Various Composers - Chopin sans Chopin (Adam Golka)

Information

1. Gabriel Fauré - Nocturne No. 4 in E-Flat Major, Op. 36
2. Johannes Brahms - Scherzo in E-Flat Minor, Op. 4
3. Natalia Janotha - Mazurka in E Minor, Op. 6 No. 1
4. Alexander Scriabin - Fantasie in B Minor, Op. 28
5. Roman Maciejewski - Mazurka No. 13 "Upon Evening"
6. Manuel Ponce - Balada mexicana
7. George Gershwin - 3 Preludes: No. 1, Allegro ben ritmato e deciso
8. George Gershwin - 3 Preludes: II. No. 2, Andante con moto e poco rubato
9. George Gershwin - 3 Preludes: No. 3, Allegro ben ritmato e deciso
10. Władysław Szpilman - Mazurka in F Minor
11. Nikolai Kapustin - 8 Concert Etudes, Op. 40: No. 7, Intermezzo. Allegretto
12. Nikolai Kapustin - 8 Concert Etudes, Op. 40: No. 8, Finale. Prestissimo

Adam Golka, piano

Date: 2026

Label: First Hand Records

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Adam Golka’s Chopin sans Chopin is a deeply personal tribute to Frédéric Chopin that explores the composer’s artistic legacy without featuring his own music. Instead, the album presents works by 19th- and 20th-century composers who were influenced by Chopin’s style and musical language, reflecting Golka’s Polish-American heritage and familial connection to Polish musical culture. A highlight is the première recording of the 1894 Mazurka in E minor by Natalia Janotha. As Golka’s fourth release on First Hand Records, the album offers a reflective and historically informed journey through Chopin’s artistic influence and enduring musical presence across generations.

Adam Golka (born 1987) is a Polish-American pianist known for his wide-ranging career as a soloist, chamber musician, and educator, as well as for his ambitious engagement with core piano repertoire. He first performed the complete Beethoven piano sonatas at age 18 and later presented the full cycle again in 2020–2021 through live and streamed performances, accompanied by his film project 32@32, which documents each sonata with contributions from figures including Alfred Brendel. A prize-winning artist, Golka has appeared with major orchestras worldwide, collaborated with conductors such as Sir András Schiff and JoAnn Falletta, and performs regularly in leading concert venues across Europe, Asia, and the Americas. His discography for First Hand Records includes Beethoven, Schumann, and Brahms. Alongside his performance career, he is active as a pedagogue and chamber musician, holding teaching and advisory roles at institutions such as the Longy School of Music of Bard College and the Krzyżowa-Music Festival.

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