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Anton Rubinstein always regretted that his status as an elite pianist eclipsed his reputation as a composer. Recent recordings have shown that his music is melodically distinguished and attractive, as these two major works from the mid-1860s show. Cast on a wide canvas, the Fantasia in E minor conforms to Romantic grandeur in it's gestures, which also include Beethovenian echoes in the finale. The Five Pieces are condensed character studies, evoking Chopin and Schumann, and ending with a brilliant Toccata. The Trot de cavalerie, a march for mounted troops, was a popular genre in the 19th century. Album Tracks 1. Fantasia in E minor, Op. 77~I. Adagio - Allegro con fuoco - 2. Fantasia in E minor, Op. 77~II. Moderato assai 3. Fantasia in E minor, Op. 77~III. Allegro molto - Moderato - Allegro molto - Poco meno mosso - Presto - 4. Fantasia in E minor, Op. 77~IV. Molto lento - Vivace assai - Tempo rubato - Quasi presto 5. Five Pieces, Op. 69~No. 1. Caprice 6. Five Pieces, Op. 69~No. 2. Nocturne 7. Five Pieces, Op. 69~No. 3. Scherzo 8. Five Pieces, Op. 69~No. 4. Romance 9. Five Pieces, Op. 69~No. 5. Toccata 10. Trot de cavalerie (simplified version in D major)
