Rachmaninoff thoroughly revised his Second Piano Sonata in 1931, cutting 120 bars and smoothing transitions, and this revised version is the one most commonly performed today.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Pianist Martin Klett believes that the music of Carlos Guastavino and Sergei Rachmaninoff, though geographically distant, share a strikingly similar approach to the piano, particularly in their romantic elements.
Composer Biography
Carlos Guastavino, born in Santa Fe in 1912, was an excellent pianist and one of Argentina's most significant composers, whose death in 2000 was mourned by the entire nation.
Performer Biography
Martin Klett, the pianist on this recording, has won the International Johannes Brahms Competition and the German National Music Competition, leading to performances across Europe and Asia.
Interpretation
Martin Klett views Rachmaninoff's own piano roll recordings not as inspiration for his interpretation, but as historical documents.
Performer Biography
Beyond classical performance, Martin Klett is also an arranger and founded the Cuarteto SolTango in 2008, which performs Argentine tango.
Composition History
Sergei Rachmaninoff began composing his Second Piano Sonata in 1913 in Rome and completed it a few months later at his country estate, Ivanovka, in southern Russia.
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