20th CENTURY RUSSIAN PIANO SONATAS

Among the genres of piano music, the piano sonata is a particularly complex and exciting phenomenon with a rich history. In Russia, the piano sonata flourished at the turn of the 20th century. A number of piano sonatas by various composers from different eras have a permanent place in the repertoire. When we talk about piano sonatas by Russian composers, we usually refer to works from the first half of the 20th century by well-known and popular composers such as Rachmaninoff, Scriabin and Prokofiev. However, the majority of piano sonatas written by Soviet composers after the Second World War are still languishing in obscurity, both in Russia as well as on the international concert scene.

On this recording, the Russian pianist Anastasia Yasko presents a selection of magnificent but little-known piano sonatas by Sergei Prokofiev, Georgy Sviridov, Samuil Feinberg, and Mieczysław Weinberg. By presenting both the various stylistic directions of New Music as well as the distinguishing features of the Russian musical tradition, the selection paints a diverse picture of the Soviet era. The idea for the project arose from Anastasia Yasko’s scientific research as a doctoral candidate at the Mozarteum University in Salzburg.

Producer
Annette Schumacher
Sound Engineer
Sascha Tekale
Recording
26.–28. February 2020 Solitär, Kammermusiksaal Mozarteum Salzburg
Piano
Steinway & Sons D 274