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‘He played like a god – he looked like a god’ Heinrich Neuhaus
Vladimir Sofronitsky was born in St Petersburg in 1901, the youngest of 6 children. He studied in Warsaw with Anna Lebedeva-Getsevich, a pupil of Anton Rubinstein, and, on the recommendation of Glazunov, further studies with Alexander Michalowski.
Michalowski was a pupil of Moscheles, Reinecke and Tausig, so the Beethoven – Mendelssohn – Liszt line was seamless. Composition classes with Maximillian Steinberg (Rimsky’s son-in-law) followed as did a period of study with Leonid Nikolayev, who also taught Shostakovich. In 1917, Scriabin’s daughter Elena enrolled under Nikolayev, and she and Sofronitzky married in 1920 and moved to Paris, where their circle included members of the Scriabin family, Glazunov, Prokofiev (a good friend), Medtner and Cortot. In July 1945 he played for Stalin, Gromyko, President Truman and Churchill at the Potsdam Conference. His career revolved around concerts, recording and teaching, and his repertoire was broad – from Bach and Scarlatti, Clementi, Mozart, Beethoven and Schubert, to Chopin and Liszt, Schumann, a little late Brahms, a little Ravel and Debussy and Poulenc. Russian repertoire included Balakirev’s Islamey, and Tchikovsky’s Seasons and some Liadov. Scriabin reigns supreme (except the 7th Sonata ‘White Mass’ Sofronitzky was superstitious), Glazunov, Medtner, Prokofiev, Rachmaninov and Shostakovich also figure prominently. During the Cold War, he took a shine to Glenn Gould, and Van Cliburn, and Lazar Berman was a disciple.
‘I would proceed to the concert as if going on a blind date, anticipating something completely unknown, mysterious and wonderful, in other words, a miracle! He approached the piano and the magic began’ Stanislav Neuhaus, Recollections
Prelude in C major, op. 11 no. 1
Piano Sonata No. 3 F sharp minor, op. 23: 1. Drammatico
Piano Sonata No. 3 F sharp minor, op. 23: 2. Allegretto
Piano Sonata No. 3 F sharp minor, op. 23: 3. Andante
Piano Sonata No. 3 F sharp minor, op. 23: 4. Presto con fuoco
Piano Sonata No. 2 G sharp minor, op. 19: andante
Poeme in D major, op. 32 no. 2
Poeme in C major, op. 44 no. 1
Ironies, op. 56 no. 2
Morceau, op. 57 no. 1
Polonaise in B flat minor, op. 21
Etude in F sharp major, op. 42 no. 4
Etude in D flat major, op. 42 no. 6
Waltz in A flat major, op. 38
Prelude in G major, op. 11 no. 3
Prelude in B minor, op. 11 no. 6
Prelude in A major, op. 11 no. 7
Prelude in F sharp minor, op. 11 no. 8
Prelude in B major, op. 11 no. 11
Prelude in G sharp minor, op. 11 no. 12
Prelude in G flat major, op. 11 no. 13
Prelude in A flat major, op. 11 no. 17
Prelude in C minor, op. 11 no. 20
Prelude C Opus 13 No. 1
Prelude A Opus 11 No. 2
Prelude G Opus 13 No. 3
Prelude E Opus 11 No. 4
Prelude D Opus 11 No. 5
Prelude B Opus 13 No. 6
Prelude A Opus 15 No. 1
Prelude Left Hand C Sharp Opus 9 No. 1
Plelude E Opus 11 No. 9
Prelude C Sharp Opus 11 No. 10
Prelude C Sharp Opus 11 No. 2
Prelude G Sharp Opus 16 No. 2
Prelude F Sharp Opus 16 No. 5
Prelude E Flat Opus 16 No. 4
Prelude D Flat Opus 11 No. 15
Prelude B Flat Opus 11 No. 16
Prelude E Flat Opus 11 No. 19
Prelude B Flat Opus 11 No. 21
Prelude G Opus 11 No. 22
Prelude D Opus 11 No. 24
Poème C Opus 59 No. 1
Poème Opus 59 No. 1
Poème Ailé Opus 51 No. 3
Poème Languide Opus 52 No. 3
Masque Opus 63 No. 1
Poème Satanique Op. 36
Piano Sonata N0. 9 Opus 69 "Black Mass"
Poème Opus 69 No. 1
Poème Opus 69 No. 2
Flammes Sombres Op. 73 No. 2
Guirlandes Op. 73 No. 1
Piano Sonata No. 10 Op. 70
Fragilité Op. 51 No. 1
Feuillet D'album In E Flat Op. 45 No. 1
Etude C Harp Op. 42 No. 5
Mazurka In F Sharp Op. 40 No. 2
Etude D Sharp Op. 8 No. 12
Borodin: Petite Suite: Au Convent
Borodin: Petite Suite: Intermezzo
Borodin: Petite Suite: Mazurka
Borodin: Petite Suite: Mazurka
Borodin: Petite Suite: Rêverie
Borodin: Petite Suite: Serenade
Borodin: Petite Suite: Nocturne
Prokofiev: Tales of an Old Grandmother, op.31: Moderato
Prokofiev: Tales of an Old Grandmother, op.31: Andantino
Prokofiev: Tales of an Old Grandmother, op.31: Andante Assai
Prokofiev: Tales of an Old Grandmother, op.31: Sostenuto
Rachmaninov: Moment Musical, op.16-3: Andante cantabile
Rachmaninov: Moment Musical, op.16-5: Adagio sostenuto
Rachmaninov: Etude-Tableau in C major, op.33-2: Allegro
Rachmaninov: Etude-Tableau in G minor, op.33-8: Moderato
Rachmaninov: Etude-Tableau in B minor, op.39-4: Allegro assai
Rachmaninov: Etude-Tableau in E flat minor, op.39-5: Appassionato
Rachmaninov: Etude-Tableau in A minor, op.33-6: Allegro
Click on any of the works listed above for alternative recordings.
Prelude in C major, op. 11 no. 1