, theater, symphony, chamber orchestra and experimental ensembles. As a composer, he won the Fryderyk Award (the Polish equivalent for the Grammy Award). He was also awarded The International Film Music Academy, coveted “Philip” prize presented to him by the legendary film composer, Ennio Morricone.

Krzesimir Debski has conducted concerts in which the following international stars performed: Jose Carreras, Nigel Kennedy, Adam Makowicz, The Canadian Brass, Vadim Repin, Mark O’Connor, Jean-Luc Ponty, John Blake, Ewa Malas-Godlewska and Jose Cura. wikipedia