The Russian Piano Tradition: The Igumnoff School (1952, 1955, 1956)

Featuring

Yakov Flier
Frédéric Chopin
Sergei Rachmaninoff
Dimitri Kabalevsky

Did you know?

1/6

Performer Biography

Yakov Flier won first prize at the 1936 Vienna International Competition of Pianists, primarily for his performance of the Liszt Sonata, with Emil Gilels taking second prize.

Recording & Production

All the items on this album are making their first appearance on CD, including a rare 78-rpm recording of Rachmaninov's Op 3/2 and the premiere recording of Kabalevsky's 24 Preludes.

Performer Biography

Yakov Flier, the pianist on this album, was widely regarded as the greatest teacher of his generation at the Moscow Conservatoire, where he taught for 40 years.

Performer Biography

Despite his stature, Yakov Flier was forced to retire from the concert stage for a decade (1949-1959) due to a serious hand injury.

Interpretation

Yakov Flier's playing was characterized by a remarkable yet undemonstrative technique, direct music-making, and an extraordinary dynamic range, from hushed pianissimos to deeply resonant fortissimos.

Compositional Technique

Dmitri Kabalevsky's 24 Preludes, featured on this album, comprise a prelude in each key of the tempered system and are based on Russian folk songs from the Rimsky-Korsakov Collection.