There are recordings that do not lose their value as the years pass. On the contrary, they enrich us even more, coming to represent milestones for particular works, composers or styles. It is our duty to make them available to a generation deprived of the opportunity of participating in events so important to its own development. The recording of the complete instrumental works of Adam Jarzębski made almost 30 years ago, in 1992, is one such milestone. It was the first full presentation of this most beautiful example of Old Polish musical culture, stylishly performed on period instruments. And they were played by excellent musicians – the elite of historically informed performance at that time, led by Lucy van Dael and featuring such legends as the American cornettist Bruce Dickey. Years later, we had another chance to admire him at the ‘Chopin and his Europe’ festival in Monteverdi’s Vespro della Beata Vergine under the baton of Philippe Herreweghe. On the wave of this recording, Jarzębski’s works began to appear in the repertoire of various ensembles, before Jean Maillet’s Mensa Sonora Ensemble produced another complete recording of the Canzoni e concerti in 1999. It is with true satisfaction and great joy that we present to you this exceptional album, confident that it will delight you just as it delighted listeners three decades ago.

Stanisław Leszczyński