In her New York orchestral debut with conductor Philippe Entremont, Anna Petrova was praised for her "ultra-smooth playing style" [New York Fine Arts Examiner]. She is an assistant professor of piano at the University of Louisville, KY, holds a PhD in musicology from the Manhattan School of Music, and performs frequently as a soloist and chamber musician. The album presents the music of four composers: Sergey Rachmaninoff, Sergey Prokofiev, Alexander Scriabin, and Pancho Vladigerov. Three Russians and one Bulgarian, the music of whom spans a total of 50 years, from 1892 to 1942. “The heart is an ancestral metaphor… For example, it has been sometimes thought as the secret seat of courage or of intelligence; or as a hiding place for emotions; or as a breakable, fragile and precious object that we treasure; as a place from which sincere feelings emanate; as the locus of romantic desire; as the deep, summarizing content of a person… Also, in many languages, the word "heart" comes from either the Latin root cor/cordis, or from the Greek root kardia. That is, Spanish (corazon), French (coeur), and Italian (cuore), to give an example, take the Latin root, while German (Herz) and English (heart) take the Greek one (kardia). But what is most important for my present purposes here, and what these two roots share amongst each other, is their connection to the Indo-European root kr, which has the original sense of "vibrating." Indeed, the two consonants sound like that when pronounced together, like a gentle vibration. Krrr.... In this very sense, too, a heart is a vibrating object, a vibrating, secret, treasured place - just like I wanted the piano and my playing of it to be in this album - a dear object that secretly vibrates with the sounds of my music.” (Anna Petrova)
In this recital, prize-winning Canadian pianist Jaeden Izik-Dzurko explores the evolving language, dramatic breadth and technical daring of Alexander Scriabin's piano works. The album charts the remarkable evolution of Scriabin's musical language from his earliest pieces, to the sensual, volatile Piano Sonata No. 5, which stands at the summit of Scriabin's creative trajectory. As a resonant counterpart, Izik-Dzurko plays Rachmaninov's brooding Piano Sonata No. 1 in D minor. A digital-only release of four early piano works by Scriabin is also available on 9.70408.
Following her triumphs on the stages of the Salzburg and Bayreuth festivals and at Covent Garden, Asmik Grigorian now belongs to the world’s vocal elite. She joins Alpha Classics for several projects and presents here her very first recital, devoted to one of her favorite composers, Sergei Rachmaninov. This album, titled Dissonance, assembles vocal works carefully chosen by the soprano for the contrasts they generate when grouped together: ‘Most of Rachmaninov’s songs really call for operatic power. In fact, he wrote mini-operas lasting a few minutes.’ While this album is called Dissonance, in reference to the ‘internal conflicts’ that punctuate these songs, the duo formed by the Lithuanian singer and her pianist compatriot Lukas Geniušas is one of total consonance!
"[Grigorian's] powers of expression are as fierce in front of the microphone as they are on the stage...Her tone at its fullest, all velvet-wrapped steel, gleams with enough edge to cut through anything a full-throttle Rachmaninov piano part can throw at it, and Geniušas does not give the impression of holding back[.] As a duet partner, he’s just soloistic enough, with an attentive ear for the detail of what Grigorian wants to achieve with the shape of a phrase.
