Andante Spianato Und Grande Polonaise Es-dur Op.22 / Polonaise D-Moll Op. Posth. / Polonaise B-Dur Op. Posth. / Polonaisen Cis-Moll Op.26 Nr. 1 / Polonaisen Es-Moll Op.26 Nr. 2

Released by the East German state-owned label Eterna in 1963, this recording features the Polish pianist Halina Czerny-Stefańska performing a selection of Polonaises by Frédéric Chopin. The collaboration with the Warsaw National Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Witold Rowicki, underscores the strong cultural exchange and musical heritage shared between Poland and the German Democratic Republic during the mid-20th century. Eterna was instrumental in making classical performances accessible across the Eastern Bloc, often pressing high-quality vinyl for an audience deeply engaged with the Romantic repertoire.

Halina Czerny-Stefańska was a highly regarded interpreter of Chopin, noted for a playing style that balanced technical precision with a distinctly poetic, intimate approach to the composer’s work. Her work with the Warsaw National Philharmonic under Rowicki captured a definitive mid-century interpretation of these pieces. The cover design and production reflect the austere but functional aesthetic common to Eterna’s classical series of that era, focusing the listener’s attention entirely on the provenance of the performance and the stature of the soloist.