Balakirev, M.: Piano Concertos Nos. 1 and 2 / Grande Fantaisie On Russian Folksongs

Featuring

Dmitry Yablonsky
Anastasia Seifetdinova
Russian Philharmonic Orchestra
Mily Balakirev

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Compositional Technique

The Grande Fantaisie on Russian Folksongs, Op. 4, uses two folk-songs with a delicate orchestral background, subordinating the orchestra to a demonstrative piano part.

Composition History

Balakirev's Grande Fantaisie on Russian Folksongs, Op. 4, for piano and orchestra, was an extraordinary accomplishment for a schoolboy who largely taught himself composition.

Compositional Technique

The Adagio movement of Balakirev's Piano Concerto No. 2 features a main theme that is a chant from the Russian Orthodox Requiem 'So sviatymi upokoi'.

Composition History

Balakirev's Piano Concerto No. 2 in E flat major was left unfinished by the composer for nearly forty years, with the finale completed and orchestrated by Sergey Lyapunov.

Composer's Artistic Vision

Balakirev was a key figure in the 'Mighty Handful' of Russian composers, who aimed to create a distinctively Russian sound in their music.

Composer Biography

Mily Alexeyevich Balakirev, the composer, was a seminal figure in late 19th-century Russian music, acting as a composer, pianist, conductor, teacher, and mentor.

Performer Biography

The Russian Philharmonic Orchestra, featured on this recording, draws its musicians from Russia's most famous orchestras and won a Gramophone Prize in 2006 for a Shostakovich recording.