"The program, in a sequence chosen by the performers, ranges from some of the Op. 4 songs Rachmaninov wrote as a student to his Op. 34. Some last barely 90 seconds, but here they still seem like a scene rather than merely a song – a panoramic view, not a snapshot. Grigorian and Genušias will make you wonder why you don’t hear them more often." -The Guardian
"There’s a palpable energy between the [performers] on this recording. [Grigorian] unfurls her otherworldly quality—what Barrie Kosky once called 'Planet Grigorian'—like a banner; [Geniušas] provides the breeze to hold it aloft. By no means are the songs on Dissonance calm or gentle, but Grigorian and Geniušas handle them lovingly." -Van Magazine
Rachmaninoff: Symphony No. 2 - Version for Piano Duet / Calleghan, Takenouchi
Nimbus
CD
$20.99Nov 04, 2022
Simon Callaghan & Hiroaki Takenouchi write: “As long ago as the eighteenth century, composers were arranging orchestral works for two pianos or for piano duet, making them more domestically accessible and exposing their compositions to a wider audience. Four-hand piano versions abound of symphonies by Mozart, Beethoven, Brahms, Schumann, Haydn and more. Since Rachmaninoff focused mainly on the piano, we were surprised to be unable to find a two-piano arrangement by the composer himself of his Symphony No. 2, particularly since he arranged his own first and third symphonies for four hands. Such was the popularity of the Second Symphony that Vladimir Wilschau (1868-1957) created a four hands arrangement in 1910, just two years after the premiere in St Petersburg under the composer’s baton. Our objective in creating this new arrangement was to remain as faithful to the original as practically possible. We set out to embrace not only the capabilities of the two pianos but also their limitations – we wanted to create a true piano work, rather than a less-than-satisfactory imitation of the orchestral version. Of course, our motivation was also to be able to enjoy playing this magnificent masterpiece which we had cherished for as long as we could remember!”
Rachmaninoff: Symphony No. 2, Arrangement for Piano & Orches
Brilliant Classics
Vinyl
$34.99Nov 07, 2025
In the year 2007 pianist and composer Alexander Warenberg reworked Rachmaninoff's second symphony into a full scale piano concerto. Ever since this works gained popularity and recognition as a new repertoire work, having been performed by acclaimed soloists and orchestras all around the world. Alexander Warenberg tackled the seemingly ludicrous task of changing the iconic second symphony into a work with an important piano part. Warenberg has meticulously reworked the four movements of the symphony into the regular three movements of Rachmaninoff's concertos. In this process the piece has been reduced by some 40% and several necessary re-orchestrations have been carried out. The result is more than just an interesting experiment, this spectacular, virtuoso concerto shows off Warenberg's unique talent as a 're-composer', and it conquered the hearts of those who love their Rachmaninoff. Pianist Wolfram Schmitt-Leonardy took it upon himself to familiarize himself with this entirely new score. And so did conductor Theodore Kuchar with the Janacek Philharmonic Orchestra. Their brilliant performance is a truly romantic one. The score is published by Boosey & Hawkes. A treat for any Rachmaninoff and piano lover!
MM Recordings presents a seductive and captivating release of Russian art songs, an intriguing juxtaposition of Russian Romances for voice and piano by Anton Arensky (1861-1906) and his student Sergei Rachmaninoff (1873-1943). The recital, "performed with great charm and sympathy" (Opera Today), features two artists making their debut for SOMM: lyric coloratura soprano Anastasia Prokofieva-a rising young star in the opera world, described as "striking" by Opera Magazine-and London-based conductor, pianist, and vocal coach Sergey Rybin, an Associate of the Royal Academy of Music, where he studied under SOMM recording artist Malcolm Martineau. Sergey Rybin's excellent notes, together with full texts and translations, help bring these neglected gems to light and highlight the inner connection between Arensky and Rachmaninoff. While there is no doubt that Rachmaninoff was possessed of a unique and innate musical gift, he acknowledged the profound influence of his teacher and mentor Arensky, who was his professor of harmony, counterpoint, and free composition at the Moscow Conservatory between 1885 and 1888, when Rachmaninoff was still a teenager. Arensky's writing-and Rachmaninoff's, too-is full of eminently singable melodies that are deeply connected both to bel canto and to a Russian folk aesthetic. Sergey Rybin also makes the point that a certain virtuosic flair in the piano parts of these románsy, by both the professor and the pupil, "are unmistakably the branches of the same stylistic tree." Anton Arensky studied composition with Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov at the St. Petersburg Conservatory, and he was just twenty-one when he began teaching harmony and counterpoint-and later, instrumentation and free composition-at the Moscow Conservatory. While his role as a teacher may well be his most lasting contribution, he remained active as a composer of operas, symphonies, concertos, chamber music, and piano works. He also wrote fifty-seven románsy, which show his affinity for intimate, emotional expression. Included among the thirteen art songs by Arensky on this release are the Five Romances, Op. 70 from 1900, and the five-song cycle Reminiscence, Op. 71, circa 1905. Before Rachmaninoff left Russia permanently in 1917, he composed a total of eighty-three románsy for voice and piano. His gift for lush melodies, expansive emotional range, and exceptionally difficult piano works makes him one of the last great Romantic pianist-composers, and these stellar qualities are evident in his art songs. Thirteen are presented on this programme. The earliest, from his Six Songs, Op. 8 written in 1893, include Child! You are as beautiful as a flower and Dream. The Twelve Songs, Op. 21, composed in 1902, include some of his finest vocal writing, Lilacs being an exquisite example. Rachmaninoff's last compositions in the genre of románsy were the Six Songs, Op. 38 in 1916; four from this set close the recital.
