FOMINA/KARPEYEV - Medtner/Songs
Like his friend and contemporary Rachmaninoff, Nikolai Medtner enjoyed a privileged and affluent upbringing, and was also exiled from Russia following the revolution in 1917. Unlike Rachmaninoff, Medtner could point to an ancestry that was part German, and his father’s passion for Germanic culture ensured that Goethe and Beethoven exerted as much influence on the young Medtner as Russian composers and writers, in particular Beethoven’s piano sonatas and string quartets. Medtner moved first to Germany, then France, before settling in London in 1935.
The earlier songs in this programme, Opp. 36 and 37, were written against the backdrop of the revolution, shortly before he fled Russia. Opp. 45 and 46 (written to Russian and German texts, respectively) were composed in France.
Praised for her ‘formidably striking’ and ‘stunning silvery’ sound, the rising star soprano Sofia Fomina has performed in Toulouse and Baden-Baden, at Bayerische Staatsoper, Seattle Opera, Hungarian State Opera, Paris Opéra, and The Royal Opera, Covent Garden. Her Pamina for Glyndebourne Festival Opera in 2019 received rave reviews.
Alexander Karpeyev has performed throughout Europe and toured in the USA, Canada, and Russia as a concerto soloist, recitalist, and chamber musician. A prize-winner of several international competitions, he also completed a doctorate on performance practise in the music of Medtner, based on the Edna Iles Medtner Collection at the British Library.
4-stars:
“…Sofia Fomina and Alexander Karpeyev perform the songs with passion and commitment. Some of the songs seem to take Fomina towards the limits of her voice, but that only serves to highlight the intensity and drama of the works. Karpeyev plays the dense piano parts with skill and fluidity, never retiring into the background but never overwhelming Fomina either. Both performers bring a nice fluidity and flow to the songs. Medtner notoriously ignored barlines in his writing, and the two seem to be at home in Medtner's style. Performances as passionate and as emotive as these make you wonder why we have taken to so long to appreciate Medtner's songs… A fine recital indeed, and a sign that justice is being done to this composer's songs at last.” ****
Robert Hugill - planethugill.com – 2 February 2021
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| Product Code | CHAN20171 |
|---|---|
| Format | CD |
Six Poems by A.Pushkin, Op.36 (1918-19)
1.1 The Angel. Con moto disinvolto ed espressivo
2.2 The Flower. Andante espressivo
3.3 When roses fade. Largo
4.4 Spanish Romance. Allegro vivace e leggieramente
5.5 Night. Con moto - Meno mosso - Con moto
6.6 Arion. Andante largamente - Con moto - Allegro con moto
Five Poems by Tyutchev and Fet, OP.37 (1918-20)
7.1 Sleeplessness. Andantino con moto, ma sempre lugubre
8.2 Tears. Lamentoso - Languido - Più mosso
9.3 Impromptu. Impetuoso - Poco a poco con moto leggiero - Con moto
10.4 The Waltz. Quasi valse, ma sempre con inflessione di tempo - Poco più tranquillo
11.5 Night Wind. Con moto
Four Songs, Op.45 (1922-24)
(after poems by Pushkin and Tyutchev)
12.1 Elegy.Largamente - Più mosso e sempre più appassionato
13.2 The Wagon of Live. Allegro risoluto
14.3 Night Song. Largamente - Più mosso - Largamente - Più mosso
15.4 Our Time. Sostenuto - Con moto agitato
Sieben Lieder, Op.46 (1922-24)
(Seven Songs) (after poems by Goethe, Eichendorff, and Chamisso)
16.1 Praeludium (Prelude). Largamente
17.2 Geweihter Platz (Hallowed Place). Allegretto
18.3 Serenade ('Aussicht'/'Prospect'). Allegretto con dolcezza
19.4 Im Wlade (In the Forest). Allegro risoluto - Meno mosso e sempre mancando
20.5 Winternacht (Winter night). Lento - Tranquillo (tempo giusto) - Più mosso
21.6 Die Quelle (The Spring). Allegretto (Andantino) commodo - [ ] - Tempo I
22.7 Frisch gesungen (Sing out!). Allegretto con moto, ma poco assoluto - [ ] - Tempo I
Total time: 56:40
Solo: Sofia Fomina soprano
Solo: Alexander Karpeyev piano