Discography
All CDs are available at the address noted above – besides, you can ask at your local CD dealer.
Or visit www.elisio.de.
NEW: LISZT - Dante Sonata - Petrarca Sonette - Ballades - Légendes
 Aprés une lecture de Dante.
Fantasia quasi Sonata - “Dante Sonata”
Sonetto 104 del Petrarca
Sonetto 123 del Petrarca
Ballades:
No 1, D flat major / Des-Dur
No 2, B minor / h-Moll
Légendes:
St. Francois d’Assise. La prédication aux oiseaux
St. Francois de Paule marchant sur le flots
Playing time 76:46
Elisio ECD-1811, 2011
Press reviews
CD overview
Reviews of Joanna Michna CDs:
"... what makes her play so admirable is a vital strength, allowing her to obtain a mighty sound, which however is never mechanical or forced. Thus she achieves a breathtaking, truly symphonic final of the Dante Sonata. The play of Joanna Michna is distinguished by a great variety of colours and the beautiful subtle sound ..."
Fono Forum, September 2011 (Frank Siebert)
"This Pole perfectly understands all wonderful songlike moments in Liszt's music. She creates both Petrarch's Sonnets with mastery. Also, the way she exhibits the lyric and dramatic narration of ballads is enchanting ... one might tell these pieces were composed especially for her.
Piano News, July/August 2011 (Carsten Dürer, editor-in-chief)
"... she discerns most subtle nuances. A wonderful CD in the Liszt year."
WAZ Kultur, 22 July 2011 (Hajo Berns)
"I am deeply impressed ... insightful and brilliant, continuously convincing interpretation of Liszt."
Peter Cossé, 31 May 2011
"Just during the anniversary of Chopin, original news are rare, any discoveries are hardly to be noticed. In contrast, Joanna Michna even presented an authentic premiere to Chopin fans. ... Her special sensitivity and style-knowledge on Chopin are proved here very well. ... Joanna Michna's virtuosity in performance, brilliantly swinging between poetry and bravura, made them (the concert works without orchestra) being oblivious as inspiring showpieces, which unconditionally need to find the way into repertoire."
Rhein-Neckar-Zeitung, 23. Juli 2010 (Klaus Roß)
"Joanna Michna is a pianist, who brillanty understand her performances, who in the Chopin-style is at home and Chopin 'kantable' melodies bring to shining. She show sense for colours and mood, she overcome virtuoso- demand with elegance."
Fono Forum, June 2010 (Gregor Willmes)
"A complete record of all work for piano and orchestra without orchestra on CD, appeared so absurd, as crusad without water under the keel But the pianist is with her project by no means on the falsified 'steamer'. Who that 'give me the hand, my life personally rouse will', need not only pianist experienced finger, but also long breath ... and he need courage for free playing. All this bring Joanna with herself. In every case are the solo-handlings, which have been proposed origin proposed for piano and orchestra , an enrichment... An extremely and also musical convincing contribution to the Chopin–year 2010".
Deutschlandfunk, 24.05.2010 "Die neue Platte - Joanna Michna spielt Chopin" (Falk Häfner)
(Deutschlandfunk radio, "The new CD - Joanna Michna plays Chopin")
"Really it is possible leave out the orchestra ... exact has the composer that also done ... Chopin has these chamber versions often personally 'for the best' given. These are therefore fully legitimated and approach them allready to the three great sonatas ... played by Joanna Michna, who herself in programm let so quote: 'The solo version give more space for artistic license'. Nowadays are concerts often performed, only after one or two understanding tests and wanted flexibility of dirigent prevent often for Chopin so important 'rubati'. Right has the women."
SWR 2, 28.03.2010 "Neues von Klassikmarkt" (Thomas Rübenacker)
(SWR 2 radio, "News in classical music")
"Add to this be, that the loss of instrumental colours basicly don't really hurt. The accompany ensemble take anyway rather keyword giving extra part and the works find their presece-ground now truly not in a typical dialouge between the solist and the orchestra. Michna overcome the task souvereign, as in technical as interprete manner, clear contour and without enrapture herself, from the wined freedom of alone playing, to sentimentality."
Codex flores – Switzerland, January 2010 (W. Böhler)
"... Therefore be away, in the both from Chopin established version for piano solo, also nothing fundamental. But what has changed is the attitude, these work to play and to hear. Joanna Michna ... tasted ... the new wined freedom fully in her playing, on the other side, she show clearly her root in the polish folklore. In this tension succeeded her a small coup. The decorations (fioriturs) in the top movements costed she with fully delicacy, the melodies are swinging in the middle movements in 'rubati' bows, the polish dances in the final movements win a peculiar and native power. In all movements she put a fine poetry ... she mark in it overcoming of pure virtuosity, through inspiration the varied melodies. In this scope are the both 'Concertos' without orchestra every time a win, because in it Joanna Michna personified the unity from sololist and conductor."
Nmz, July/August 2008 (Patrick Troster)
"Joanna Michna be up good reasons for revival the forgotten movements ... She alone fulfil her claims on clarity of the intepretation, with exact and unequivocal phrases and keep also by the typical Chopin 'rubati', the inside pulse of the music."
Piano News, July/ August 2008 (Isabel Fedrizzi)
"... a masterly dextrous performance, with fascinating poetic moments ..."
Fono Forum, July 2008 (Frank Siebert)
"But from the first bar Joanna Michna prove her souvereign performance" and "illuminate ... the apparent familiar works, with sensitive touch and much love for details, from a new informative point of view, which also for experienced listener hold ready a number of surprises."
