Pole dancer.

Mark, since apparently Bacewicz seems some kind of "terra incognita" for you and our friend, I thought I had to answer only on the issue of whether she is Polish and to add that she is a much more solid composer than Panufnik, whose integrity has never been an issue. However, the quality of his music is a bit of a problem (by the way, I never said I "dislike" his music. On the contrary, I may find it at times even "pleasant", but not necessarily "profound", significant, solid).

Since you are interested for some commendable recordings of music by Bacewizc, take note of the following:

- The great pianist K. Zimerman has recorded for DG a superb CD with the Piano Sonata No. 2 along with the two Piano Quintets. A great recording of magnificent proportions.

- Chandos has recorded in two volumes the very interesting Violin Concertos series.

- Dux and Hyperion have recorded, in extremely fine recordings, the String Orchestral works. The Dux one is more idiomatic, evidently.

- Chandos has recorded his Violin Sonata No.3 along with some other Violin/Piano works and the Sonata no. 2 by Enescu(!).

- Dux has recorded the Violin Sonata No.4 along with the ones of Lutoslawsky and Szymanowsky (!), while the complete works for Violin and Piano can be found in a very solid performance, in a double CD on Hanssler, with Ewa Kupiac on Piano.

- Ewa Kupiac has recorded a quite impressive CD, again on Hanssler, with the major Piano works.

- For the String Quartets, there are two very impressive recordings of the superb 4th Quartet (both on SACD): one on Avie, with the Szymanowsky Quartet, along with String Quartets by Dvorak and Haydn(!) and an even better one, on the extremely good Polish label Bearton, with the Royal String Quartet, along with works by Szymanowsky and Moniuszko(!).

I hope you have some material to work with and to indulge in this very substantive Polish composer, whom the "Poles" admire and appreciate and recorded more than Panufnik.

Parla

No, you would be right to forget Gorecki. 

Tough guys don't dance.

Parla, thanks for hopping on your Scoot-a-mart and traversing the length of your house - past the 2nd Viennese School room, the Russian masters' room, the Britten and Shostakovitch room, the opera wing, the great hall which is entirely made up of Classical Chamber Music - until you got to the Eastern European 20th C room. Thankfully there was enough room in the basket at the front of your moped to chuck all the Bacewicz in and lug it back to the computer. You may have to re-charge the battery though - some only do 16 miles.

I may consider exploring Bacewicz, but I have several (other) footnote composers from the listening project on my list, and also my dear Gorecki's Totus Tuus disc arrives soon.

Mark

I am reminded of Anton Ego sometimes when reading how swiftly we dismiss somebody's labours:

"In many ways, the work of a critic is easy. We risk very little yet
enjoy a position over those who offer up their work and their selves to
our judgment. We thrive on negative criticism, which is fun to write and
to read. But the bitter truth we critics must face is that, in the
grand scheme of things, the average piece of junk is more meaningful
than our criticism designating it so. But there are times when a critic
truly risks something, and that is in the discovery and defense of the
new."

Of course, it is much better when Peter O'Toole speaks... that said, Gorecki has never been my cup of tea.

...except for some Chinese varieties of green tea. Sometimes, they're priceless.

I have to admit Gorecki, for all he might be worthy, failed to be my cup of (green) tea.

Parla

Context is everything... I remember once being offered mint tea after two days on the edge of the Sahara and it tasted just fine to me :-) And chai massala is also a fine brew. I will say though that in four years in Brazil I have yet to have a half decent cuppa.