Stravinsky: Three Movements from Petrushka

Shura Cherkassky (1909–1995) was one of the greatest piano virtuosos of his time having studied under the legendary Josef Hofmann.

This WDR studio broadcast sourced from the original master tapes has Cherkassky playing Rachmaninov’s Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini from 1970 in superb stereo. He recorded the Rhapsody only once in 1953 for EMI in mono but it has never been issued on CD so this taping is exceptionally important and adds a major work to Cherkassky’s large discography.

Prokofiev’s wartime Piano Sonata No.7 was never recorded commercially by Cherkassky so this is another addition to his discography sourced from WDR’s original master tapes. It was recorded in 1951 when Cherkassky was fast becoming a star in Germany.

The three scenes from Stravinsky’s Petruschka was a favourite virtuoso work for Cherkassky and this 1951 recording shows him at his most brilliant, sourced from WDR’s original master tapes. Three encores have been added from 1951 and 1953 (not sourced from WDR) which again showcase Cherkassky’s incredible technique during the early period of his career in Germany. Note that Cherkassky never recorded Chabrier’s Bourrée Fantasque commercially.

Freddy Kempf has previously recorded ten highly acclaimed solo discs for BIS, of which the latest (BISSACD1820) was described by Gramophone as “a formidable programme formidably played… This is “live” virtuosity with a vengeance, with absolutely no hint of a safety net”.

Rachmaninov’s Corelli Variations is inspired by the theme used by Corelli in his violin sonata La Follia which undergoes a radical pianistic treatment taking it through all the sonic and atmospheric possibilities offered by the instrument.

With his celebrated transcription of Bach’s Chaconne, Ferruccio Busoni had a very different aim, wanting to shed new light on the work without actually changing it.

Ravel’s collection of waltzes was composed as a nod to Schubert and in it Ravel shows the range of his musical palette.

Stravinsky’s Three movements from Petrushka is the composer’s arrangement of music from his own ballet, commissioned by Arthur Rubinstein.

On the heels of her impressive Deutsche Grammophon debut recital album, pianist Yuja Wang’s return recording for the label – Transformation – categorically demonstrates that she is a young master of the Steinway.

Her new album excites with a demanding recital that includes some of the most electrifying pieces of piano literature – Stravinsky’s Pétrouchka, Brahms’s Variations on a Theme by Paganini, Scarlatti’s Sonatas in E and B minor, and Ravel’s La Valse.

Yuja Wang’s ability to take her music by storm is tempered by a sophisticated musicality that never distorts the line.

Transformation highlights Yuja Wang’s penchant for piecing together high concept programs the public adores. As The New York Times observes, “She seems to have everything: speed, flexibility, pianistic thunder, and interpretive nuance.”

Roman Rabinovich fuses art and music on his debut Ballets Russes-inspired recording. An accomplished artist, Rabinovich regularly displays his iPad-created sketches alongside concert performances, and has created original artwork for this new release

The disc features composer-arrangements for solo piano: Stravinsky’s Three movements from Petrushka and Prokofiev’s Ten Pieces from Romeo & Juliet Op.75. Rabinovich has also transcribed Ravel’s Daphnis and Chloe to complete the disc

Roman Rabinovich won the top prize at the 2008 Arthur Rubinstein International Piano Master Competition. At the age of 10 he made his debut with the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra under Zubin Mehta, and he has performed at venues including the Leipzig Gerwandhaus, Wigmore Hall, Metropolitan Museum NYC and Paris’ Salle Cortot

London‐based pianist Reinis Zarins makes his debut recording for Champs Hill Records with ‘Circus and Magic’. Born in Riga in 1985, he is a prize‐winner in eleven international piano competitions and performs regularly with leading orchestras in Latvia for broadcast on national radio and TV, and has been recognized with national awards. He has performed at the Lucerne Festival, Bath Musicfest and the Norfolk & Norwich Festival.

Ernest Bloch, essentially a romantic composer torn between his natural instincts and modernist trends, produced his character sketches The Four Circus Pieces for private performance but was eventually persuaded to publish them. One is dedicated to “the sad and ever‐comprehending Charlie Chaplin” whom Bloch admired. He sent the music to Chaplin, himself a skillful composer, but received no reply.

Included on this album are three pieces by Debussy, including his firework display in Feux d’Artifice, a fantastic display of inventive piano‐writing, and Masques , inspired by the Commedia dell'arte as painted by Watteau - a blend of joy and pathos. Marguerite Long, who studied with Debussy, wrote: “I hear Masques - a tragedy for piano one might call it - as a sort of transparency of Debussy's character … He was torn with poignant feelings which he preferred to mask with irony”.

Three Pieces from Prokofiev’s ballet music for Cinderella follow: Intermezzo creates wonderful imagery of the Waltz guests danced to at the ball; Gavotte - played during a scene in which Cinderella takes a broom as her dancing partner; and Slow Waltz, the penultimate number in the full ballet, which is played as the Prince and Cinderella dance together in an enchanted garden. Even when divorced from their orchestral colour, these pieces still possess a strong tactile feeling and a sense of wonderment.

Ligeti's eighteen Études have become modern classics. Étude No.10 (Der Zauberlehrling) dates from 1994 and is named after the celebrated Goethe poem which inspired Dukas to write his symphonic poem/scherzo The Sorcerer's Apprentice.

This recital disc concludes with Three Pieces from Petrushka by Stravinsky arranged in 1921 from the 1911 original, and dedicated to Arthur Rubinstein. Danse Russe is taken from the music in Tableau One to which Petrushka and the other puppets dance after being brought to life, and is followed by In Petrushka’s Room. The Shrovetide Fair, with its evocation of a teeming crowd, completes the set. With these pieces, Stravinsky stated his intention of writing something essentially pianistic ‐ in no way an imitation of the sound of the orchestral score.

Twenty years ago, the Austrian pianist Matthias Fletzberger won many competitions, but then gave up performing.

This is his comeback recording.

The Ukrainian-born pianist Antonii Baryshevskyi is a multi-award winner, including First Prize at the Fourth Enescu International Piano Competition in Bucharest in 1999, the Fourth Performer-Composer International Piano Competition in St Petersburg in 2004 and the 51st Premio Jaén International Piano Competition in Spain in 2009.

Transcribed and performed by Jean Guillou at the Great Organ of the Tonhalle, Zurich