Balakirev: Complete Piano Works

Download & Streaming: Physical Purchase: Brilliant Classics’ Spotify: Spotify playlist: Brain Training – Classical Music Composer: Mily Balakirev Artist: Alexander Paley (piano) Mily Balakirev (1837-1910) was the founder of the group of Russian composers called ‘The Mighty Handful’. Together with Borodin, Rimsky Korsakov, Cui and Mussorgsky he helped create a distinctive Russian school of music that was not reliant on the influence of the Austro German school. Studying at the St Petersburg Conservatoire, he won the praise of Glinka, and had an influence on the young Tchaikovsky. He wrote two symphonies, two piano concertos, several symphonic poems and many piano works. On these 6CDs his entire output for piano can be found. A superb pianist, he produced one of the most taxing works ever written for the instrument, his Oriental Fantasy Islamey. His piano sonata is no less impressive, and the Seven Mazurkas are wonderfully melodic works. There is much to discover on these discs. Sadly, Balakirev suffered a complete nervous breakdown in 1871, and he withdrew from life, eventually emerging to take up a minor management role on the railways. In 1876 he began to compose again, and in 1883 was appointed as director of the Imperial Chapel. He retired in 1895, and continued composing, but by now considered old fashioned and was forgotten even by his old friends. However, one young composer, Igor Stravinsky had a soft spot for him, and pitied him as he suffered from bouts of depression. 00:00:00 Islamey, Oriental Fantasy 00:08:53 Fantasia, On Themes from Glinka’s A Life For The Tsar 00:22:39 Fantasiestück 00:26:51 Nocturne No. 1 in B-Flat Minor 00:33:39 Nocturne No. 2 in B Minor 00:43:33 Nocturne No. 3 in D Minor 00:50:32 Capriccio 01:01:02 Piano Sonata in B-Flat Minor, Op. 5: Andante 01:13:10 Piano Sonata in B-Flat Minor, Op. 5: Mazurka 01:17:45 Piano Sonata in B-Flat Minor, Op. 5: Andante 01:25:30 Sonatina (Esquisses): Allegro moderato 01:27:38 Sonatina (Esquisses): L’Istesso tempo 01:29:40 Sonatina (Esquisses): Coda-poco a poco piu agitato 01:31:06 Piano Sonata in B-Flat Minor: Andantino 01:39:52 Piano Sonata in B-Flat Minor: Mazurka-moderato 01:46:40 Piano Sonata in B-Flat Minor: Intermezzo-larghetto 01:51:17 Piano Sonata in B-Flat Minor: Finale-allegro non troppo ma con fuoco 02:00:44 Transcription: Glinka: Kamarinskaya 02:10:14 Transcription: Glinka: Ne govori 02:15:47 Transcription: Chopin: Romance from Piano Concerto No. 1 in E Minor, Op. 11 02:26:41 Transcription: Beethoven: Cavatina from String Quartet No. 13 in B-flat Major, Op. 130 02:32:00 Transcription: Beethoven: Allegretto from String Quartet No.8 in E Minor, No.2 02:41:33 Transcription: Zapolsky: Réverie 02:47:53 Transcription: Balakirev: Pustinya 02:50:53 Transcription: Berlioz: Introduction to La Fuite en Egypte 02:57:42 Transcription: Balakirev: Impromptu on the themes of Two Preludes by Chopin 03:03:12 Transcription: Glinka: Jota Aragonesca 03:13:51 Valse di bravura (No. 1) in G Major 03:22:10 Valse mélancholique (No. 2) in F Minor 03:27:22 Valse-Impromptu (No. 3) in D Major 03:32:29 Waltz No. 4 in B-Flat Major (Valse de Concert) 03:39:32 Waltz No. 5 in D-flat Major Waltz No. 6 in F-Sharp Minor 03:46:50 Waltz No. 7 in G-Sharp Minor 03:53:01 Polka 04:00:27 Tarantella 04:03:46 Valse-Caprice No. 1 in A-Flat Major (after A.S. Taneyev) 04:09:31 Valse-Caprice No. 2 in D-Flat Major (after A.S. Taneyev) 04:15:36 Mazurka No. 1 in A-Flat Major (2nd version) 04:22:06 Mazurka No. 2 in C-Sharp Minor (2nd version) 04:26:32 Mazurka No. 3 in B Minor 04:29:32 Mazurka No. 4 in G-Flat Major 04:35:02 Mazurka No. 5 in D Major 04:47:35 Mazurka No. 6 in A-Flat Major 04:53:43 Mazurka No. 7 in E-Flat Minor 05:01:55 Scherzo No. 1 in B Minor 05:09:47 Scherzo No. 2 in B-Flat Minor 05:17:48 Scherzo No. 3 in F-Sharp Major 05:23:58 Miscellaneous: Dumka 05:28:30 Miscellaneous: Au jardin 05:32:54 Miscellaneous: Gondollied 05:40:37 Miscellaneous: Berceuse 05:46:55 Miscellaneous: The Lark 05:52:34 Miscellaneous: Spanish Melody 05:56:44 Miscellaneous: Spanish Serenade 06:02:44 Miscellaneous: La fileuse 06:05:53 Miscellaneous: Tyrolienne 06:11:30 Miscellaneous: Chant du pêcheur 06:15:31 Miscellaneous: Humoresque 06:20:00 Miscellaneous: Réverie 06:25:24Miscellaneous: Novelette 06:31:18 Miscellaneous: Toccata