Rachmaninoff: Piano Sonatas Nos. 1 & 2; Isle of the Dead / Giltburg
Naxos
CD
$13.99$19.99Save 30%Feb 14, 2025
Symphonic in scale and with great dramatic power, Rachmaninoff's Piano Sonata No. 1 in D minor is an underappreciated masterpiece, depicting a tremendous range of human emotions. The turbulent and brilliant Piano Sonata No. 2 in B flat minor is heard in the 1931 revised version which clarifies textures and streamlines the work, heightening it's emotional impact. The Isle of the Dead employs Georgy Kirkor's 1957 transcription which Boris Giltburg has revised significantly. Giltburg's authority in Rachmaninoff has been universally acknowledged, with his performances termed 'characterful, sensitive and technically dazzling' by BBC Music Magazine (Naxos 8.574528).
REVIEW:
For all his technical ability and mastery of what is possible on the piano, Boris Giltburg is not a merciless technician, but a pianist who immerses himself in the music.
In the two Rachmaninoff sonatas, Giltburg draws us into a music that takes off without harshness, almost floating, and clearly tending toward Scriabin. The contrasts are made all the more exciting by the spontaneity of the playing, as are the magnificent, exciting melodic arcs with which he makes the piano sing.
The transcription of the symphonic poem ‘Isle of the Dead’ is also very successful, because Giltburg and Kirkur have obviously felt the dark and demonic secrets of this music very well. With his imaginative playing, Giltburg gives the piano a very active role, allowing it to act rather than merely reproduce impressions. The music of the Isle of the Dead shimmers in many colors and is full of dramatic power, full of life.
For this album, Narek Hakhnazaryan has selected works that showcase the characteristics of cello playing: it's tonal warmth, emotional depth and versatility. The interplay of original works and arrangements has resulted in a program that sees the cello as a unifying voice - inspired by the figure of the medieval minstrel in Glasunov's Chant du menestrel Op.71.
Falla, Leighton, Rachmaninoff & Rose: Fantasias for Piano
Convivium Records
CD
$16.99Feb 07, 2025
From the sixteenth century to the present day, fantasias have developed from improvisatory and virtuosic works for lute, to extended and elaborate works for ensembles, solo keyboard instruments and full orchestra. The dazzling array of works featured in this album showcases how composers have delighted in allowing their creativity and imagination to take precedence over conventional styles and forms.
