Medtner: Piano Music, Vol. 5

On this CD:

1. Sonate-ballada for piano in F sharp major, Op.27
Composed by Nikolay Medtner
Performed by Hamish Milne

2. Fairy Tales (4) for piano, Op. 34
Composed by Nikolay Medtner
Performed by Hamish Milne

3. Sonata romantica for piano in B-flat minor, Op. 53/1
Composed by Nikolay Medtner
Performed by Hamish Milne

Tracks:

Piano Sonata, Op.30 In A Minor: Allegro risoluto - Poco a poco piu mosso - Coda: Allegro molto
Forgotten Melodies, Op. 39: 1 Meditazione
Forgotten Melodies, Op. 39: 2 Romanza
Forgotten Melodies, Op. 39: 3 Primavera 'Fruehlingsmaerchen' Vivace
Forgotten Melodies, Op. 39: 4 Canzona matinata - Allegretto cantando
Forgotten Melodies, Op. 39: 5 Sonata tragica, Allegro risoluto
Forgotten Melodies, Op. 40: 1 Danza col canto, Allegretto
Forgotten Melodies, Op. 40: 2 Danza sinfonica, Introduzione: Allegro meditamente - Allegro scherzando
Forgotten Melodies, Op. 40: 3 Danza fiorata, Tempo capriccioso
Forgotten Melodies, Op. 40: 4 Danza jubilosa, Allegro alla breve e molto sfrenatamente
Forgotten Melodies, Op. 40: 5 Danza ondulata, Con moto tranquillo e ondulotorio
Forgotten Melodies, Op. 40: 6 Danza ditirambica

Customer Reviews:

Very impressive recordings of Medtners piano works by Tozer.......2000-02-27

Keeping the review short, it must be stated that Geoffrey Tozer's interpretation of Medtners works is sensitive and always brings out the melody and structure of the works in a clear way. Although it must have been quite a Job till now, new volumes in the series are very welcome!

The Complete Solo Piano Recordings of Nicolas Medtner, Vol 3

Average customer rating:

The Complete Solo Piano Recordings of Nicolas Medtner, Vol 3

Manufacturer: Apr UK
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

Classical | Imports | Stores | Music
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Medtner: The Complete Solo Piano Recordings Vol. 2
Medtner: The Complete Solo Piano Recordings Vol. 1
The Piano Works of Nikolai Medtner, Vol. 6
Medtner: Piano Works Vol. 5
Medtner: Piano Works, Vol. 4

ASIN: B00030ER60
Release Date: 2004-11-09

Tracks:

Canzona Matinata, Op.39/4
Allegro Risoluto
(Poco Quazi Recitativo)
Tempo
Arabesque In A Major, Op. 7/2 (Tragedy Fragment)
Allegretto
Introduzione Mesto
Finale Allegro
Hymn In Praise Of Toil, Op.49/1 (Before Work)
Novelle In C Major, Op.17/2
Marchen (Skazka/Fairy Tale) In D Major, Op.51/1
Marchen (Skazka/Fairy Tale) In F Major, Op.26/3
Primavera, Op.39/3

Average customer rating:

Treasures of high level!
Sinding's/Medtner's Concertos will blow you away
Medtner Surprise

The Romantic Piano Concerto, Vol. 5

Manufacturer: Vox (Classical)
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Compilations | Classical | Styles | Music
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The Romantic Piano Concerto, Vol.3
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Early Romantic Piano Concerti

ASIN: B000001K3G
Release Date: 1992-11-04

Tracks:

Con Moto, Largamente
Interludium; Finale
Allegro Non Troppo
Adagio; Allegro Risoluto
Rhapsody On Ukrainian Themes For Piano And Orchestra, Op. 28

Tracks:

Allegro Non Troppo - Roland Keller
Andante - Roland Keller
Allegro Non Assai - Roland Keller
Massig Bewegt: Massig Langsam
Langsman; Lebhaft

Customer Reviews:

Treasures of high level!.......2005-07-15

This double album keeps for you interesting findings. Fantasy on Ukrainian themes is a magnificent musical work, expressive and deeply emotive; the Russian steppes, the Caucasian spirit, the exotic melodies. Reminds us so much to the overwhelming kaleidoscopic mind of Nikolai Rimsky Korsakov, undeniably the boldest and sophisticated composer in this genre.
Mili Balkirev 's piano Concert is extremely emotional composed by clever nuances. Michael Ponti has a percussive sound that fits appropriately.
The jewel of the crown may be this Nikolai Medtner Piano Concerto, a Russian composer that kept isolated from the musical flow in those ages. He was securely a potent source of inspiration for Alexander Scriabin. A difficult score loaded with dark poetry and elusive lyricism.
Christian Sinding is a worthy piece, and somehow is an extended Chamber work. Sinding was extremely influenced by Edvard Grieg, but there are curious involved motives.

Sinding's/Medtner's Concertos will blow you away.......2005-03-08

Purchasing this set just for Sinding's and Medtner's concertos would be worth it. Beautiful and grandiose are two words that come immediately to mind. Sinding's concerto is a piece of music that has gone largely unnoticed, but it is by far my favorite piece on the album. The beauty of the melodies and harmonies are perfectly accompanied by the technicality of the piano. Grieg and Sinding were the two big Scandinavian composers at the time, and Sinding basically got shoved out of the limelight by Grieg. Though in my opinion Sinding's piano concerto beats Grieg's hands down. Even the finale is better (and if you've ever heard Grieg's concerto, you know it's got one hell of a finale).

But the two aforementioned concertos are not the only good ones. Balakirev's and Goetz's are great in their own right. Balakirev's being more modern, and Goetz's being more traditionally romantic. The Rhapsody on Ukranian themes won't delight as much as the other songs on the album, but it is good listen as well.

To sum up, if you have never heard of Sinding's concerto in d-flat or Medtner's 3rd concerto, then you must buy this album.

Medtner Surprise.......2000-10-21

I bought this set on a whim, not being acquainted with any of the works contained therein. I had put the Medtner on as, I ashamedly admit, background music to a session of bill paying and letter writing. The 3rd Concerto caught my ear with its unique musical parlance, a kind of Rachmaninoff mixed with neo-classical influences that introduced me to Medtner's unique musical viewpoint. There is a place near the middle of the 3rd movement, when all activity ceases and the soloist begin to reflect on past materials that is other-worldly. The other concertos on the disc are interesting but at times hackneyed in their familiar tuttis and scale running. I'd highly recommend this Vox set for the Medtner and Ponti's extraordinary musicianship throughout. Listen a few times before making a judgement and perhaps the Medtner will overwhelm you as it did me. Think Rachmaninoff Third but with more restrained pathos but at times more cerebral pleasures-enjoy the adventure.

Average customer rating:

Impressive and unique...

Medtner: The Three Piano Concertos

Manufacturer: Bis
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music
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Busoni: Piano Concerto
Godowsky: Sonata; Passacaglia
Balakirev: Piano Concertos No. 1 in F-Sharp Minor and No. 2 in E-Flat Major / Rimsky-Korsakov: Piano Concerto in C-Sharp Minor
Busoni: Piano Concerto, Op. 39
Melartin: The Six SYMPHONIES

ASIN: B00005Q44Y
Release Date: 2001-09-25

Tracks:

I. Allegro
II. Dolce Tranquillo
III. Tempo Risoluto (Allegro)
Piano Sonata In G Minor, Op.22
No.1 Of 'Forgotten Melodies (I)'
No.5 Of 'Forgotten Melodies (II)'

Tracks:

I. Toccata. Allegro Risoluto
II. Romanza. Andante Con Moto
III. Divert. Allegro Risoluto E Molto Vivace
I. Con Moto Largamento
II. Interludium
III. Finale

Customer Reviews:

Impressive and unique..........2005-01-18

Nikolai Medtner was clearly a great and redolent Russian lyrical composer. This contemplation was particularly entertaining because I could actually here the piano. I have previous recordings of the third Piano Concerto where the orchestra bombastically kills parts the piano solo mainly during the beginning of the finale and those expressive chords. The soloist in this recording plays the pieces brilliantly and the orchestra refrains from being verbose. I highly recommend this album to any aficionado of Medtner.

Dream: Western Poets in Russian Music, Vol. 1

Average customer rating:

Wonderful assortment of songs set on Western texts.

