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DRD2008bklt12.qxd:3255bk16.qxd 2/11/11 3:49 PM Page 1 CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK 12pg BOOKLET FRONT 20th Century Russian Piano Music Vladimir Yurigin-Klevke, piano # b o Sofia Gubaidulina (1931–) Rodion Shchedrin (1932–) J 1 Ciaconna (1961) (11:33) 24 Preludes and Fugues for Piano (1964-70) 12 No. 10 in C-Sharp Minor (5:54) Arvo Pärt (1935–) 13 No. 12 in G-Sharp Minor (4:02) Partita (1965) 2 Toccatino – Fughetta (2:06) Kara Karayev (1918–1982) 3 Larghetto – Ostinato (4:53) 24 Preludes for Piano (1951-61) 14 No. 1 in C Major (1:23) Dmitri Shostakovich (1906–1975) 15 No. 2 in C Minor (1:30) 24 Preludes, Op. 34 (1932-33) 16 No. 3 in G Major (0:55) 4 No. 1 in C Major (1:28) 17 No. 5 in D Major (1:34) 5 No. 2 in A Minor (0:58) 18 No. 6 in D Minor (1:00) 6 No. 3 in G Major (2:17) 19 No. 8 in A Minor (2:49) 7 No. 10 in C-Sharp Minor (1:59) 20 No. 10 in E Minor (1:21) 8 No. 14 in E-Flat Minor (2:25) 21 No. 15 in D-Flat Major (1:16) 9 No. 16 in B Minor (1:01) 22 No. 19 in E-Flat Major (2:31) 10 No. 17 in A-Flat Major (1:51) 23 No. 23 in F Major (1:17) 11 No. 24 in D Minor (1:15) TOTAL PLAYING TIME: 57:45 Recording producer & engineer: Tatiana Vinnitskaya Recorded in Studio 5, State Radio, Moscow, Russia Mastering: Oleg Ivanov 7 W 2011 Delos Productions, Inc., P.O. Box 343 Sonoma, CA 95476-9998 (707) 996-3844 • Fax (707) 320-0600 • (800) 364-0645 Disc Made in Canada • Assembled in USA www.delosmusic.com Pg. 12 Pg. 1 DRD2008bklt12.qxd:3255bk16.qxd 2/11/11 3:49 PM Page 2 BLACK 12pg BOOKLET Sofia Gubaidulina was first tested in the cantatas written in the Ciaconna in B Minor, 1961 late 1960s — Night in Memphis and Rubayat. Also Available on Delos In the 1970s, the technique of musical devel- While women poets have been known since opment employing polar contrasts became a Russian Romances # ancient times, women composers have been permanent feature of Gubaidulina’s personal b o a rarity in European culture up to the 20th style. This contrasting dramatic thinking thus Arax Davtian, soprano J century. The talent and professional mastery asserts a new and most significant stage in Vladimir Yurigin-Klevke, piano of Sofia Gubaidulina are undisputed; her the composer’s stylistic evolution. music has won renown in her own country Gubaidulina's creative works are in DRD 2007 (DDD) and internationally. Her works are notable many ways a reflection of the universal char- for a broad, sweeping, large-scale character; acter of the present-day creative process, an Music of her style is distinguished by a high artistic intensive interpenetration of various cultures temperament and will power. In her creative and, as a result, a clearly delineated aware- GLINKA career several periods can be singled out. The ness of typically national features in every DARGOMYZHSKIY earlier period is characterized by the devel- national art, and a striving to contribute the TCHAIKOVSKY opment of polyphonic technique and a skill wealth of one’s own national culture to RACHMANINOFF in building larger musical forms (“Ciaconna” world culture. Employed by Gubaidulina, for piano solo). Impulsive rhythms combined this tendency found its expression in a syn- “one of the most beautiful, honest and with a somewhat dry and hard texture thetic merging of several artistic notions touching recordings of these Russian became a hallmark of this composer’s per- characteristic of the East and the West. This musical gems” Constantine Orbelian sonal style. The creation of her individual merging melds together the dynamic charac- manner required an overcoming of tonal ter of musical development and the emotion- Arax Davtian (1949-2010), People’s Artist of Armenia, was often called Armenia’s asceticism and unfolding rich inner resources al and intellectual activity characteristic of of musical sound. Gubaidulina emerged as the West with an Eastern spontaneity, impro- greatest soprano. She recorded this choice collection for Russian Disc in 1994, at the one of those composers of the 1960s who visational basis, ability for self-development, urging of Constantine Orbelian, who conducted many performances and tours featur- made an energetic contribution in the renew- and a purely Eastern subtle, somewhat ing Arax with the Moscow Chamber Orchestra. Constantine writes in his memorial al of the “musical fabric,” saturating it with sophisticated coloristic timbre. In this very tribute to Arax that when he first heard her sing he was taken with “her crystal clear new fresh timbres, intonations, and methods profound and organic synthesis, the oriental voice, pinpoint intonation, beautiful phrasing and line,” and goes on to say that “Arax of instrumental playing. As the years