Natural Connection - Piano Music Inspired by the Natural World / McCawley
SOMM Recordings
CD
$15.99$20.99Save 25%Feb 02, 2024
SOMM RECORDINGS is delighted to announce the release of Natural Connection, a captivatingly lyrical new recording by pianist Leon McCawley featuring music for solo piano inspired by the natural world. The effect of the ever-changing seasons has been a perpetual inspiration for composers since Ancient Greece’s Delphic hymns and before, down to the present day, arguably finding its richest expression, as Robert Matthew-Walker’s erudite booklet notes argue, in the generations who alternatively espoused Romanticism and Impressionism. Nine composers, each with their own individual but complementary responses, are featured in a 21-track recital of miniature gems traversing the inexorable turn of the year’s cycle from Christian Sinding’s tremulous signature, Rustle of Spring, to Grieg’s sublimely tentative To the Spring. In between, popular pieces by Debussy (Clair de Lune) and Saint-Saëns (The Swan) vie with assorted works by Tchaikovsky (selections from The Seasons), Ravel (the liquescent Jeux d’eau), Bartók (the delightful From the Diary of a Fly and atmospheric The Night’s Music), and Rachmaninov (the gentle Lilacs and poetic Daisies). The most expressive pianist-composer of his age, Liszt, contributes three pieces including the sighing ebb-and-flow of Au lac de Walletstadt and stormy Orage, to eloquently link this multi-faceted and evocative, often moving, collection of responses to the living world. Leon McCawley’s previous SOMM releases include four widely acclaimed volumes of Haydn Sonatas, the first (SOMMCD 0162) receiving a coveted Diapason d’Or from Diapason magazine, Gramophone hailing him for Volume III (SOMMCD 0624) as “a thoughtful, keenly intelligent artist in peak form”. MusicWeb International declared his Chopin recital (SOMMCD 0103) “exemplary” and “outstanding”, while his Schubert survey (SOMMCD 0188) was described by Classical Music Daily as “a meaningful, eloquent performance [that] offers many memorable moments”.
SOMM RECORDINGS is delighted to announce the return of pianist Peter Donohoe to the label following his acclaimed complete survey of Mozart’s Piano Sonatas with a dazzling new recital coupling Rachmaninoff – on the 150th anniversary of his birth in 1873 – and Chopin.
Rachmaninoff: Piano Concertos & Other Works / Fedorova, Pitrenas, St. Gallen
Channel Classics
CD
$39.99Oct 06, 2023
Between 2020 and 2023, Anna Fedorova released all of Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concertos together with the Sinfonieorchester St. Gallen and Modestas Pitrenas on Channel Classics Records. BBC Music Magazine gave five star reviews for Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 1, Preludes, and Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini as well as Piano Concertos Nos. 2 & 4, noting that “Ukrainian pianist Anna Fedorova is clearly not only a fine human being ... but also a remarkable artist". It was also Classic FM’s Album of the Weekend, Album of the Week on Scala Radio, received Luister Magazine’s 10 star-review and Anna was highly praised in International Piano for her "passionate, spontaneously phrased and radiant reading". Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 3 was released in the spring of 2023 and quickly became a bestseller at Tower Records in Japan and at NativeDSD Music. With over 38 million views, Anna Fedorova’s live recording of Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto No. 2 in Amsterdam's Concertgebouw is the most frequently watched concerto on YouTube. Anna Fedorova, Sinfonieorchester St. Gallen and Modestas Pitrenas raise their glass to Rachmaninoff by releasing their complete 3 CD box-set in 2023; the 150th birthday year of the composer.
Vsevolod Zavidov (born in 2005 in Moscow) is now considered one of the most promising young pianists to emerge from the great Russian tradition. A pupil of Nelson Goerner's, he made his name on the international stage by winning the very first Radu Lupu Prize in 2024 and the UBS Young Soloists Prize in 2025. He chose to devote his first solo recording to Rachmaninoff with three transcriptions of Bach's violin pieces, the Études-Tableaux Op. 33 and the Variations on a Theme by Corelli: "Virtually unfathomable music. Not merely a composition, but an entire mythology. Interwoven with countless links to his works of every period, it is like a cipher - filled with disguises, transformations, ironies, reminiscences... yet one and the same story," says Zavidov, who concludes this colourful programme with his own magnificent transcription of the famous Vocalise from 1912.
