Alexandrov: Complete Piano Sonatas

Featuring

Clarisse Teo
Anatoly Alexandrov

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Compositional Technique

Alexandrov's Piano Sonata No. 1, Op. 4 'Sonata-Skazka' references Nikolai Medtner's innovations, particularly the adoption of the term 'Skazka' (Fairy Tale) for character pieces and the hybrid genre of Sonata-Skazka.

Composer Biography

Anatoly Alexandrov, the composer, was born in Moscow in 1888 to a musical family, and his mother, a concert pianist, had studied harmony with Tchaikovsky at the Moscow Conservatory.

Composition History

Alexandrov's Piano Sonata No. 1, Op. 4 'Sonata-Skazka' (1914) is dedicated to his younger brother, Vladimir, and was composed while Alexandrov was so engrossed that he ignored the ongoing turmoil of World War I.

Composer Biography

Anatoly Alexandrov, the composer, initially studied philosophy at Moscow University but later took private music lessons with Sergei Taneyev and Nikolai Zhilyaev, who exposed him to both traditional and contemporary musical perspectives.

Composer Biography

During the Russian Civil War (1919-20), Alexandrov joined the Red Army as a non-combatant due to poor eyesight, serving as an entertainment pianist.

Recording & Production

This recording was made possible with the support of the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, where the recording sessions took place in Studio A.

Historical Context

The piano sonata experienced an unexpected resurgence in popularity in early 20th Century Russia, unmatched elsewhere, even with the general revival of interest in the genre due to neo-Classicism.