Anna Petrova - Slavic Heart - COMPACT DISCS [CD]

The music in this programme, featuring two vocal top soloists, Claron McFadden and Nora Fischer, reigns from the turn of the 16th to the 17th century, the transition from the Renaissance to the Baroque era, a musically interesting and exciting time! Claudio Monteverdi is without any doubt the biggest Stella Lucente (shining star) of this album. He has always been considered the great master of this period and the title of the album could have been Monteverdi and his time. The highest goal is to touch the listener's soul. This leads, among other things, to an enormous amount of publications with compositions for solo voice, two sopranos and basso continuo and, subsequently, the birth of the opera. Many musicians work in the courts of the great city-states (such as Ferrara, Florence, Mantua, Venice) and the papal residence in Rome. The Duke of Ferrara employs three sopranos under the name Concerto delle Donne. They are the pride of the court and perform in special concerts attended only by high-ranking courtiers and important guests. Composers are inspired by them, Luzzaschi in particular, who worked as the musical director at the same court. Not only were they highly skilled singers, they were also adept at playing various instruments, some of which you can hear on this album; the harp, viola da gamba and guitar.

This album offers a compelling rediscovery of the still too rarely heard solo piano works of one of the most distinguished pianists of the early twentieth century. In these richly imaginative pieces, Friedman reveals himself as a composer of singular refinement and atmosphere, equally capable of evoking poignant nostalgia, sparkling wit, and dazzling virtuosity. His musical language draws with particular sensitivity on the inflections of Polish folklore-dance rhythms, modal contours, and folk-inspired lyricism-while resonating with the poetic worlds of Chopin and the early Szymanowski. Internationally acclaimed as both soloist and chamber musician, Anna Parkita brings to this repertoire an exceptional combination of brilliance, nuance, and expressive insight, illuminating music that unfolds with the colour, intimacy, and haunting beauty of a distinctly Slavic landscape.

The outstanding pianist Anna Kavalerova's program on this includes such masterpieces as the deeply philosophical Symphonic Etudes by Robert Schumann, Rachmaninov's highly emotional and tragic Variations on a Theme by Corelli, and brilliant Variations by Kapustin, a cycle full of charm, good humour, and virtuosity. Listening to this album we can enjoy the monumental program of three cycles of variations. Anna Kavalerova's program of Schumann, Rachmaninov and Kapustin's Variations was performed in her recitals around the world and was met with the warmest reception and a fantastic feedback everywhere. Highly professional and an incredibly gifted musician, Anna Kavalerova shows us her own approach to this immortal music and inspires the listeners to ask themselves new questions regarding life, emotions, and the purpose of our existence in this world.