Franz Liszt occupied a special place among the great pianists of the nineteenth century. The boundless virtuosity which he brought to his instrument made him not only a rock star in his time, it also enabled him as a composer to realize his musical vision without having to make any allowances for technical limitations. Thus, he became not only the creator of a new style but also a pathbreaker for new directions in music whose influence would last well into the 20th century. Many factors contributed to his multifaceted personality; therefore, it is not surprising that seemingly incompatible elements like despair and transfiguration, demonism and religious ecstasy often stand next to each other and create the kind of tension which is the hallmark of a great composer. The present program features a selection of the most virtuosic and radiant works of Franz Liszt.
'Although the three selected piano sonatas were all composed in the first half of the 20th century, they convey very different musical impressions. Rachmaninoff, Shostakovich and Kabalevsky - these are three composers, each with their own personalities and distinctive compositional styles. This diversity opens up three unique musical worlds for us. But through the common genre of the piano sonata, we also gain an insight into the musical and cultural development of Russia and the Soviet Union between 1908 and 1946. Dramaturgically, these works take us through the uncertain and turbulent period between revolutions and the First World War, through the tragedies of the Second World War to a hopeful outlook on a 'bright future' in more peaceful times. For me, all three works are among the hidden treasures of the pianistic repertoire.' Anastasia Yasko
Rachmaninoff: Piano Concertos Nos. 3 & 4 (reissue)
Fineline
CD
$16.99Sep 20, 2024
Gramophone: immense technical fluency... innate musical quality... exceptionally well-mannered performances... Lugansky's tone is beautifully rounded and unforced in all parts of the dynamic spectrum (a truly Russian prerogative) and passages of delicate filigree are spun off with a no less enviable elegance and lightness. Musicweb: The piano playing is truly outstanding, with the young Russian giving the sort of red-blooded readings that have one thinking of a young Richter, Gilels or from our own time, Kissin or Pletnev... This is altogether outstanding Soviet pianism
Rachmaninoff, Shostakovich, Tchaikovsky, Stravinsky: Conductors in Rehearsal - Mariss Jansons Vol. 1 / Jansons, Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra
BR Klassik
CD
$39.99Apr 01, 2022
What does the work of a conductor actually involve? He moves his hands, arms, his whole body, he makes use of his eyes and facial expressions - and he also sings and speaks, but only during rehearsals, of course. Being able to follow a conductor's interpretation makes for an exciting process, and conveys the basic idea behind a work far more vividly at the same time. "Conductors in Rehearsal" is a BR-KLASSIK series that takes a closer look at the “orchestral workshop”. One can experience first-hand how the conductor's wishes and instructions are implemented, how his explanations and his temperament change the resulting sound, and what concepts lie behind the interpretation of the work. Thanks to this series - which also now being released on album - the special collaboration between Mariss Jansons and the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra can be documented. The first set presented by BR-KLASSIK documents four rehearsals for concerts in the Munich Philharmonie im Gasteig, taken from different phases of the collaboration between Mariss Jansons’ work with the BRSO.
Rachmaninoff: Suites for Two Pianos; Music for Piano Trio
Divine Art
CD
$20.99May 12, 2023
A new album of chamber works by Sergei Rachmaninoff.
This outstanding recording was made at two venues in Poland: the
Łódź Academy of Music, and the Czestochowa Philharmony. The
principal performer is pianist Barbara Karaśkiewicz who has made
several highly praised recordings for Divine Art (and before that the
esteemed Polish label Acte Preable). She performs two piano duos
with her musical partner Michał Rot. The chamber works are played
by the Huberman Piano Trio whose Divine Art recording of
20th Century Chamber music was also acclaimed by critics.
Both the performances and the perfectly engineered recording offer
a sumptuous program of Rachmaninoff that will delight listeners.
The Huberman Trio was formed at the initiative of Barbara
Karaśkiewicz, named in honour of the great Polish artist Bronislav
Huberman, famed for his performances and transcriptions of works
by Chopin and others.
