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The piano duet repertoire is vast, and for this CD we have chosen repertoire we particularly enjoy performing on our concert programs. Not all of the music we perform here was originally written for piano;

# but all of it is brilliant in a variety of ways. In Ravel’s own arrangement of b o

J his orchestral Spanish Rhapsody the piano is able to give the music a nobility of sound, lyricism and individual coloring of timbres. The unpreten tious pieces in the Suite are rich in fantasy. Rachmaninoff’s early Suite gives us glimpses of the composer’s future masterpieces, expresses his love of Russian folklore and the Russian Romance, and gives us both an exquisite Valse and a magnificent “Slava.” We hope that this CD will be enjoyed by connoisseurs and by those who are just discovering the world of ensemble playing. Have a good time!

Andrey and Vadym Also with Andrey Gugnin on Delos

Shostakovich Piano Concertos 1 & 2 Nine Preludes Constantine Orbelian conductor Moscow Chamber Orchestra DE 3366 DE 3405

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iDuo In 2004, Vadym Kholodenko won the Vadym has performed in recitals and with Andrey Gugnin and Vadym Kholodenko , pianists Maria Callas Grand Prix competition in orchestras in Russia, France, Italy, Germany, Athens. Then 18 years old, the brilliant Austria, Switzerland, Czech Republic, # Rachmaninoff : Six morceaux Op.11 young pianist appeared with “Novaya Lithuania, Israel, USA, China, Hungary, and b

o Rossiya” (“New Russia”) chief conductor Croatia. He has recorded a number of CDs, J 1 Barcarolle (5:08) Yuri Bashmet in the special Maria Callas including a sonata program with violinist Scherzo (3:12) 2 commemorative concert in the Herod Alena Baeva in Japan, and solo piano works 3 Thème russe (5:45) Atticus Theater. In the ensuing years, of Schubert, Chopin, Rachmaninoff and 4 Valse (4:08) Vadym has enjoyed an ongoing collabora - Medtner on the Novaya Rossiya label. 5 Romance (3:06) tion with Bashmet and his orchestra. He has also appeared as soloist with conduc - Born in 1986 in Kiev, Vadym began his for - 6 Slava! (5:03) tors Vladimir Spivakov, Mark Gorenstein, mal training at the age of eight at the Ravel : Rapsodie espagnole Dmitry Liss, Eugeny Bushkov and Lysenko Music School, and won his first 7 Prélude â la nuit (4:14) Alexandr Sladkovskiy. competition in Kharkov, Ukraine at age 13. 8 Malagueña (2:05) In 2004 Vadym was awarded the Russian 9 Habanera (2:52) Winning prizes in the Vladimir Horowitz Youth National Prize “Triumph,” and in International Competition in Kiev, the Gina 2005 went on to continue his studies at the Feria (6:02) 10 Bachauer International competition, and the Moscow Conservatory. Debussy : Petite Suite Liszt International Competition in Budapest, 11 En bateau (3:47) Cortège (3:15) 12 THIS RECORDING MADE POSSIBLE IN PART Menuet (3:01) 13 BY A GRANT FROM THE GUZIK FOUNDATION 14 Ballet (3:16) Ravel : Ma mère l’oye Executive Producer: Carol Rosenberger Photos: Sergey Poltavskiy 15 Pavane de la Belle au bois dormant (1:34) Produced, Engineered & Edited by Ilya Karpos Creative Direction: Harry Pack 16 Petit poucet (2:53) Recorded at the Recording Studio of the Graphics: Mark Evans Academy of Choral Art, Moscow, Russia, 17 Laideronnette impératrice des Pagode (3:22) May 2009 18 Les Entretiens de la Belle et de la Bête (4:14) 19 Le jardin féerique (3:06) 7 W 2010 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 TOTAL PLAYING TIME : 70:24 www.delosmusic.com

