Dominik Wania: My Life: Preisner's Music

Composer Zbigniew Preisner's music has always carried something deeply human in its melodies—something tender, aching, and timeless. Whether through the unforgettable collaborations with Krzysztof Kieślowski or his later scores for films like The Secret Garden or Damage,, Preisner's work has never been just background music; it has been another voice in the story, quietly speaking to the heart. In My Life—Preisner's Music, that voice is stripped back to its purest form: solo piano. And there could hardly have been a better person for this delicate, almost sacred task than Dominik Wania.

Wania is not a newcomer to Preisner's world; their collaboration began a decade ago, with records like Twilight (Self Produced, 2020) for solo piano and the duet album with Lisa Gerrard, Melodies of My Youth (Preisner Productions, 2019) Alongside those, Wania has carved out his own distinguished path, with solo releases like Lonely Shadows (2020) on ECM showcasing his rare ability to merge technical brilliance with emotional depth. This album, recorded live in November 2024 in Bielsko-Biała to honor Preisner receiving honorary citizenship of his hometown, feels less like a traditional concert and more like an intimate conversation between two old friends—one writing the words, the other breathing new life into them. Fittingly, its release in May 2025 also marks Preisner's 70th birthday, a quiet celebration of a lifetime dedicated to melody. There's something poignant about the timing.

Spanning 17 of Preisner's most iconic themes—from "The Double Life of Veronique" and "Three Colours" to "Lost and Love" and "Damage"—the album reimagines familiar pieces with an immediacy and intimacy that is rare. Without the cinematic images, choral grandeur, or lush orchestration typically associated with Preisner's work, listeners are drawn directly into the core of the music. Melodies stand on their own, clear and vivid, like old photographs pulled from a box and held up to the light again.

Wania's playing is, as expected, flawless. But more importantly, it is full of life. He shifts between broad romantic gestures and quiet, almost whispered passages, always with a natural sense of flow. There are moments like the subtle tension he draws out of "Dekalog—Nymphea, or the cascading tenderness of "Mouvements du désir," where it feels as if Wania is not simply interpreting the music; he is reliving it. His classical background brings precision, while his improvisational spirit brings color, breathing into each piece as if it were happening in real time. Listening to tracks like "The Secret Garden Suite" or "The Waltz" from The Funeral reveals how strongly Preisner's music holds its ground even when reduced to a single instrument. Stripped of context, these themes do not lose power; they gain new layers of vulnerability and strength.

One of the most touching moments comes with "Lacrimosa" from Requiem for My Friend, where Wania turns what was once a choral lament into a personal, almost whispered prayer. In his hands, even the darker shades of Preisner's music ("Eminent Domain," "Lost and Love") reveal unexpected warmth. The recording quality deserves mention, too. It is intimate without being claustrophobic. Every nuance, from the gentle pedal work to the soft decay of a note, is captured with care, as if the listener is sitting a few feet away from the piano.

Ultimately, My Life—Preisner's Music is not just a tribute to a composer or a catalog of famous film themes. It's a deeply personal album—about memory, about change, about the way music can live many lives long after it leaves the screen. Dominik Wania doesn't just revisit Preisner's melodies; he invites listeners to experience them anew, in a way that feels both familiar and strikingly fresh.

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