Explorer Set: Slavic Edition (FLAC)

Number of Discs: 10
Format: FLAC (image+cue)
Label: Piano Classics
Catalogue: PCL10281
Release: 2023
Size: 1.96 GB
Recovery: +3%
Scan: yes

CD 01
Lyapunov: 12 études d’exécution transcendante, Op. 11
01. I. Berceuse (“Lullaby”) in F-Sharp Major
02. II. Rondes des fantômes (“Ghosts’ Dance”) in D-Sharp Minor
03. III. Carillon in B Major
04. IV. Térek (“The River Terek”) in G-Sharp Minor
05. V. Nuit d’été (“Summer Night”) in E Major
06. VI. Tempête (“Tempest”) in C-Sharp Minor
07. VII. Idylle in A Major
08. VIII. Chant épique (“Epic Song”) in F-Sharp Minor
09. IX. Harpes éoliennes (“Aeolian Harps”) in D Major
10. X. Lesghinka in B Minor
11. XI. Rondes des sylphes (“Dance of the Sylphs”) in G Major
12. XII. Elégie en mémoire de François Liszt (“Elegy in Memory of Liszt”) in E Minor

CD 02
Bortkiewicz: Esquisses de crimée, Op. 8
01. I. The Rocks of Uch-Kosh
02. II. Caprices of the Sea
03. III. Oriental Idyll
04. IV. Chaos

Bortkiewicz: Minuit, Op. 5 (“Midnight”)
05. I. Andante con moto
06. II. Allegro quasi presto

Bortkiewicz: Lyrica nova, Op. 59
07. I. Con moto affetuoso
08. II. Andantino
09. III. Andantino
10. IV. Con slancio

Bortkiewicz: Lamentation and Consolation, Op. 17
11. III. Lamentation in C-Sharp Minor
12. IV. Consolation in D-Flat Major

13. Bortkiewicz: Etude in G-Sharp Minor, Op. 15 No. 6
14. Bortkiewicz: Etude in E Minor, Op. 15 No. 10
15. Bortkiewicz: Prelude in B Minor, Op. 40 No. 2
16. Bortkiewicz: Prelude in F-Sharp, Op. 40 No. 4
17. Bortkiewicz: Prelude in E Major, Op. 40 No. 7
18. Bortkiewicz: Etude in C-Sharp Minor, Op. 29 No. 3
19. Bortkiewicz: Etude in E-Flat Major, Op. 29, No. 6
20. Bortkiewicz: Consolation in E-Flat Major, Op. 17 No. 8

CD 03
Blumenfeld: 24 Préludes, Op. 17, cahier I
01. I. Andante religioso
02. II. Allegro agitato
03. III. Allegretto
04. IV. Andante
05. V. Allegretto
06. VI. Allegro molto

Blumenfeld: 24 Préludes, Op. 17, cahier II
07. VII. Allegro vivo
08. VIII. Allegro vivo
09. IX. Maestoso
10. X. Andante
11. XI. Andante con moto
12. XII. Presto

Blumenfeld: 24 Préludes, Op. 17, cahier III
13. XIII. Andantino
14. XIV. Andante maestoso e lugubre
15. XV. Allegro non tanto
16. XVI. Adagio
17. XVII. Allegro
18. XVIII. Memento mori. Andante

Blumenfeld: 24 Préludes, Op. 17, cahier IV
19. XIX. Andante
20. XX. Allegro furioso
21. XXI. Andante tranquillo
22. XXII. Allegro
23. XXIII. Allegro
24. XXIV. Presto

25. Felix Blumenfeld: Etude pour la main gauche seule, Op. 36
26. Felix Blumenfeld: Etude de concert, Op. 24

CD 04
Medtner: Vergessene Weisen I, Op. 38
01. I. Sonata reminiscenza
02. II. Danza graziosa
03. III. Danza festiva
04. IV. Canzona fluviala
05. V. Danza rustica
06. VI. Canzona serenata
07. VII. Danza silvestra
08. VIII. Alla reminiscenza (coda)
09. IX. Danza silvestra (an Earlier Version with a Different Coda)

CD 05
Balakirev: Piano Sonata No. 2 in B-Flat Minor, Op. 102
01. I. Andantino
02. II. Mazurka, moderato
03. III. Intermezzo, larghetto
04. IV. Finale, allegro non troppo, ma con fuoco

Glazunov: Piano Sonata No. 2 in E Minor, Op. 75
05. I. Moderato-poco più mosso
06. II. Scherzo, allegretto
07. III. Finale, allegro moderato

Kalinnikov: Piano Sonata No. 2 in C-Sharp Minor, Op. 14
08. I. Andante con moto
09. II. Moderato assai espressivo
10. III. Allegro vivo

CD 06
Novák: Pan, Op. 43
01. I. Prologue
02. II. Mountains
03. III. Sea
04. IV. Forest
05. V. Woman

CD 07
Enescu: Piano Suite, Op. 18
01. I. Melodie
02. II. Voix de la steppe
03. III. Mazurk Mélancolique
04. IV. Burlesque
05. V. Appassionato
06. VI. Chorale
07. VII. Carillon nocturne

Enescu: Piano Sonata No. 3 in D Major, Op. 24 No. 3
08. I. Vivace con brio
09. II. Andantino cantabile
10. III. Allegro con spirito

