Ornstein: Piano Music, Vol. 1 / Kharitonov

$15.99
Label
Toccata
Release Date
October 30, 2012
Format
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    Featuring ⌄
    • COMPOSER
      ORNSTEIN, LEO
    • PERFORMER
      Arsentiy Kharitonov
    Product Details ⌄
    • RELEASE DATE
      October 30, 2012
    • UPC
      5060113441416
    • CATALOG NUMBER
      TOCC0141
    • LABEL
      Toccata
    • NUMBER OF DISCS
      1
    • GENRE
      Instrumental
    Works ⌄

    1. No. 1. Moderato

      Composer: Leo Ornstein

      Performer: Arsentiy Kharitonov

    2. No. 2. Epitaph: Moderato espressivo

      Composer: Leo Ornstein

      Performer: Arsentiy Kharitonov

    3. No. 3. An Interlude: Andante

      Composer: Leo Ornstein

      Performer: Arsentiy Kharitonov

    4. No. 4. A Bit of Nostalgia: Moderato

      Composer: Leo Ornstein

      Performer: Arsentiy Kharitonov

    5. I. Moderato con moto

      Composer: Leo Ornstein

      Performer: Arsentiy Kharitonov

    6. II. Semplice

      Composer: Leo Ornstein

      Performer: Arsentiy Kharitonov

    7. III. Lento

      Composer: Leo Ornstein

      Performer: Arsentiy Kharitonov

    8. IV. Vivo

      Composer: Leo Ornstein

      Performer: Arsentiy Kharitonov

    9. I. The Gypsy Lament: Moderato con moto

      Composer: Leo Ornstein

      Performer: Arsentiy Kharitonov

    10. II. The Old Dungeon: Andante misterioso

      Composer: Leo Ornstein

      Performer: Arsentiy Kharitonov

    11. III. A Fairy Dance: Tempo rubato

      Composer: Leo Ornstein

      Performer: Arsentiy Kharitonov

    12. IV. The Cathedral Bells and the Choir: Moderato non troppo

      Composer: Leo Ornstein

      Performer: Arsentiy Kharitonov

    13. V. The Merry-Go-Round: Vivo e ritmico

      Composer: Leo Ornstein

      Performer: Arsentiy Kharitonov

    14. I. Evening Song: Maestoso

      Composer: Leo Ornstein

      Performer: Arsentiy Kharitonov

    15. II. Maidens at the Fountain: Andante comodo rubato

      Composer: Leo Ornstein

      Performer: Arsentiy Kharitonov

    16. III. Mazurka: Con vivo

      Composer: Leo Ornstein

      Performer: Arsentiy Kharitonov

    17. IV. Moonlight in the Mountains: Andante amabile

      Composer: Leo Ornstein

      Performer: Arsentiy Kharitonov

    18. V. Grief: Moderato con tristezza

      Composer: Leo Ornstein

      Performer: Arsentiy Kharitonov

    19. VI. The Waltz: Tempo di valse

      Composer: Leo Ornstein

      Performer: Arsentiy Kharitonov

    20. VII. The Nocturne: Lento

      Composer: Leo Ornstein

      Performer: Arsentiy Kharitonov

    21. VIII. At Dawn: Impazientemente

      Composer: Leo Ornstein

      Performer: Arsentiy Kharitonov

    22. IX. The Dance: Allegretto con spirito

      Composer: Leo Ornstein

      Performer: Arsentiy Kharitonov

    23. X. The Love Song: Andante con sentimento

      Composer: Leo Ornstein

      Performer: Arsentiy Kharitonov

    24. XI. The March: Tempo alla marcia

      Composer: Leo Ornstein

      Performer: Arsentiy Kharitonov

    25. XII. Meditation: Languido

      Composer: Leo Ornstein

      Performer: Arsentiy Kharitonov

    26. XIII. At the Festival: Allegro molto

      Composer: Leo Ornstein

      Performer: Arsentiy Kharitonov


Russian-born American composer Ornstein (1893–2002) lived long enough – an astonishing 109 years – to see his music fall into and re-emerge from obscurity. His earliest surviving work dates from around 1905; his last was composed in 1990. Not surprisingly, his music embraces a range of styles, from atmospheric impressionism to fiery virtuosity to the Rachmaninov-like Romanticism.

REVIEW:

By turns savage, tender, crushingly dissonant, and ravishingly lyrical, the piano music of Russian emigre Leo Ornstein is astonishing in its inventiveness and inspiration. Ornstein lived to be 109 years old, composing from 1905 until 1990, and experimented with every conceivable style, introducing tone clusters into the concert hall as a virtuoso pianist, garnering a reputation as a Futurist even as he wrote limpid song-like pieces that might pass for early Scriabin or Rachmaninoff.

One of the great originals, Ornstein represented no school or dogma; an unwavering intensity and poetry were his only constants. If you have never heard this complex, multi-layered, entertainingly colorful music, grab this well-filled CD, Part I of a welcome series. Pianist Arsentiy Kharitonov emphasizes Ornstein’s Russianess, splashing the Cossack Impressions, Sonata 4, 4 Impromptus, and ‘In the Country’ with lavish colors. It’s certainly a valid approach and is well served by the richsounding recording.

-- American Record Guide