Dream: Western Poets in Russian Music, Vol. 1
Sergey Rachmaninov , Pyotr Il'yich Tchaikovsky , Nikolay Medtner , Alexander Konstantinovich Glazunov , Anton Rubinstein , Anatol Alexandrov , Alexander Borodin , Alexander Sergeyevich Dargomizhsky , Cesar Cui , Sergey Taneyev , Mikhail Glinka , Dimitry Stepanovich Bortnyansky , Alexander Tikhonovich Grechaninov , Sergej Larin , and Eleonora Bekova
Manufacturer: Chandos
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
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Sergej Larin - Romance ~ Western Poets in Russian Music, Vol. 2

ASIN: B00004GOWX
Release Date: 2000-03-28

Customer Reviews:

Wonderful assortment of songs set on Western texts........2000-07-24

This is a wonderful assortment of songs set on Western poetic texts by a whole variety of Russian composers (13 in all), most of whom are familiar (or famous) while others are rather little known (like Alexandrov & Bortnyansky). Much of the songs on this CD, namely of Rubinstein, Taneyev, Glazunov, Grechaninov, & Medtner are set to Germanic poetry (naturally for Rubinstein & Medtner, since they had German ancestry). The song "Gefunden", after Goethe's "Ich ging im Walde" was set to music by Medtner & Taneyev & it's interesting to see their different treatment to it: Taneyev's with the delicacy & innocence, Medtner's the more serious & piquant yet dignified. Glazunov's Romance, after Goethe's "Dichterliebe" is beautiful & ultimately sentamental while Grechaninov's "Widmung" is sincere & somewhat mournful & agitated, especially in the latter part of the text "Oh, may all you sighs & tears, Fly away to her as songs." The selections of Rubinstein's ten songs to German, French, and Italian texts op. 83 (1868) as well as Waldeinsamkeit (from Six German Songs op. 76) are memorable although Glinka was more at home with Italian texts than Rubinstein.

The other songs are set to French text (though Borodin's "Fleurs d' amour" is a french translation to Heine's "Buch der Lieder") while Glinka's "Pur nel sonno" & "Piangendo ancora rinascer suole" are set to Italian. Glinka's songs are especially fresh & lively while Dargomyzhsky's songs are serene, especially "Dieu, qui sourit" & Romance du beau Tirsis (among my particular favorites). The songs of Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninov, Bortnyansky, Borodin, & Alexandrov are especially lighthearted & warm. Rachmaninov's "C'etait en avril" has the beauty & the nobleness to be found in his later scores while Tchaikovsky's Rondel has that Mozartian innocence & charm that's immediately compelling. His Deception is more serious & saddened, however, as one looks for his beloved (does this remind you of his Manfred Symphony?).

This is an excellent recital, sang by Sergei Larin (tenor) accompanied by pianist Eleonora Bekova. The warmth & joy of Larin's singing immediately captured by mind, and ultimately my heart as I continue to listen to this CD. Bekova's piano accompliment is wholly euphonious & humane throughout. I eagerly await Volume II.

The Piano Works of Nikolai Medtner, Vol. 2
Average customer rating:

Tozer is brilliant!

Uknown Greatness!!!!

He's not Marc-André Hamelin

The Piano Works of Nikolai Medtner, Vol. 2

Manufacturer: Chandos
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

All Works by Medtner | Medtner, Nikolai | ( M ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
General | Sonatas | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music
Chamber Music | Forms & Genres | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music
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ASIN: B000000ARI
Release Date: 1994-07-26

Tracks:

Forgotten Melodies Op.38: I Danza Graziosa
Forgotten Melodies Op.38: II Danza Festiva
Forgotten Melodies Op.38: IV Canzona Fluviala
Forgotten Melodies Op.38: V Danza Rustica
Forgotten Melodies Op.38: VI Canzona Serenata
Forgotten Melodies Op.38: VII Danza Silvestra
Forgotten Melodies Op.38: VIII Alla Reminiscenza
Fairy Tales Op.51: No.2 In A Minor
Fairy Tales Op.51: No.3 In A Minor
Fairy Tales Op.51: No.4 In F Sharp Minor
Fairy Tales Op.51: No.5 In F Sharp Minor
Fairy Tales Op.51: No.6 In G Major
Sonata Triad Op.11: No.1 In A Flat Major
Sonata Triad Op.11: No.2 In D Minor
Sonata Triad Op.11: No.3 In C Major

