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Piano Classics

Cui: Complete Piano Music, Vol. 1

$19.99

Details

Composer
Cesar Cui
Artist
Marco Rapetti
Format
CD
Label
Piano Classics
Released
Mar 13, 2026
Catalog #
PCL10211
UPC
5063758102117

About

First recordings of Romantic-era piano miniatures by an overlooked figure among the "New Russian School" of composers known as "The Mighty Handful." "Irretrievably forgotten," wrote musicologist Richard Taruskin of César Cui (1835-1918). Long regarded as a dilettante, Cui combined a distinguished military career-as an engineer, expert in fortifications, and Moscow professor-with prolific writing as one of Russia's most formidable music critics. He was a crucial advocate for the nationalist ideals of Glinka and Mussorgsky, even as his own music revealed a more cosmopolitan voice, steeped in the lyricism of Chopin and Schumann. In this first volume of Cui's complete piano works, pianist Marco Rapetti presents music composed between 1877 and 1888, from the Trois morceaux, Op. 8, to the Trois mouvements de valse, Op. 41. The recording includes charming sets of mazurkas and serenades, as well as two major cycles: the Suite, Op. 21-dedicated to Franz Liszt-and the Pièces caractéristiques, Op. 40, dedicated to the Count and Countess de Mercy-Argenteau, tireless champions of Cui's music in Western Europe. Rapetti, acclaimed for his rediscovery of neglected Russian piano repertoire, has previously recorded Borodin and Lyadov for Brilliant Classics. His performances, described by Fanfare magazine as showing "perfect unanimity and a verve and élan that bring out all the vividness of the orchestral works," affirm his standing as a pianist uniquely suited to illuminate Cui's lyrical, poetic world.

