Chopin-Alter Ego Œuvres et transcriptions pour vibraphone et marimba Arnold & Fraczek

Un conseil : ne pas se fier au titre de ce disque en croyant écouter du Chopin, mais lire attentivement la précision qui figure au verso : « Arrangements et compositions inspirés de la musique de Chopin dans une version inédite pour marimba et vibraphone ». Le duo polonais formé de Tomasz Arnold et Jakub Fraczek propose en effet une très libre relecture de quelques pièces de Chopin, 5 mazurkas, le nocturne op 72 n°1 et la valse « minute », mais surtout des compositions de Tomasz Arnold, où l’on peine souvent à reconnaître la source, voire l’inspiration chopinienne. C’est un duo incontestablement virtuose, sans doute spectaculaire en concert. A déguster avec modération au disque ! (Jean-Pierre Rousseau)

Fryderyk Chopin’s compositions do not age, they are not tedious – they still sound fresh. They are a challenge to performers and a feast for the listeners’ ears. It is no different with the album Chopin – Alter Ego. It features transcriptions of Chopin’s hits and original works by Tomasz Arnold, their distant paraphrase in a modern version, surprising with the ingenuity of metaphors. The instruments used play the main role here, since they are unusual and innovative – marimba, vibraphone and bells. Under the hands of two virtuoso percussionists, recognized in international competitions of graduates of the best universities, they reveal their melodic potential. They bring to mind the sound of a music box, balance on the edge of the murmur, to explode with an almost organ fullness after a while. The musicians excel in the use of time and the Chopin phrase; they play with lightness and precision coveted by every pianist. Mazurkas, nocturnes and waltzes sound familiar; however, they also enchant us with their mysterious aura. The album will disappoint neither lovers of experiments nor lovers of classic interpretations of Chopin.