Customer Reviews:

Tozer is brilliant!.......2005-01-19

I am a big fan of Andre-Hamelin and agree that Tozer is lesser-known than Hamelin as a previous reviewer said. But it does not damage the brilliancy of Tozer at all. He has a great sense of structure and his phrasing is luminous. His talent as a virtuosi makes it possible to challenge this extremly difficult works and the result is great. Bravo for Tozer!!

Uknown Greatness!!!!.......2002-05-12

He might not be a very well known composer but I can truly say that these pieces are something beautiful!! I also have the music book of Medtner and its a good workout on the keyboard, he is worth giving a listen, NO DOUBT!!

He's not Marc-André Hamelin.......2000-03-06

Geoffrey Tozer deserves our applause for bringing the solo music of Medtner to our attention in modern times. But the performances on this disc have been superseded by the incredible traversal, in a boxed set, of the sonatas plus other pieces, by Marc-André Hamelin, who is the most amazing pianist in this sort of repertoire before the public today.

Miami International Piano Festival of Discovery, 2000, Vol. 1

Average customer rating:

Five Excellent Pianists and a Feast of Musical Delights!
random sheeyat

Miami International Piano Festival of Discovery, 2000, Vol. 1

Manufacturer: Mip / Miami Int'l
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Polkas | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Etudes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Fugues | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Preludes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music
ASIN: B00005R5L8
Release Date: 2001-10-23

Tracks:

Fourteen Bagatelles, Op.6: Bagatelle, Op. 6 No. 1 - Piotr Anderszewski
Fourteen Bagatelles, Op.6: Bagatelle, Op. 6 No. 2 - Piotr Anderszewski
Fourteen Bagatelles, Op.6: Bagatelle, Op. 6 No. 3 - Piotr Anderszewski
Fourteen Bagatelles, Op.6: Bagatelle, Op. 6 No. 4 - Piotr Anderszewski
Fourteen Bagatelles, Op.6: Bagatelle, Op. 6 No. 5 - Piotr Anderszewski
Fourteen Bagatelles, Op.6: Bagatelle, Op. 6 No. 6 - Piotr Anderszewski
Fourteen Bagatelles, Op.6: Bagatelle, Op. 6 No. 7 - Piotr Anderszewski
Fourteen Bagatelles, Op.6: Bagatelle, Op. 6 No. 8 - Piotr Anderszewski
Fourteen Bagatelles, Op.6: Bagatelle, Op. 6 No. 9 - Piotr Anderszewski
Fourteen Bagatelles, Op.6: Bagatelle, Op. 6 No. 10 - Piotr Anderszewski
Fourteen Bagatelles, Op.6: Bagatelle, Op. 6 No. 11 - Piotr Anderszewski
Fourteen Bagatelles, Op.6: Bagatelle, Op. 6 No. 10 - Piotr Anderszewski
Fourteen Bagatelles, Op.6: Bagatelle, Op. 6 No. 13 - Piotr Anderszewski
Fourteen Bagatelles, Op.6: Bagatelle, Op. 6 No. 14 - Piotr Anderszewski
Prelude And Fugue In G-sharp Minor - Denis Burstein
Prelude And Fugue In G-sharp Minor - Denis Burstein
, Op.20 No.1 In B-Flat Minor: Fairy Tale, Op. 20 No. 1 In B-Flat Minor - Denis Burstein
Fairy Tale, Op.20 No.2 In B Minor: Fairy Tale, Op. 20 No. 2 In B Minor - Denis Burstein
Fairy Tale, Op.26 No.3 In F Minor: Fairy Tale, Op. 26 No. 3 In F Minor - Denis Burstein
Prelude Op.27 No.1 - Denis Burstein
Prelude Op.27 No.2 - Denis Burstein
Etude Op.42 No.4: Etude Op. 42 No. 4 - Denis Burstein
Liebesfreud - Denis Burstein

Tracks:

