Serge Rachmaninoff's piano music can serve as a powerful introduction to the instrument for those not yet familiar with classical repertoire: it's immediacy, sheer charm, and expressive power cannot fail to move even non-musical listeners. These same qualities, however, yield the most common prejudices against Rachmaninoff, especially among those who view him as a reactionary bent on easy appreciation, as if this were inherently synonymous with mediocrity. In these virtuosic performances of three Rachmaninoff solo works of which Isle of the Dead is a recording premiere Italian pianist Carlo Grante demonstrates the music's depth of thought, originality, and inventiveness, making a convincing case for it's viability today.
10 Preludes (13) for Piano, Op. 32: Prelude 10. Lento
11 Preludes (13) for Piano, Op. 32: Prelude 11. Allegretto
12 Preludes (13) for Piano, Op. 32: Prelude 12. Allegro
13 Preludes (13) for Piano, Op. 32: Prelude 13. Grave
14 Variations on a Theme of Corelli, for Piano, Op. 42: Theme. Andante
15 Variations on a Theme of Corelli, for Piano, Op. 42: Variation 2. L'istesso Tempo
16 Variations on a Theme of Corelli, for Piano, Op. 42: Variation 3. Tempo Di Menuetto
17 Variations on a Theme of Corelli, for Piano, Op. 42: Variation 4. Andante
18 Variations on a Theme of Corelli, for Piano, Op. 42: Variations 5 & 6. Allegro (Ma Non Tanto)
19 Variations on a Theme of Corelli, for Piano, Op. 42: Variation 7. Vivace
20 Variations on a Theme of Corelli, for Piano, Op. 42: Variation 8. Adagio Misterioso
21 Variations on a Theme of Corelli, for Piano, Op. 42: Variation 9. Un Poco Più Mosso
22 Variations on a Theme of Corelli, for Piano, Op. 42: Variation 10. Allegro Scherzando
23 Variations on a Theme of Corelli, for Piano, Op. 42: Variation 11. Allegro Vivace
24 Variations on a Theme of Corelli, for Piano, Op. 42: Variation 12. L'istesso Tempo
25 Variations on a Theme of Corelli, for Piano, Op. 42: Variation 13. Agitato
26 Variations on a Theme of Corelli, for Piano, Op. 42: Intermezzo. a Tempo Rubato
27 Variations on a Theme of Corelli, for Piano, Op. 42: Variation 14. Andante
28 Variations on a Theme of Corelli, for Piano, Op. 42: Variation 15. L'istesso Tempo
29 Variations on a Theme of Corelli, for Piano, Op. 42: Variation 16. Allegro Vivace
30 Variations on a Theme of Corelli, for Piano, Op. 42: Variation 17. Meno Mosso
31 Variations on a Theme of Corelli, for Piano, Op. 42: Variation 18. Allegro Con Brio
32 Variations on a Theme of Corelli, for Piano, Op. 42: Coda. Andante
33 The Isle of the Dead, Symphonic Poem, Op. 29
Serge Rachmaninoff's piano music can serve as a powerful introduction to the instrument for those not yet familiar with classical repertoire: it's immediacy, sheer charm, and expressive power cannot fail to move even non-musical listeners. These same qualities, however, yield the most common prejudices against Rachmaninoff, especially among those who view him as a reactionary bent on easy appreciation, as if this were inherently synonymous with mediocrity. In these virtuosic performances of three Rachmaninoff solo works of which Isle of the Dead is a recording premiere Italian pianist Carlo Grante demonstrates the music's depth of thought, originality, and inventiveness, making a convincing case for it's viability today.
