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Nimbus

Kabalevsky - A Recital Of Concert Pieces / Kirsten Johnson

$20.99

Details

Composer
KABALEVSKY, DMITRI
Artist
Kirsten Johnson
Format
CD
Label
Nimbus
Released
Jul 01, 2014
Catalog #
NI6283
UPC
710357628320

About

Although Dmitri Kabalevsky’s concertos and sonatas hardly lack for good recordings, few pay attention to his prolific output of shorter solo piano pieces. That’s a shame, because this composer, if not a towering original, wrote imaginatively and effectively for the keyboard, as the works on this disc bear out.

Even at 21, Kabalevsky could dole out flashy goods in his third Op. 1 Prelude, while simple sophistication and canny register deployment define both of Op. 40’s short variation sets. The Six Preludes and Fugues Op. 61 wear their contrapuntal craftsmanship lightly; who else could write a tuneful, waltzing fugue, or a prelude based on clusters that evoke Burt Bacharach covered by The Carpenters? Written for the 1958 International Tchaikovsky Competition that made Van Cliburn a household name, the A minor Rondo wears well, from its opening downward arpeggios to the infectious “oom-pah” accompaniment.

Each of the three Op. 87 variation sets, respectively based on American, French, and Japanese folk songs, has a distinct personality and deserves wider recognition. While the booklet notes understandably liken the American theme to a tune played on a Native American wooden flute, some listeners will recognize it as the folk song “All the Pretty Little Horses”. Known for her steadfast advocacy of worthy keyboard rarities (including splendid recordings of the complete Amy Beach and Arthur Foote piano music), Kirsten Johnson’s astute attention to detail and her fluent, tonally rich pianism are a joy to behold. The resonant warmth of Nimbus’ engineering will please collectors who found the label’s 1970s/’80s “Ambisonic” productions to be uncomfortably diffuse.

-- Jed Distler, ClassicsToday.com

Tracklist 13 tracks

  1. 1 3 Preludes, Op. 1 07:09
    Track
    1
    Title
    3 Preludes, Op. 1
    Duration
    07:09
    Composer
    Dmitry Borisovich Kabalevsky
    Performer
    Kirsten Johnson
  2. 2 No. 1 in D Major: Toccata 02:41
    Track
    2
    Title
    No. 1 in D Major: Toccata
    Duration
    02:41
    Composer
    Dmitry Borisovich Kabalevsky
    Performer
    Kirsten Johnson
  3. 3 No. 2 in A Minor 04:03
    Track
    3
    Title
    No. 2 in A Minor
    Duration
    04:03
    Composer
    Dmitry Borisovich Kabalevsky
    Performer
    Kirsten Johnson
  4. 4 Prelude and Fugue No. 1 in G Major, "A Summer Morning On The Lawn" - Prelude and Fugue No. 2 in C Major, "Becoming A Young Pioneer" 06:03
    Track
    4
    Title
    Prelude and Fugue No. 1 in G Major, "A Summer Morning On The Lawn" - Prelude and Fugue No. 2 in C Major, "Becoming A Young Pioneer"
    Duration
    06:03
    Composer
    Dmitry Borisovich Kabalevsky
    Performer
    Kirsten Johnson
  5. 5 Prelude and Fugue No. 3 in E Minor, "An Evening Song Beyond The River" - Prelude and Fugue No. 4 in A Major, "At The Young Pioneer Summer Camp" 05:22
    Track
    5
    Title
    Prelude and Fugue No. 3 in E Minor, "An Evening Song Beyond The River" - Prelude and Fugue No. 4 in A Major, "At The Young Pioneer Summer Camp"
    Duration
    05:22
    Composer
    Dmitry Borisovich Kabalevsky
    Performer
    Kirsten Johnson
  6. 6 Prelude and Fugue No. 5 in C Minor, "The Story Of A Hero" - Prelude and Fugue No. 6 in F Major, "A Feast Of Labour" 08:33
    Track
    6
    Title
    Prelude and Fugue No. 5 in C Minor, "The Story Of A Hero" - Prelude and Fugue No. 6 in F Major, "A Feast Of Labour"
    Duration
    08:33
    Composer
    Dmitry Borisovich Kabalevsky
    Performer
    Kirsten Johnson
  7. 7 Rondo in A Minor, Op. 59 06:00
    Track
    7
    Title
    Rondo in A Minor, Op. 59
    Duration
    06:00
    Composer
    Dmitry Borisovich Kabalevsky
    Performer
    Kirsten Johnson
  8. 8 Spring Games and Dances, Op. 81 07:04
    Track
    8
    Title
    Spring Games and Dances, Op. 81
    Duration
    07:04
    Composer
    Dmitry Borisovich Kabalevsky
    Performer
    Kirsten Johnson
  9. 9 Recitative and Rondo, Op. 84 07:43
    Track
    9
    Title
    Recitative and Rondo, Op. 84
    Duration
    07:43
    Composer
    Dmitry Borisovich Kabalevsky
    Performer
    Kirsten Johnson
  10. 10 No. 1. Variations on an American Folk Song 04:08
    Track
    10
    Title
    No. 1. Variations on an American Folk Song
    Duration
    04:08
    Composer
    Dmitry Borisovich Kabalevsky
    Performer
    Kirsten Johnson
  11. 11 No. 2. Variations on a French Folk Song 05:17
    Track
    11
    Title
    No. 2. Variations on a French Folk Song
    Duration
    05:17
    Composer
    Dmitry Borisovich Kabalevsky
    Performer
    Kirsten Johnson
  12. 12 No. 3. Variations on a Japanese Folk Song 05:45
    Track
    12
    Title
    No. 3. Variations on a Japanese Folk Song
    Duration
    05:45
    Composer
    Dmitry Borisovich Kabalevsky
    Performer
    Kirsten Johnson
  13. 13 Lyric Tunes, Op. 93a 07:41
    Track
    13
    Title
    Lyric Tunes, Op. 93a
    Duration
    07:41
    Composer
    Dmitry Borisovich Kabalevsky
    Performer
    Kirsten Johnson