Krzysztof Książek and Agnieszka Zahaczewska-Książek, known as Książek Piano Duo, will perform for the first time at the National Forum of Music. Their programme will include the impressive Rhapsodie Espagnole by Maurice Ravel, as well as works by Polish composers, Frederic Chopin and Aleksander Tansman.

The Spanish Rhapsody is a work by Maurice Ravel composed in the early 20th century. This work consists of four movements: Prélude à la nui, Malagueña, Habanera and Feria, and is an orchestral suite, strongly drawing on Spanish folklore. Ravel’s roots are not without significance in this context – his mother was a Basque who lived near Madrid. Although the artist spent most of his childhood in Paris, he felt very closely connected with the Basque heritage. The brilliantly orchestrated composition is one of the most effective pieces in Ravel’s oeuvre.

The Rondo in C major for two pianos op. 73 by Frederic Chopin, dated 1828, comes from the Warsaw period in the composer’s work. However, the score of the composition was not released until almost thirty years later – after the composer’s death. The piece functions both in the version for solo piano and for two pianos. Although it is not one of the most popular works by Chopin, the Rondo undoubtedly delights with its graceful character and youthful verve. Alexander Tansman’s La Grande Ville is, in turn, an example of music created for a ballet based on one of the fairy tales of the Danish writer Hans Christian Andersen.

In it you can hear elements of jazz, which the composer listened to during his stay in the United States. It is a light duo, at the same time thrilling in its dynamics.