The Russian Piano Tradition: Constantine Igumnoff (1935, 1941, 1947)
11/1/2007, 22 Tracks, 1:14:08
Featuring
Konstantin Igumnov
Frédéric Chopin
Alexander Scriabin
Robert Schumann
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Did you know?
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Performer Biography
Konstantin Igumnov, a Russian pianist, is considered a crucial link between the old and new schools of Russian pianism, alongside Heinrich Neuhaus and Alexander Goldenweiser.
Critical Reception
By the mid-1920s, Moscow critics hailed Konstantin Igumnov as a 'phenomenon,' admiring his intimate style and reluctance to rely solely on his technique.
Interpretation
Konstantin Igumnov regularly performed Tchaikovsky's The Months throughout his life, despite it being largely ignored by other pianists.
Performer Biography
Konstantin Igumnov premiered Rachmaninov's Sonata No 1 and Glazunov's Concerto No 1, establishing himself as a champion of his contemporaries' music.
Recording & Production
Konstantin Igumnov resisted recording for most of his life, believing the process stifled spontaneity, and only made a few 78-rpm recordings in 1935.
Performer Biography
Konstantin Igumnov's first piano teacher was Nikolai Zverev, a former student of Tchaikovsky, and his classmate was Sergei Rachmaninov, who became a close friend.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Konstantin Igumnov's favorite mantra, which he often repeated to his students, was: 'Music should sound like poetry, like a human language'.
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