Prokofiev: Piano Sonata No. 1 in F minor, Op. 1

Recording the complete Prokofiev Sonatas with pianist Peter Donohoe had been a long-cherished ambition of SOMM’s Owner and Recording Producer, Siva Oke, who had followed his illustrious career with keen interest for many years. This has now been realised with the complete recording of the Sonatas for SOMM, enjoyably recorded at Southampton University’s Turner Sims Concert Hall on their magnificent Steinway Grand, which Peter considers ideally responsive to the composer’s demands, both technically and musically.

Peter is no stranger to the Prokofiev Sonatas. He was asked by the publishers Boosey & Hawkes to prepare the definitive edition of the scores for them in 1985 and he also recorded Sonatas 6, 7 and 8 for EMI back in 1990. He has now added Sonatas 1 to 5 and 9 in this complete recording for the SOMM catalogue, for the first time.

He has, however, performed all the Sonatas in recital at some time or other over the years, and he feels – or with typical humility he thinks – that he has come as close to them as is possible for works of such infinite depth and stylistic complexity.

Peter has written the CD liner notes for this first volume as well as the rest of the cycle, in a relaxed, informed and affectionate manner.

Avie introduces the brilliant young Romanian pianist Alexandra Silocea who offers some of her signature repertoire on her debut recording, the first five Piano Sonatas of Prokofiev. Dubbed “Alexandra the Great” by Gramophone who announced her debut recording, the 26-year-old trained in Vienna and Paris, and is now resident in the UK. In 2003, while studying at Vienna University for Music and Performing Arts, she was awarded the Herbert von Karajan Scholarship, the latest in a string of prizes from competitions throughout Europe. Alexandra made her professional debut in 2008 with the Vienna Chamber Orchestra. Recital debuts followed in 2009 at the Musikverein in Vienna, Carnegie Hall’s Weill Recital Hall in New York, and le Salon de Musique in Paris.

Alexandra says: “This debut recording serves as a journey through my own musical path. The aim of recording Prokofiev’s first five piano sonatas together was to show all the facets of Prokofiev's musical personality, from Op. 1 to Op. 138, which is the revised version of Sonata No. 5, one of the last works he completed before his death in 1953. Each Sonata is so different, so original, with such care for detail that whenever I play or listen to this music it's a revelation."

This recording extends the legacy of the late producer John Barnes, who introduced the pianist to Avie. An insatiable scout for young talent, Barnes also worked for decades behind the scenes at Glyndebourne, recording every production for the company’s archives. His successor at Glyndebourne, Sebastian Chonion, has produced Alexandra’s debut recording.

3CD's for the price of 2

This release completes Anne-Marie McDermott's survey of Prokofiev’s Sonatas, originally started by Arabesque Records. The disc features all of Prokofiev’s piano sonatas with McDermott's recordings of Sonatas No. 2, 4 and 7 for the first time, along with Prokofiev's Sarcasms.

A passionate champion of the composer, McDermott has performed the complete cycle of sonatas throughout America to great critical acclaim.

McDermott’s previous disc on Bridge, Gershwin: Music for Piano & Orchestra (BRIDGE9252), received an Editor’s Choice in Gramophone.