Koczalski claimed to have inherited the Chopin tradition from Mikuli, the composer's assistant and Koczalski's teacher. As Mikuli died when Koczalski was still a child, it is doubtful that he could have maturely absorbed the stylistic and emotional sides of this music. Also, Moriz Rosenthal thought little of Mikuli as a teacher, claiming he understood Chopin as a talent could understand a genius. There are many recordings by Koczalski: a Mazurka and Eccossaise by Chopin are superb. Several of Chopin's Etudes are well played. The rest are terribly uneven: the more demanding a form becomes, as in a Ballade, the more incontinent is the playing. Koczalski is best enjoyed for his few good discs, the rest taken with a grain of salt. His book on Chopin's music was derived from lectures and is rather shallow. He alludes to Mikuli in the preface but either missed the opportunity to elaborate on what he learned from this link to the composer, or was a rather superficial thinker. To be taken with a grain of salt.
© Allan Evans, 1996