The Hermitage Piano Trio is distinguished by its exuberant musicality, interpretative range, and sumptuous sound. Following a recent performance, The Washington Post raved that “three of Russia’s most spectacular young soloists… turned in a performance of such power and sweeping passion that it left you nearly out of breath.” Reference Recordings is proud to present their debut album as a Trio. A rarity in the chamber music world, this elite trio is comprised of three musicians who are noted soloists in their own right.

In a performing career spanning forty-five countries on five continents, violinist Misha Keylin is attracting particular attention with his world-premiere series of the seven Henri Vieuxtemps violin concertos. Hailed as “a brilliant cellist” by the legendary Mstislav Rostropovich, Sergey Antonov went on to prove his mentor’s proclamation when he became one of the youngest cellists ever awarded the gold medal at the world’s premier musical contest, the quadrennial International Tchaikovsky Competition. Pianist Ilya Kazantsev, a fresh and exciting presence on the international music scene and a passionate interpreter of his native Russian repertoire – hailed by The Washington Post as “virtually flawless” – has performed as recitalist and soloist with orchestras in Russia, Canada, Europe, and the United States. Among his many awards and honors, Mr. Kazantsev received first prize at the Nikolai Rubinstein International Competition (Paris) and won the International Chopin Competition (Moscow) and the 2007 & 2008 World Piano Competitions (Cincinnati).

REVIEWS:

Striking the right balance between interpretative nobility and expressive candour is particularly challenging in music of such claustrophobic intensity, yet the Hermitage Piano Trio proves fully equal to the task.

-- The Strad

The recording is truly splendid, with all three members of the trio and their recording producer collaborating to present us with a superbly effective aural rendering of these early indications of Rachmaninoff's slowly blossoming compositional mastery.

The booklet accompanying the CD deserves special comment. The program notes, in English only, are by Victor and Marina Ledin, who are also listed as the producers of the recording. I have rarely read such comprehensive and detailed essays, lavishly accompanied by old, sepia coloured photos as well as full-colour modern ones.

-- MusicWeb International

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From the artists: "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. We first performed our arrangement at St John's Smith Square in London in 2017 and for the next five years we worked to refine the textures and to create something comfortably pianistic while incorporating as much of Rachmaninoff's intention as is feasible. We sought inspiration from the composers own arrangement of the Symphonic Dances Op.45, from his two Suites for two pianos Opp.5 and 17, and from his four-hands version of The Rock Op.7. We hope that our arrangement will be enjoyable to all pianists who have a love for Rachmaninoff's music. The much-loved Adagio will serve as a great challenge for musicians of diploma level, while anyone who has enjoyed performing the Suites will surely enjoy this new challenge."

Pianist Ekaterina Livintseva writes of this new release of Rachmaninov works: “Sometimes we are afraid to grasp something that exists deep within ourselves. Human beings are afraid of revealing their emotions, they are scared of hurting themselves and becoming defenseless. That is how the unspoken emerges: a secret, a depth which accompanies us throughout our lives. The most important thing about Rachmaninov’s music for me is the fact that is exposes the soul. The emotions in his oeuvre are so clear and true- there is no way of disguising oneself there. When you play Rachmaninov you have to answer questions that you would not normally have dared to pose. In that situation a musician needs to be brave and, in a way, “pure of heart.” Only then does the music make sense. A depth emerges. The depth of the unspoken.” Ekaterina Livintseva is called “The Pianist of The Arctic Circle.” She began playing piano when she was four years old, and began her education at the Children’s Music School in Anadyr. She later studied at the Maimonides Classical Piano Academy, the College of Music and Dance in Cologne, and the College of Music in Wurzburg. She performs across the globe, and her prior recordings have received gleaming reviews.

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A former master student of Rudolf Buchbinder, Irina Georgieva performs regularly in Switzerland, Italy, France, England, Morocco, the Balkans, and recently in South America. Whether Stefan Lano, Michal Nesterowicz, Pablo Gonz�lez or Sascha Goetzel - the list of conductors Irina Georgieva has worked with is impressive. Just as impressive is her repertoire, which comprises classical music from the Baroque to the present. She loves the virtuoso piano music of the late 19th and 20th century, which is characterized by an expressive tonal language, special moods, and differentiated timbres. For her debut with Prospero Classical, she has chosen her favorite composer, Sergei Rachmaninoff. Together with the Basel Symphony Orchestra, she interprets two of his best-known works. The Third Piano Concerto in D minor as well as the incredibly virtuosic "Paganini Variations".

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