Despite being appointed director of the Imperial Chapel Choir in 1883, heavy administrative duties and the death of earlier champions meant his later compositions were often overlooked.
Composer Biography
Balakirev neglected his own composing, with some works existing for years only as piano improvisations, and suffered a deep depression in the 1870s, working as a clerk for the Warsaw Railway.
Composer Biography
Mili Alekseyevich Balakirev, a brilliant pianist and conductor, led 'The Mighty Handful' of Russian composers, influencing figures like Tchaikovsky, Debussy, and Stravinsky.
Compositional Technique
Balakirev's arrangements on this album include 'balalaika sonorities' in Glinka's operas, a 'novel concept of dovetailing préludes' by Chopin, and evoking the 'richness of Beethoven's string quartets'.
Recording & Production
This album, Volume 5 of Balakirev's complete piano works, includes several world première recordings.
Performer Biography
Nicholas Walker, the pianist on this recording, is known for championing the neglected works of Mili Alekseyevich Balakirev and organized the Balakirev Centenary concerts in London in 2010.
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