The main theme of the Andante non troppo quasi moderate in Tchaikovsky's Grande Sonate appears to be copied from Chopin's Prelude no.4, sharing the same key and harmonic shifts.
Composer Biography
Unlike many Romantic composers, Tchaikovsky, the composer of the works on this album, did not perform as a virtuoso pianist but played well enough to give private premieres of his works.
Compositional Technique
Tchaikovsky's Grande Sonate in G major features a first theme that foreshadows Rachmaninoff's 'pealing bell effects' and takes the piano to its limits with an orchestral idiom.
Performer Biography
Yakov Kasman, the pianist, is an Assistant Professor of Piano and Artist-in-Residence at the University of Alabama, Birmingham.
Performer Biography
Yakov Kasman, the pianist on this album, won the Silver Medal in the Tenth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition in Fort Worth in 1997.
Composition History
Tchaikovsky's 'The Seasons' was commissioned by the Russian musical periodical Le Nouvelliste, which announced the work in December 1875.
Composition History
Tchaikovsky, perpetually short of money, accepted the commission for 'The Seasons' and allegedly had his manservant remind him of monthly deadlines.
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