Sonata In G Minor K. 8, L. 488 - Kemal Gekic
Sonata In F Minor, K 519, L. 475 - Kemal Gekic
Etude No.2 In E-flat Major - Kemal Gekic
Sonata No.1 in D Minor Op. 28: Sonata No.1 in D Minor Op. 28: Allegro Moderato - Kemal Gekic
Vocalise - Ilya Itin
Polka - Ilya Itin
Prelude Op. 23 No. 1 In F-sharp Minor - Ilya Itin
Prelude Op. 32 No. 6 In F Minor - Ilya Itin
Prelude Op. 32 No.7 In F Major - Ilya Itin
Prelude Op.23 No. 10 In G-flat Major - Ilya Itin
Prelude Op. 23 No. 7 In C Minor - Ilya Itin
Prelude Op. 32 No. 13 In D-flat Major - Ilya Itin
Studies On Etudes Of F. Chopin: Etude Op. 10 No. 2 'Ignis Fautuus' - Francesco Libetta
Studies On Etudes Of F. Chopin: Etude Op. 25 No. 2 - Francesco Libetta
Studies On Etudes Of F. Chopin: Etude Op. 25 No. 9 'Badinage' - Francesco Libetta
La Soiree Dans Grenade - Francesco Libetta
Etude In Form Of A Waltz - Francesco Libetta
Grande Sonate Op. 33: Grande Sonate Op. 33: First Movement - Francesco Libetta

Customer Reviews:

Five Excellent Pianists and a Feast of Musical Delights!.......2005-12-29

The Miami International Piano Festival of Discovery is well named: this two CD set offers fresh young talent in a variety of music played with all the drama of a competition. It is very well recorded and contains some truly magical moments.

There are five pianists represented here and their choices of competition entries in many ways helps define their abilities and musicality. Piotr Anderszewski offers the Bartok Opus 6 Bagatelles, electing to explore all 14 of these little pieces to keep with the unity of Bartok's conception. They are models of clean definitive performances. Denis Burstein on the other hand selects various works by Scriabin, Rachmaninov, Medtner, and Taneyev showing his penchant for the obscure as well as the well known. Kemal Gekic programs Scarlatti with Liszt and Rachmaninov and offers valid stances on each. Ilya Itin opts of an all Rachmaninov collection from the lovely 'Vocalize' through six of the Preludes. Francesco Libetta closes with paraphrases on Chopin by Godowsky and works by Debussy, Saint-Saens and Alkan.

Of interest the pianist who has become most popular with the public since this 2000 year competition is Piotr Anderszewski, but from the experience of listening to the entire group, one would expect more will come from the other four, too! A delightful set of recordings. Grady Harp, December 05

random sheeyat.......2005-04-27

hahaha, diz CCD haz some random hardcore sheeeeeeeyat from da LIB

tiz tru says:
INSANE HARDCORE MIND CONTROL tech

Average customer rating:

Medtner: Piano Works Vol. 5

Manufacturer: Chandos
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music
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Medtner: Piano Works, Vol. 4
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The Piano Works of Nikolai Medtner, Vol. 2

ASIN: B00000AFTS
Release Date: 1998-09-15

Tracks:

Sonata, Op. 5 In F Minor - F-Moll - fa mineur: I Allegro
Sonata, Op. 5 In F Minor - F-Moll - fa mineur: II Intermezzo: Allegro -
Sonata, Op. 5 In F Minor - F-Moll - fa mineur: III Largo -
Sonata, Op. 5 In F Minor: IV Finale: Allegro risoluto
Sonata Romantica, Op. 53 No. 1 In B Flat Minor: Romanza: Adantino con moto, ma sempre espressivo -
Sonata Romantica, Op. 53 No. 1 In B Flat Minor: II Scherzo: Allegro -
Sonata Romantica, Op. 53 No. 1 In B Flat Minor: III Meditazione: Andante con moto -
Sonata Romantica, Op. 53 No. 1 In B Flat Minor: IV Finale: Allegro non troppo
Sonata minacciosa, Op. 53 No. 2, In F Minor: Allegro sostenuto, concentrando -
Sonata minacciosa, Op. 53 No. 2, In F Minor: L'istesso tempo (ma con entusiasmo) -
Sonata minacciosa, Op. 53 No. 2, In F Minor: (Fuga) Sempre al rigore di tempo -
Sonata minacciosa, Op. 53 No. 2, In F Minor: Tempo I, concentrando -
Sonata minacciosa, Op. 53 No. 2, In F Minor: A tempo (con entusiasme) -
Sonata minacciosa, Op. 53 No. 2, In F Minor: Coda: Sempre animanto (al rigore di tempo)