Rondo, June 2008 (Tobias Hell)
"So quiet and discreet, so happy and in himself rested, rare has been possible to hear the f-minor ballad. Wonderful."
Piano News, January/February 2008 (Rafael Sala)
"If the Chopins ballads are so nuanced light up, if it is possible to let them breath and the contrasts ... so sharpen let, win this works a fully new life. Joanna Michna ... has the power for vehement attac, but also for quiet, the poetry this music to discover, and that is very inspired."
Fono Forum, January 2008 (Michael Stenger)
"Convincing is the Pianist way always, because it is now once consequent and fully and whole with intention of the composer covered."
Rondo, January 2008 (Oliver Buslau)
"... Joanna Michna's sensitive and beautifully-sounding recordings ... In a smooth dynamic range and like breathing, she makes the melodies flowing, savours the details tastefully and forms exalted bows of enhancement."
Fono Forum, Juli 2007 (Frank Siebert)
"... as Liszt conscious arias and duet- thems, with regard to their expressions bends and background psychological out- tickles, it has not only something dramatic, but completly also something comical, yes funny.
The pianist Joanna Michna, with virtuoso repertoire very well familiar played this works aspects full out. Splendid, how the music, on the confess march from 'Le nozze di Figaro', in which Cherubino must be sent in the war, creep in and even short from straight appointed young lieutenant let guess, or how in sweet as sugar 'La ci darem la mano' from 'Don Giovanni', from soft lure the grimaces of the inconsiderated women - hero peeled - fully be silent about the brilliant 'champagne aria', which to a funeral march darken. Cementary and life-joy lying just together ... Impressive is the concentrated charge of paraphrases, which Joanna Michna offered here us.
It is going till the highest level of Italy Opera."
Rondo, July 2007 (Oliver Buslau)
"... Joanna Michna sensible and tone-nice played in ... dynamic fine terraced and respired let she the melodies flood, tasted details elegant and formed for instance in the Norma-fantasy elevated intensifications turns."
Fono Forum, June 2007 (Frank Siebert)
"In spite of the new –event – fine hack CD title 'Opera Gala for piano', Joanna Michna shows, that she dominates the piano technique with naturally musical depth. She lived after the opera-scenes in her CDs … and is so near on the contents, narrow the language and therefore whole dense to dramaturgy paraphrased opera events. The opera scenes once more arise in the tone-scenary of Liszt piano art and with the grasp of Joanna Michna explained, as emotional loaded picture sounds."
Tonkünstler Forum, March 2007 (Patrick Tröster)
"By that arias and scenes come Joanna Michna very near to her claim, giving the singing parts per piano an acceptable physiognomy. In this respects is the Liszt collection already a surprise, because the piano is not every time an end in itself, for soloist escapades, but sometime an interesting pricipal actor."
Piano News, January/February 2007 (Hans Dieter Grunefeld)
"Clearer still is her affection to 'the Reminescences Don Juan de Mozart' from Liszt, which orchestra format, by her playing become to 'Grande Fantasy' …"
Piano News, March/April 2006 (Hans Dieter Grunefeld)
"…great piano meditation. The fit into counterpoints in the duet handlings, are heard keep back, as in the half- light of a gothic church ... in poetic- programmed: the religious affection arise to fervour and that all the more so much the virtuosity of pianist-claims are formed."
Piano News, January/ February 2006 (Oliver Buslau)
"... Joanna Michna keeps cool and does not directly appeal to the audience's emotions but rather lets them grow automatically without any fishing for effects on her part ... Michna plays brilliantly, a true romantic, who is characterized by a light, soft stroke. Deliberately, she does not play heavily or hardly (something she is undoubtedly capable of)."
Scala, December 2005
"Joanna Michna's piano musical skills have been acknowledged repeatedly in this magazine. Also on her new CD she is impressing by her virtuoso technique and her concrete and sensual sound with its wide palette of colors."
Stereoplay, March 2005 (Jens Hagestedt)
"There is the wonderful CD entitled Enjoy Verdi, full of highly virtuous piano art ... Joanna Michna plays all 9 pieces technically brilliantly, with ease, with charme and very often with wit."
RNZ, feuilleton, 02.02.2005 (Klaus Roß)
"Joanna Michna followed her imagination, which completed her perfect performance ... Godowsky's paraphrases elucidate Chopin's profile, which gains shape by Joanna Michna's esprit."
Piano News, Jan./Feb. 2004 (Hans-Dieter Grünefeld)
"... technically perfect performance ... her piano sounds very colorful, she impressively places the emphasis on the orchestral parts, for which there exist also orchestrate versions."
Piano News, Mar/Apr 2003 (Oliver Buslau)
"Joanna Michna is a brilliant pianist, a musical personality who has something to say. Her play has a figure, her technique is perfect, one has to admire her sense of balance concerning the play of the polyphone structures ..."
Stereoplay, December 2002 (Jens Hagestedt)
"... In her very difficult programme, Joanna Michna does very good work – profound, forceful and vivid ... Whoever wants to pass a happy hour, full of richness, delight, skill and brilliance, balancing between the grief of love, the joy of love and the request for dance? We are very well taken care of by Joanna Michna."
Klassik heute, June 2002 (Peter Cossé)
"Very often, Schubert's Fantasy of a Wanderer with its compact blocks of sounds is played monumentally, even martially. Joanna Michna is far from this ... She artfully succeeds in unifying these blocks instead of minimizing them ... Impressive her capability of perfectly interpreting the Dante sonata as well as the piano fantasy Islamey..."
SCALA, February 2001 (Jens Hagestedt)
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