The nocturnal poet (2025)

"(...) Nine premiere recordings: three longer works (Ballade, Rhapsodie, Scherzo) separated by two batches of his six Abendstimmungen (‘Evening Thoughts’ is the usual translation) of 1899, each one lasting around the five-minute mark. ‘Profoundly German, [Scharwenka’s] music synthesises the worlds of Schumann, Brahms and Wagner, while also incorporating Polish idioms inherited from Chopin’s art’, as booklet writer Xavier Falques appositely puts it, though I would have emphasised Chopin’s influence more strongly. The opening Ballade (1894) would seem to be the most appealing piece here, worthy of its revival though far inferior to Chopin’s and Liszt’s essays. Turkish-born Cansu Šanlidag, currently teaching at the Near East University in Cyprus, is a fine, expressive player though her playing of the Ballade, as throughout, is redolent of the recording studio. Her affection for the music in these well-prepared performances is obvious (...)" (Gramophone)