Alexandra Papastefanou - Tears from Babylon - COMPACT DISCS [CD]

Following on from her two previous successful FHR albums of J.S. Bach, Papastefanou has now recorded one of the most iconic works in the history of music, the Goldberg Variations. This challenging, inventive masterpiece feels completely natural under Papastefanou fingers and will surely be a recording to be revered, like her previous Bach recordings for FHR. Alexandra Papstefanou graduated from Athens Conservatoire, where she studied piano under Aliki Vatikioti. She followed her studies with Olga Zhukova at the Moscow Tchaikovsky Conservatory, with Peter Solymos, at the Franz Liszt Academy of Music in Budapest and, on a scholarship from the Alexander Onassis Foundation, at the University of Indiana in Bloomington, USA, with the highly influential teacher György Sebok. She has also taken lessons from Alfred Brendel. She has performed all of Bach's keyboard works and, in a series of recitals, has presented his complete Well-Tempered Clavier, Goldberg Variations, The Art of Fugue, and The Musical Offering as well as his keyboard concertos. Album Tracks 1. Aria 2. Variation No. 1 3. Variation No. 2 4. Variation No. 3 (Canone All'unisono) 5. Variation No. 4 6. Variation No. 5 7. Variation No. 6 (Canone Alla Seconda) 8. Variation No. 7 9. Variation No. 8 10. Variation No. 9 (Canone Alla Terza) 11. Variation No. 10 (Fughetta) 12. Variation No. 11 13. Variation No. 12 (Canone Alla Quarta) 14. Variation No. 13 15. Variation No. 14 16. Variation No. 15 (Canone Alla Quinta, in Moto Contrario) 17. Variation No. 16 (Ouverture) 18. Variation No. 17 19. Variation No. 18 (Canona Alla Sesta) 20. Variation No. 19 21. Variation No. 20 22. Variation No. 21 (Canona Alla Settima) 23. Variation No. 22 (Alla Breve) 24. Variation No. 23 25. Variation No. 24 (Canone All'ottava) 26. Variation No. 25 27. Variation No. 26 28. Variation N

1839 was Schumann's most productive year of writing for solo piano, and the last year he wrote a major work for piano solo. The following year, Schumann wrote no works for solo piano, focusing a new energy in writing songs. 1840 is famously known as his 'Year of Song' (Liederjahr), hence our coined title 'Year of Piano' with all the works on this album, apart from 3 Stücklein, written in 1838. This is Papastefanou's third album for FHR. Alexandra Papstefanou graduated from Athens Conservatoire, where she studied piano under Aliki Vatikioti. She followed her studies with Olga Zhukova at the Moscow Tchaikovsky Conservatory, with Peter Solymos, at the Franz Liszt Academy of Music in Budapest and, on a scholarship from the Alexander Onassis Foundati on, at the University of Indiana in Bloomington, USA, with the highly infl uencial teacher György Sebok. She has also taken lessons from Alfred Brendel. Album Tracks 1. Humoreske in B flat major, Op. 20~I. Einfach. Sehr rasch und leicht - 2. Humoreske in B flat major, Op. 20~II. Hastig - 3. Humoreske in B flat major, Op. 20~III. Einfach und zart Intermezzo.- 4. Humoreske in B flat major, Op. 20~IV. Innig - 5. Humoreske in B flat major, Op. 20~V. Sehr lebhaft - Mit einigen Pomp - 6. Humoreske in B flat major, Op. 20~VI. Zum Beschluss 7. 4 Nachstücke, Op. 23~No. 1 in C major Mehr langsam, oft zurückhaltend 8. 4 Nachstücke, Op. 23~No. 2 in F major Markiert und lebhaft 9. 4 Nachstücke, Op. 23~No. 3 in D flat major Mit großer Lebhaftigkeit 10. 4 Nachstücke, Op. 23~No. 4 in F major Einfach 11. Arabeske in C major, Op. 18 12. Blumenstück in D flat major, Op. 19 1. Faschingsschwank aus Wien, Op. 26~I. Allegro. Sehr lebhaft 2. Faschingsschwank aus Wien, Op. 26~II. Romanze. Ziemlich langsam 3. Faschingsschwank aus Wien, Op. 26~III. Scherzino 4. Faschingsschwank aus Wien, Op. 26~IV. Intermezzo. Mi

Album Tracks 1. Blessed 2. I Wanna 3. All I Need 4. I Already Lost You 5. Mystery