Evgeny Svetlanov - Legacy: Evgeny Svetlanov - COMPACT DISCS [CD]

Georgiy Eduardovich Conus (1862-1933) is one of the astonishing number of gifted Russian composer-pianists who helped shape what is known as the 'Silver Age' of Russian music, but whose achievements have since been obscured by the music of Rachmaninov and others. This first-ever recording of his piano music reveals a composer with his roots in Tchaikovsky, a harmonic sophistication akin to Skriabin's and an emotional range that stretches from an easy-going charm to dramatic and powerful keyboard virtuosity. Jonathan Powell has established a reputation as one of the most fearless pianists currently active, spending his concert seasons touring blockbuster piano works. In the past decade he has presented the cycle of Scriabin's ten sonatas in single concerts, Messiaen's 'Vingt regards sur l'enfant Jesus,' Albeniz's 'Iberia,' Beethoven's 'Hammerklavier' Sonata, Reger's Bach Variations, and more. This is his sixth recording for Toccata Classics.

In the works of Stanislaw Moniuszko, next to operas and songs, an important place is occupied by religious music, which he wrote all his life. Nowadays, we know less than 90 of his sacred pieces. This work is very diverse; it consists of such forms as masses, individual mass sections, hymns, psalms, cantatas, litanies, motets, religious songs and their arrangements for organ. The composer would write them from an internal need, he was driven by strong faith and by the consequent imperative to serve God and fellow human beings. The 200th anniversary of the birth of Stanislaw Moniuszko is a great opportunity to familiarize listeners with this somewhat less-known area of the compositional activity of this Polish Romantic.

ICA marks the 10th anniversary of the great Evgeny Svetlanov's death with a coupling of Rachmaninov's the Bells and Prokofiev's Alexander Nevsky, two composers that were closely associated with the conductor. The performance of the Bells was taken from Svetlanov's last concert in April 2002. These recordings have never been issued before and have been recorded in brilliant stereo with a wide dynamic range.