Tracklist 38 tracks

  1. 1 No. 1. Nocturne 06:06
    Track
    1
    Title
    No. 1. Nocturne
    Duration
    06:06
    Composer
    César Cui
    Performer
    Marco Rapetti
  2. 2 No. 2. Scherzino 02:29
    Track
    2
    Title
    No. 2. Scherzino
    Duration
    02:29
    Composer
    César Cui
    Performer
    Marco Rapetti
  3. 3 No. 3. Polka 02:53
    Track
    3
    Title
    No. 3. Polka
    Duration
    02:53
    Composer
    César Cui
    Performer
    Marco Rapetti
  4. 4 Scherzino 02:31
    Track
    4
    Title
    Scherzino
    Duration
    02:31
    Composer
    César Cui
    Performer
    Marco Rapetti
  5. 5 No. 1. Expansion naïve 00:58
    Track
    5
    Title
    No. 1. Expansion naïve
    Duration
    00:58
    Composer
    César Cui
    Performer
    Marco Rapetti
  6. 6 No. 2. Aveu timide 01:33
    Track
    6
    Title
    No. 2. Aveu timide
    Duration
    01:33
    Composer
    César Cui
    Performer
    Marco Rapetti
  7. 7 No. 3. Petite valse 02:09
    Track
    7
    Title
    No. 3. Petite valse
    Duration
    02:09
    Composer
    César Cui
    Performer
    Marco Rapetti
  8. 8 No. 4. À la Schumann 01:37
    Track
    8
    Title
    No. 4. À la Schumann
    Duration
    01:37
    Composer
    César Cui
    Performer
    Marco Rapetti
  9. 9 No. 5. Cantabile 02:39
    Track
    9
    Title
    No. 5. Cantabile
    Duration
    02:39
    Composer
    César Cui
    Performer
    Marco Rapetti
  10. 10 No. 6. Souvenir douloureux 01:49
    Track
    10
    Title
    No. 6. Souvenir douloureux
    Duration
    01:49
    Composer
    César Cui
    Performer
    Marco Rapetti
  11. 11 No. 7. Mosaïque 01:33
    Track
    11
    Title
    No. 7. Mosaïque
    Duration
    01:33
    Composer
    César Cui
    Performer
    Marco Rapetti
  12. 12 No. 8. Berceuse 02:13
    Track
    12
    Title
    No. 8. Berceuse
    Duration
    02:13
    Composer
    César Cui
    Performer
    Marco Rapetti
  13. 13 No. 9. Canzonetta 01:48
    Track
    13
    Title
    No. 9. Canzonetta
    Duration
    01:48
    Composer
    César Cui
    Performer
    Marco Rapetti
  14. 14 No. 10. Petite marche 02:30
    Track
    14
    Title
    No. 10. Petite marche
    Duration
    02:30
    Composer
    César Cui
    Performer
    Marco Rapetti
  15. 15 No. 11. Mazurka 03:17
    Track
    15
    Title
    No. 11. Mazurka
    Duration
    03:17
    Composer
    César Cui
    Performer
    Marco Rapetti
  16. 16 No. 12. Scherzo rustique 02:04
    Track
    16
    Title
    No. 12. Scherzo rustique
    Duration
    02:04
    Composer
    César Cui
    Performer
    Marco Rapetti
  17. 17 I. Impromptu in A-Flat Minor: Vivace 03:09
    Track
    17
    Title
    I. Impromptu in A-Flat Minor: Vivace
    Duration
    03:09
    Composer
    César Cui
    Performer
    Marco Rapetti
  18. 18 II. Ténèbres et lueurs in G-Sharp Minor: Andantino 07:50
    Track
    18
    Title
    II. Ténèbres et lueurs in G-Sharp Minor: Andantino
    Duration
    07:50
    Composer
    César Cui
    Performer
    Marco Rapetti
  19. 19 III. Intermezzo in A-Flat Major: Allegretto 05:12
    Track
    19
    Title
    III. Intermezzo in A-Flat Major: Allegretto
    Duration
    05:12
    Composer
    César Cui
    Performer
    Marco Rapetti
  20. 20 IV. Alla polacca in E Major: Moderato maestoso 06:19
    Track
    20
    Title
    IV. Alla polacca in E Major: Moderato maestoso
    Duration
    06:19
    Composer
    César Cui
    Performer
    Marco Rapetti
  21. 21 No. 1. Marionettes espagnoles 01:10
    Track
    21
    Title
    No. 1. Marionettes espagnoles
    Duration
    01:10
    Composer
    César Cui
    Performer
    Marco Rapetti
  22. 22 No. 2. Feuille D'album 02:01
    Track
    22
    Title
    No. 2. Feuille D'album
    Duration
    02:01
    Composer
    César Cui
    Performer
    Marco Rapetti
  23. 23 No. 3. Étude arabesque 01:15
    Track
    23
    Title
    No. 3. Étude arabesque
    Duration
    01:15
    Composer
    César Cui
    Performer
    Marco Rapetti
  24. 24 No. 4. Au berceau 01:24
    Track
    24
    Title
    No. 4. Au berceau
    Duration
    01:24
    Composer
    César Cui
    Performer
    Marco Rapetti
  25. 25 No. 5. Marche-Étude 02:39
    Track
    25
    Title
    No. 5. Marche-Étude
    Duration
    02:39
    Composer
    César Cui
    Performer
    Marco Rapetti
  26. 26 No. 6. Romanzetta 01:58
    Track
    26
    Title
    No. 6. Romanzetta
    Duration
    01:58
    Composer
    César Cui
    Performer
    Marco Rapetti
  27. 27 No. 1. Le Cèdre 07:25
    Track
    27
    Title
    No. 1. Le Cèdre
    Duration
    07:25
    Composer
    César Cui
    Performer
    Marco Rapetti
  28. 28 No. 2. Far niente 06:08
    Track
    28
    Title
    No. 2. Far niente
    Duration
    06:08
    Composer
    César Cui
    Performer
    Marco Rapetti
  29. 29 No. 3. Capriccioso 03:30
    Track
    29
    Title
    No. 3. Capriccioso
    Duration
    03:30
    Composer
    César Cui
    Performer
    Marco Rapetti
  30. 30 No. 4. La petite guerre 01:48
    Track
    30
    Title
    No. 4. La petite guerre
    Duration
    01:48
    Composer
    César Cui
    Performer
    Marco Rapetti
  31. 31 No. 5. Sérénade 02:51
    Track
    31
    Title
    No. 5. Sérénade
    Duration
    02:51
    Composer
    César Cui
    Performer
    Marco Rapetti
  32. 32 No. 6. Causerie 04:23
    Track
    32
    Title
    No. 6. Causerie
    Duration
    04:23
    Composer
    César Cui
    Performer
    Marco Rapetti
  33. 33 No. 7. Mazurka 04:01
    Track
    33
    Title
    No. 7. Mazurka
    Duration
    04:01
    Composer
    César Cui
    Performer
    Marco Rapetti
  34. 34 No. 8. À la chapelle 03:58
    Track
    34
    Title
    No. 8. À la chapelle
    Duration
    03:58
    Composer
    César Cui
    Performer
    Marco Rapetti
  35. 35 No. 9. Le Rocher, Ballade 08:00
    Track
    35
    Title
    No. 9. Le Rocher, Ballade
    Duration
    08:00
    Composer
    César Cui
    Performer
    Marco Rapetti
  36. 36 No. 1. Valse-Scherzo 03:47
    Track
    36
    Title
    No. 1. Valse-Scherzo
    Duration
    03:47
    Composer
    César Cui
    Performer
    Marco Rapetti
  37. 37 No. 2. Valse-Intermezzo 04:23
    Track
    37
    Title
    No. 2. Valse-Intermezzo
    Duration
    04:23
    Composer
    César Cui
    Performer
    Marco Rapetti
  38. 38 No. 3. Valse à la viennoise 04:41
    Track
    38
    Title
    No. 3. Valse à la viennoise
    Duration
    04:41
    Composer
    César Cui
    Performer
    Marco Rapetti