passed, aspect loses its exotic tint to bring out a was blessed with the rarest of all gifts: truth and sincerity in art.” her music adopted one more dimension — philosophical background filled with deep that of expressing a struggle of contrasting psychological meaning. sources characteristic of the European classi- The oriental features, easily discernible in cal tradition. This type of musical structure Gubaidulina’s works, can be identified in the 2 11 Pg. 2 Pg. 11 DRD2008bklt12.qxd:3255bk16.qxd 2/11/11 3:49 PM Page 3 BLACK 12pg BOOKLET in a recording of Russian romances, origi- choice of thematic material, as in the cantatas them in the literature and art of various nally on Russian Disc and now available on — Night in Memphis, based on ancient countries and epochs, in ancient Egyptian Delos (DRD 2007). A highlight in his work Egyptian lyric poetry and Rubayat, based on poetry, in the verses of the 14th century with singers was his appearance with verse by oriental poets — Khayam, Khafiz, Persian poet Khafiz and in the works of the # Khakhani. It also prevails in the pieces for 17th century Czech thinker and humanist Jan b world-renowned tenor Nikolai Gedda in o J 1994 in St. Petersburg. three-string dombras On Tatar Folklore, in the Amos Komensky. However, her music is liking for decorative-type melodics, and intro- directed to present-day reality and people. Vladimir’s extensive touring schedule has duction of oriental musical instruments alien The force of present-day life is presented as a extended to concerts and recitals internation- to the European tradition. Simultaneously, the novelty and a turn toward the future. Her ally, including Russia, Bulgaria, France, signs of Western culture are conspicuous as creative art is an accumulation of the most Germany, USA, Colombia, Costa Rica and well. Gubaidulina’s music is distinguished by important movements in the cultural devel- Spain. He has also been a regular participant the lyricism of her use of percussion, with the opment of the 20th century and presents a in international chamber music festivals. softest tones acquiring a special importance in highly interesting object for studying the Since 1994, he has collaborated with the well- the temple-blocks, and in its fine fragility — in multiple connections between an artist and known international charity program “New the piano strokes of the cymbals, the lyrical his epoch. Names,” which attracts the most talented dolce derived from the dance tambourine. children of Russia. The personality of a performer occupies Arvo Pärt — Partita a special place in Gubaidulina’s creative art. In the process of composition, she ori- In 1980, the composer left the USSR, and in ents herself towards a certain type of cre- conformity with the “tradition” of the time, ative individual, scrupulously examining his compositions were struck from the con- his personal manner of playing, the way he cert programs in his country and from musi- acts on the stage, his gestures and move- cological studies. Yet, in the West, where abroad, including the Royal Academy of ments. A portrait of the performer is Arvo Pärt settled after he left the USSR (first Music in London, and have themselves been embodied in nearly all of her works. in Vienna and then in Berlin) he is still con- active in piano competitions. Gubaidulina continuously cultivates the sidered a Soviet composer. non-tempered musical “space.” Glissando, Arvo Pärt’s creative potential manifested Also noteworthy is Vladimir’s work with such a favorite of hers, is nothing so much itself already during his years in the Tallinn singers, among them leading soloists of the as the cultivation of the new micro-interval Conservatory where he studied under Heino Bolshoi Theatre‚ such as soprano Bella sphere of later European harmony. Eller and from which he graduated in 1963. Rudenko, bass Alexander Vedernikov, and Gubaidulina is attracted by the eternal He earned his first public renown with his bass Arthur Eisen. He collaborated with the themes of art and human life, like good and piano compositions — two sonatinas and the late, great Armenian soprano Arax Davtian evil, life and death, moral duty. She finds Partita (1958-1959). They are neoclassical in 10 3 Pg. 10 Pg. 3 DRD2008bklt12.qxd:3255bk16.qxd 2/11/11 3:49 PM Page 4 BLACK 12pg BOOKLET style, revealing, however, some individual feature of Pärt’s creative aspirations — his established formula of utterance used to this repertoire continued to ripen as he per- features of the composer’s personal manner interest in liturgical genres and sacred texts work out the main idea is preserved formed the music of many contemporary — a comparative intonational rigidity, a which is fully revealed in his later works.