Dialogues by cellist Noemie Raymond and pianist Zhenni Li-Cohen present two monumental works composed by Sergei Rachmaninoff and Rebecca Clarke. The album centers around a pair of sonatas that the performers hold dear. It seeks to bridge two universes in conversations between two instruments, two musicians, and two composers. The performers write, "it is a dialogue between you and us." This album explores the duality of two titanic masterpieces, from the pen of a woman and a man, both virtuoso instrumentalists with strikingly distinct musical voices. Dialogues begins with Rachmaninoff's Cello Sonata in G minor, Op. 19, composed during his most prolific period alongside his famous Piano Concerto No. 2. Considered by some to be his most successful chamber work, Rachmaninoff dedicated the sonata to Anatoly Brandukov, his best man at his wedding and a celebrated Russian cellist who also premiered several of Tchaikovsky's works. Brandukov inspired Rachmaninoff to imbue the cello line with expressiveness and intensity. The album continues with Clarke's Viola Sonata (Version for Cello & Piano), composed in 1919. An internationally renowned violist, Clarke is often considered a proponent of "English Impressionism." Despite placing second in a prestigious composition competition, Clarke's works were not celebrated or performed as much as those of her male peers due to societal gender biases. It was not until the 1970s that Clarke emerged from obscurity, and this Sonata has since taken it's rightful place in the standard repertoire for viola. Noemie Raymond's diverse career has taken her from London's prestigious Royal Albert Hall to the Festival Internacional de Musica de Camara in Lima, the United States, Japan and beyond. She has collaborated with renowned virtuosos such as Midori, Pinchas Zukerman, Jan Lisiecki and Yekwon Sunwoo. 2024-2025 season marks Noemie's Carnegie Hall debut, and concerti appearances with the Skagit Symphony, the Orchestre symphonique de Sherbrooke and the Newfoundland Symphony Orchestra. A prizewinner in national and international competitions, Noemie has forged her reputation by earning awards at the Edwin H. and Leigh W. Schadt String International Competition and the Prix d'Europe, among others. She is a graduate of the University of Montreal and the New England Conservatory, and holds a Doctorate in Performance and Literature from the Eastman School of Music. Noemie plays the "Ex-Curtis" cello (1700) by Matteo Goffriller, generously provided to her by Canimex Inc. Of Drummondville, Quebec. Hailed as "... an artist of tremendous conviction, who fascinates even as she provokes... " by Gramophone Magazine and "a thrillingly good pianist" by The New Yorker, Zhenni has given solo recitals at such prestigious venues as Carnegie Hall's Zankel Hall, New York's Lincoln Center, Philadelphia's Kimmel Performing Arts Center and the Berliner Philharmonie in Germany. Zhenni is looking forward to her next recording project with Marin Alsop in collaboration with the Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra and has appeared as a soloist with orchestras such as the Bergen Philharmonic in Norway, the Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia and the Knoxville, Cedar Falls, Fairbanks, Bucks County, Dominican Republic, Johns Hopkins and Lower Merion Symphony Orchestras amongst others. She is currently the Associate Professor of Piano at University of Alberta and the co-artistic Director of Opus 71 Concerts, a multimedia concert series near New York's Lincoln Center. Zhenni Li-Cohen is a Steinway Artist. Get your CD copy of 'Dialogues' or listen to it on your favorite platform. 'Dialogues' is available on all major music services.
Schumann, Bach, Rachmaninoff: Concertos without Orchestra / Gevrek
Fuga Libera
CD
$20.99Apr 12, 2024
“Concertos Without Orchestra” is the concept of the young Turkish pianist Salih Can Gevrek, Associate Artist at the Queen Elisabeth Music Chapel, for his first CD recording. He presents two mirrored works, both of which are imbued with references to the musical style and structure of concertos with orchestra. J. S. Bach’s famous Italian Concerto is subtly linked to Schumann’s lesser known but equally virtuoso Sonata No. 3 in F minor Op. 14, also known as the “Concerto without orchestra”. Rachmaninov’s rarely recorded Moments musicaux complete this musical panorama to commemorate the 80th anniversary of his death. This recording offers the listener a real voyage through the Baroque, Romantic and post-Romantic periods, drama and poetry expressed in music supply the connection between these three very different works.
