Franz Schubert, Leonid Desyatnikov

by Pavel Kolesnikov, Samson Tsoy

Overview

Recordings of Schubert's Fantasia for piano four hands in F minor, D. 940, are abundant; this is one of the masterpieces from the end of Schubert's life that broke all the musical boundaries of the time. There is much, however, to recommend this 2024 release by pianists Pavel Kolesnikov and Samson Tsoy. First is the fact that the two have been playing together since they were students; there is a level of coordination in quite complex music that often comes from long acquaintance. The performance of the Fantasia is broad and multi-layered. Second is the presence of an important world premiere, that of Leonid Desyatnikov's Trompe-l'oeil, which is based on Schubert's Fantasia -- in Desyatnikov's words, "the follow-up to, or the rough draft of Schubert's Fantasy." It puts the work through a funhouse mirror, with sharp contrasts added to Schubert's material and sudden shifts in dynamics. Better still, the third work on the program, Schubert's Divertissement à la hongroise, D. 818, is not terribly common, and it fits beautifully with the other two. Kolesnikov and Tsoy give this a dramatic reading that links it to the Desyatnikov work, which in turn is linked to the Fantasia. The result is a highly cohesive program that looks at Schubert in fresh ways. Accurate sound from the Gustav-Mahler-Hall in Dobbacio, Italy, is another plus. ~ James Manheim

Product Details

Release Date:	06/21/2024
Label:	HARMONIA MUNDI
UPC:	3149020950791

Tracks

1. Divertissement à la hongroise in G minor D. 818, Op. 54~I. Andante
2. Divertissement à la hongroise in G minor D. 818, Op. 54~II. Marcia. Andante con moto
3. Divertissement à la hongroise in G minor D. 818, Op. 54~III. Allegretto
4. Trompe-l`¿il
5. Fantasie in F minor D. 940, Op. 103~I. Allegro molto moderato
6. Fantasie in F minor D. 940, Op. 103~II. Largo
7. Fantasie in F minor D. 940, Op. 103~III. Scherzo. Allegro vivace
8. Fantasie in F minor D. 940, Op. 103~IV. Finale. Allegro molto moderato

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Samson Tsoy   Primary Artist,Piano
Pavel Kolesnikov   Primary Artist,Piano

Technical Credits

Franz Schubert   Composer
Alexandra Evrard   Assistant,Mastering,Editing
Yehuda Shapiro   Liner Note Translation
Kazuhiko Omaru   Piano Tuner
Irene Weber-Froboese   Liner Note Translation
Leonid Desyatnikov   Composer
Joss McKinley   Photography
Alban Moraud   Engineer,Editing