CD 08
Shamo: Ukrainian Suite
01. I. Duma/Дума
02. II. Vesnyanka/Веснянка
03. III. Melody/Мелодія
04. IV. Dance/Танець

Shamo: Pictures by Russian painters
05. I. Troika/Тройка
06. II. Summer evening/Літній вечір
07. III. Morning in the Woods/Ранок у лісі
08. IV. Volodymyrka/Володимирка
09. V. Little Birch Tree/Берізка
10. VI. Country Dance/На гулянці
11. VII. Vesnyanka/Веснянка

Shamo: Classical Suite
12. I. Prelude/Прелюдія
13. II. Menuet/Менует
14. III. Aria/Арія
15. IV. Courante/Куранта
16. V. Gavotte/Гавот
17. VI. Gigue/Жига

CD 09
Pejačević: 6 Fantasy Pieces
01. I. Longing
02. II. Grief
03. III. Question
04. IV. Lament
05. V. Plea
06. VI. Delusion

Pejačević: The Life of Flowers
07. I. Snowdrops
08. II. Violets
09. III. Lilies of the Valley
10. IV. Forget-me-not
11. V. Rose
12. VI. Red Carnations
13. VII. Lilies
14. VIII. Chrysanthemums

Pejačević: Caprice Waltzes, Op. 28
15. I. Moderato
16. II. Grazioso
17. III. Im Ländler-Tempo
18. IV. Wiegend
19. V. Lento
20. VI. Tempo giusto
21. VII. Allegretto
22. VIII. Grazioso
23. IX. Moderato

Pejačević: 2 Piano Sketches
24. I. To You!
25. II. Before Your Picture

26. Pejačević: Capriccio, Op. 47

Pejačević: 2 Nocturnes
27. I. Sehr ruhig
28. II. Leicht bewegt

29. Pejačević: Piano Sonata No. 2

CD 10
Gazarossian: 24 Etudes
01. I. Allegretto
02. II. Animé et grouillant
03. III. Andantino
04. IV. Vivo – Meno mosso
05. V. Allegretto
06. VI. Con spirito
07. VII. Andantino cantabile
08. VIII. Andante espressivo
09. IX. Con moto e con anima
10. X. A la marcia
11. XI. Allegretto con spirito
12. XII. Allegro majestuoso
13. XIII. Comodo e tranquillo
14. XIV. Con moto
15. XV. Allegretto grazioso
16. XVI. Allegretto
17. XVII. Lento
18. XVIII. Moderato
19. XIX. Vivo
20. XX. Vif et rhythmé
21. XXI. Allegro
22. XXII. Allegretto
23. XXIII. Grazioso
24. XXIV. Allegro furioso

While Liszt’s version of 12 songs from Winterreise is the crowning glory of his Schubert transcriptions, there are surprisingly few recordings of the complete set. Only two are presently available (one on fortepiano), making this new recording by Leonardo Pierdomenico a notable event, and coupled uniquely with two versions of Liszt’s own music.

The young Italian pianist has already established himself as a Lisztian of renown and distinction through the Piano Classics album (PCL10151) including the Ballades, Legendes and Csardas macabre. The album won widespread critical admiration: ‘Would that half the seasoned Lisztians I know had Pierdomenico’s keen ear for stylistic differentiation within this half-century of repertory. His highly developed technique and Medtner’s ‘Winter Wind’ Sonata. Pianist-composers such as Bortkiewicz, Blumenfeld and Medtner flourished across Europe in the first decades of the last century, and so did piano manufacturers, producing ever more reliable and tonally sophisticated instruments that could cope with the rigours of these scores.

A generation before them, Viteslav Novák in the Czech Republic and Dora Pejačević in Croatia were writing less prodigiously demanding music which took its expressive cue from the tone-pictures of Schumann rather than the broader canvases of Liszt. In Ukraine, Viktor Kosenko was one of several composers here to use old church modes in his harmony, lending it both a patina of antiquity and at times an other-worldly novelty. In Romania, Georges Enescu pursued this path still further in finding a new world for the piano hardly less distinctive than Scriabin’s. Back in Ukraine, the music of Ihor Shamo embodies a kind of melancholy yearning that is both a natural inheritance from Rachmaninoff and perhaps the nearest to a ‘Slavic’ expressive trait.

All the performances here were recorded within the last decade and received with critical enthusiasm on their release. This budget reissue includes all the original sleeve notes, making it a worthwhile investment for collectors and newcomers alike.

– Piano Classics was the first label to exclusively devote itself to piano music. Since its founding in 2010 it has released countless extraordinary recordings, presenting many repertoire rarities and amazing young pianists. The press has always been enthusiastic about the label’s releases and have showered many 5-star and Editor’s Choices on them.

– To celebrate its success Piano Classics will release several 10-CD Explorer Sets, featuring highlights from its catalogue. The first set contains composers from behind what one may loosely describe as the former “Iron Curtain”. Not the usual suspects but composers to explore, discover and appreciate: Lyapunov, Bortkiewicz, Blumenfeld, Medtner, Balakirev, Glazunov, Kosenko, Novák, Enescu, Shamo, Pejačević, Gazarossian.

– Played by Vincenzo Maltempo, Mark Viner, Pavel Gintov, Saskia Giorgini, Mattia Ometto, Tobias Borsboom, Dimitri Tchesnokov, Ekaterina Litvintseva and Nare Karoyan.