Medtner Archive
RACHMANINOV: Piano Sonata No. 1 in d minor; 3 Etudes-Tableaux; 4 Songs; Variations on a Theme of Corelli – Sandro Russo, p. – Steinway & Sons
Sandro Russo pays homage to the continuity of style and mood in early and late works of Sergei Rachmaninov. RACHMANINOV: Solo Piano Works = Piano Sonata No. 1 in d minor, Op. 28; 3 Etudes-Tableaux; 4 Songs (arr. E. Wild); Variations on a Theme of Corelli, Op. 42 – Sandro Russo, piano – Steinway & Sons 30077, 78:04 (3/17/17) [Distr. by Naxos] ****: A graduate of the Vincenzo Bellini Conservatory and the Royal College of Music in London, pianist Sandro Russo means “to showcase the multiple facets of [Rachmaninov’s] artistic language.” Russo (rec. 13 & 20 June 2016) addresses the imposing Piano Sonata No. 1 (1908), a piece inspired by both the Faust legend and the Liszt Faust Symphony, with its musical portraits of Faust, Gretchen, and Mephistopheles. In fact, the sketches for the d minor Sonata suggest Rachmaninov’s symphonic ambitions, though he would discard any program from the piece, as such. In three large, intricate movements, the sonata resonates with the ubiquitous Dies Irae of the Requiem Mass, especially given Rachmaninov’s gothic sensibility and his admiration of the Liszt Totentanz. Rachmaninov presented the draft of the work to colleague Konstantin Igumnov, who premiered the work. Russo attacks the first […]
MEDTNER: Piano Concerto No. 2 in c; RACHMANINOV: Piano Con. No. 3 in d – Marc-Andre Hamelin, p./ London Philharmonic Orch./ Vladimir Jurowski – Hyperion
Hamelin exhibits colossal technique and vitality in two Russian concertos that lack the magic of a live concert. MEDTNER: Piano Concerto No. 2 in c, Op. 50; RACHMANINOV: Piano Concerto No. 3 in d, Op. 30 – Marc-Andre Hamelin, p./ London Philharmonic Orch./ Vladimir Jurowski – Hyperion CDA68145, 82:09 (3/31/17) [Distr. by HM/PIAS] ****: The music of Nikolai Medtner (1880-1951) seems to enjoy a kind of renaissance, especially as the more familiar keyboard works from the Russian repertory become tired. Often referred to as “the Russian Brahms,” Medtner (rec. 7 March 2016) scores his works into a classical structure rife with rhythmic propulsion and thick harmonic syntax, but almost always within a conservative, tonal parameter. The Second Piano Concerto (1920-27) bears a dedication to Serge Rachmaninov, and it arranges its three movements as a kind of bravura dance suite: Toccata: Allegro risoluto; Romanza: Andane con moto; and Divertimento: Allegro risoluto e molto vivace. The piano constitutes the main ingredient in the Second Concerto, and is virtually ever-active. Only prior to a cadenza entry does the piano remain silent. The attraction of the first movement lies in a clearly Russian, militant character, offset by a folksy lyricism. Medtner seems to favor […]
Trifonov (piano) at Carnegie Hall = Works of SCRIABIN, LISZT, CHOPIN & MEDTNER – DGG
A triumph of will and technical audacity, Daniil Trifonov’s Carnegie Hall recital explores the Romantic ethos brilliantly.
MEDTNER: Skazki; Sonata in B-flat Minor, “Sonata Romantica”; RACHMANINOV: Variations on a Theme by Corelli; Piano Sonata No. 2 in B-flat Minor – Stephen Osborne, p. – Hyperion
Virtuosic and nostalgically sensitive performances of the Medtner and Rachmaninoff.
“Fantasies, Fairytales & Nightmares” = Works of BEETHOVEN, SCHUMANN, BRAHMS, MEDTNER, SHOSTAKOVICH, PROKOFIEV, LIGETI – Ana Gogova, p. – Blue Griffin
Ani Gogova’s recital displays her mastery over many styles, essentially Romantic, here in dark colors.
MEDTNER plays MEDTNER: Vol. 1 = Eight Fairy Tales; Three Novellas; Festive Dance; Spring; Morning Song; Tragic Sonata; Joyful Dance – Nikolai Medtner, piano – Melodiya
Composer-pianist Nikolai Medtner appears in historic performances of his own works, idiosyncratic and brilliant in every sense.
“Forgotten Melodies” – Works of LEVITSKI, RACHMANINOV and MEDTNER – Polina Leschenko, piano – Avanti Classic
A state of the art SACD covering some piano works of the late Romantic period Russian composers.
MEDTNER: Violin Sonata No. 3 in E Minor “Sonata Epica”; Violin Sonata No. 1 in B Minor – Chloe Hanslip, violin/ Igor Tchetuev, p. – Hyperion
In a beautifully mounted recording from 18-20 February 2012, Hanslipo and Tchetuev realize two of Medtner’s ‘autobiographical’ violin sonatas, each a work of devout individualism.
Georgy Tchaidze, piano – MEDTNER: 4 Skazki; PROKOFIEV: Sonata No. 4 in C Minor; MUSSORGSKY: Pictures at an Exhibition – Georgy Tchaidze, p. – Honens
A new Russian recital by the enormously gifted Tchaidze makes us consider him a serious rival for the laurels accorded his predecessor Richter.
MEDTNER: Complete Piano Sonatas, Vol. I = Sonatina in G Minor; Sonata No. 1 in F Minor; Sonata-Reminiscenza in A Minor – Paul Stewart, p. – Grand Piano
First of a four-volume survey of Medtner’s sonata oeuvre, performed upon a Steinway Medtner himself played on in 1929.
Emil Gilels plays Russian Music = Works of PROKOFIEV, SCRIABIN, MEDTNER, GLAZUNOV, RACHMANINOV, TCHAIKOVSKY – Brilliant Classsics (3 CDs)
Brilliant Classics opens “the Russian Archives” on seminal performances of colorful virtuoso and salon works performed by the elegant master, Emil Gilels.
Stereotypes Audio
Cembal d’amour
Pure Pleasure / Speakers Corner
Cedille