Average customer rating:

Great Collection

Denon 24/7, Vol. 5

Manufacturer: Denon Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Pavanes | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Waltzes | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

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Denon 24/7, Vol. 4
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Denon Classics 24/7 1
Denon Classics 24/7 3

ASIN: B00006FN7U
Release Date: 2002-08-27

Tracks:

Finale - Tchaikovsky
Op.64 #1 - Chopin
Gavotte 2/3 - Bach
Overature - Handel
Liebesleid - Kreisler
Intermezzo - Lalo
Allegro - Beethoven
Allegro - Brahms
Rondo - Chopin
Morning - Prokofiev
Scherzo - Strauss
Scherzo - Sibelius
Allegro - Tchaikovsky

Tracks:

Humoresque - Dvorak
Fur Elise - Beethoven
Valse Triste - Nedbal
Sicilienne - Handel
Adagio - Bach
Adagio - Schubert
Larghetto - Dvorak
Prelude And Fugue - Bach
Adagio - Haydn
Pavane For Dead Princess - Ravel
Largo - Vivaldi
Skazki - Medtner
Sarabande - DeBussy
Adagio - Saint-Saens

Customer Reviews:

Great Collection.......2004-01-13

This is a great collection of classical music! It is especially nice for those that not familiar with classical music! I listen to it at work almost every day! I truly recommend it!

Medtner: The Complete Solo Piano Recordings Vol. 1

Average customer rating:

An Essential Medtner Recording

Medtner: The Complete Solo Piano Recordings Vol. 1

Manufacturer: Apr UK
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music
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ASIN: B00000FDC3
Release Date: 1998-11-24

Customer Reviews:

An Essential Medtner Recording.......2005-03-31

Nicolai Medtner, a contemporary and friend of Rachmaninoff, is perhaps the greatest composer for piano since Beethoven. A virtuoso concert pianist of the highest caliber in his own right, Medtner composed relentlessly tonal piano music of great beauty and intense rhythmic complexity at a time when atonal music was coming into vogue in the Western art music world. Although stunningly beautiful, his compositions were thought to be too "old fashioned" in the West and so were brushed aside by "serious" music scholars, causing Medtner to live in poverty during his exile in the West following the Bolshevik Revolution. Nevertheless, Medtner's Russian musical contemporaries fervently admired both his compositions and his piano playing; Glazunov even called Medtner something like "The Guardian of Eternal Art."

This CD presents for the first time Medtner's earliest commercial audio recordings, made for Columbia Records in 1930/31 but never released. These are transfers from Medtner's own test pressings on shellac discs; the original masters were long since destroyed. Lovingly cleaned up and restored, these recordings are the real deal, an authentic revelation of Medtner's interpretive intent in his compositions (compositions which have no established performance tradition in the West). Not only do they represent an invaluable resource for pianists who wish to tackle Medtner's compositions, they are wonderfully enjoyable to listen to, tremendous recordings of some of the most beautiful music I have ever heard.

Now, obviously, these are archival, not modern, recordings. The restoration presents them beautifully, but they are still cleaned up transfers from questionably preserved 78s so don't expect perfect clarity.

Aside from Medtner's own compositions, the disc also includes Medtner's performance of one Beethoven piano sonata, no.23 in f, op.57, which is masterful.

Listening to Medtner's piano playing is like opening a door into a vanished world, the Late-Romantic musical world from which sprang Artur Rubinstein and Vladimir Horowitz. Listening to this recording, I feel like I am touching the 19th century directly. The wild variations in tempo and dynamics in Medtner's piano playing are a revelation, both enraging and delightful simultaneously. Modern Western piano performances seem both self indulgent and rhythmically square in comparison. And Medtner's own music... Stunning. Fantastic.

This is an awesome recording which I listen to again and again. Highly Recommended.

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