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and broadly lyrical work that has a haunting Orchestra. His international festival he term piano duet is defined in two by his Opus 9 Trio élégiaque in D Minor and theme. The energetic Cortege is brilliant and appearances include the Societa Dei ways — music for four hands to be the six comprising Opus 10. exuberant. Next comes the Menuet , juggling Concerti Di Brescia Dal 1868, Aberdeen performed on one piano, and music Opus 11 was followed by two orchestral between nostalgic melodies and catchy pop - Youth Festival, Bermuda Festival for the works — Capriccio on Gypsy Themes , Op.12 # Tplayed on two pianos with one player at each b ular tunes. Ballet , exhilarating and full of Performing Arts, the Russian Season at the instrument. The earliest published music for and the Symphony No. 1 in D Minor , Op.13. o J broad, snappy themes that swing along, con - Louvre in Paris, and others. Andrey has piano four-hands dates from 1777. During This cluster of works surrounding Opus 11 cludes the suite. concertized throughout Russia, Germany, the Viennese Classical era and the early 19th (especially the two symphonic works) also Italy, France, San Marino, Switzerland, century the piano duet evolved as a vehicle were published in piano four-hand editions. Program Notes by Marina and Victor Ledin, England, Scotland, Bermuda, Thailand, for dissemination and popularization of Very little is known about the Six © 2010, Encore Consultants LLC . Israel, Netherlands and the USA. The San newly published orchestral works and as a Morceaux , Opus 11 except that they were writ - Francisco Classical Voice wrote that “Gugnin popular form of chamber music for amateur ten at breakneck speed in April 1894, as iDuo Rachmaninoff later admitted, to “balance the exemplified pianism at its highest level, players. Many composers created new works books.” The opening Barcarolle in G Minor is with his staggering technical prowess and for piano four-hands and publishing houses iDuo came into being in 2007, when the hauntingly memorable, tinged with the musical sensitivity.” hired musicians to transcribe even more brilliant young pianists Andrey Gugnin Oriental melodic inflections that were such a music for the piano duo ensemble. By the and Vadym Kholodenko combined their strong feature of Rachmaninoff’s early style. Born in 1987, Andrey studied at the Moscow time Debussy, Rachmaninoff, and Ravel skills as soloists to form a vibrant new The Scherzo in D Major ripples and passes in a Conservatory, and the Moscow State composed their works, the form was well piano duo. In their first year of concert flash. The Thème russe in B Minor is marked College. He won prizes in the television established among both professional per - appearances, touring Russia and Italy, iDuo cantabile , and is a series of contrast - competition ‘’The Young Moscow formers and amateur home pianists. One was praised for stunning performances, ing presentations of the well known “ Song of Musicians’’ at age 10, and the Moscow inter - anonymous writer stated that “music for and was a prizewinner in the 2008 San the Volga Boatmen. “ The fourth piece is a lively national festival of young pianists at age 11. piano four-hands is the most intimate of Marino competition. At age 12, Andrey became the first winner of but quirky Valse in A Major. The lilting main chamber music, for what could be more per - theme and heavier marcato section in contrast ‘’The New Names,’’ an all-Russian competi - sonal that two people playing together while With Constantine Orbelian and the Moscow tion of young musicians (1999). He went on to the middle Moderato section that alternates sharing one instrument in total harmony?” between slow and fast, and the concluding Chamber Orchestra, Andrey Gugnin toured to win the Grand Prix at the First Presto dash at the end, all seem to be in tribute as featured soloist and recorded the two International Competition for pianists in Sergei RACHMANINOFF (1873-1943): Six to Tchaikovsky. The Romance in C Minor that Shostakovich Piano Concertos for Delos (DE Saratov (2000), and first prize in the Morceaux , Opus 11 (1894) follows is plaintive and questing, interspersed 3366). Andrey’s solo appearances with International Piano Competition in Cantu, with numerous musical sighs. The concluding orchestra also include the Moscow State Italy (2009). He has held a scholarship from Of Rachmaninoff’s numerous piano master - Slava! (Glory!) is the showpiece finale to the set Symphony Orchestra, the Dutch National the Guzik Foundation since 2003. Orchestra, the Bangkok Symphony pieces, his Opus 11 remains among his least and is cast in the suitably triumphant key of C Orchestra and the Raanana Symphonette performed and recorded works. Written in Major. Not unlike Pâque russe (Russian Easter), 1894 these charming pieces were preceded the concluding movement of his earlier two-

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piano suite Opus 5 (composed in 1893), Slava! Ma mère l’oye was written in 1908 for once handsome. They embark upon a long Charming awakening Sleeping Beauty, who is a bravura piece based on Russian folk piano four-hands. Ravel added two move - journey together to try top break their curses opens her eyes upon a land of enchantment. A themes with church-bell effects, unequalled in ments and four brief interludes when he and visit a country whose inhabitants are liv - fanfare sounds and the castle, too, awakens to

# four-hand piano literature. orchestrated the work as a ballet in 1911. We ing pagodas made of crystal, porcelain, and bless the marriage of the storybook pair. b

o hear it in its original form. Ravel stated: “The jewels. Ravel provides a prefatory quotation J Maurice RAVEL (1875-1937): Rapsodie idea of conjuring up the poetry of childhood for the music: “She undressed and began to Claude DEBUSSY (1862-1918): Petite Suite espagnole (1907/8) and Ma mère l’oye (1908) in these pieces has naturally led me to simpli - bathe. All at once, miniature pagodas began to (1889) fy my style and clarify my writing.” Modest in sing and play upon instruments. Some had Ravel composed Rapsodie espagnole between its intentions, the suite was designed for the theorbos (lutes) made from walnuts; others Like the paintings of the Impressionists, 1907 and 1908. The work is in four sections, pleasure and use of the children of Ida and had violins of almond shells, since it was nec - Debussy’s music is inspired by the out-of- linked by a four-note theme; or perhaps more Cipa Godebski, two of Ravel’s closest friends. essary to proportion their instruments to their doors. It is not descriptive, but suggestive of accurately, it is a in three Ma mère l’oye (“Mother Goose”) is in five size.” Les Entretiens de la Belle et de la Bête (“The the moods, which various glimpses of nature parts with an introduction. The first section, movements. Pavane de la belle au bois dormant Conversations of Beauty and the Beast”) is aroused in the artist. It is “a sympathetic Prélude à la Nuit is a miniature tone poem, (“Pavane of the Sleeping Beauty”) is but a preceded by a quotation from Mme. Leprince transposition,” says Debussy, “of that which creating a night atmosphere full of fireflies in page long, but is bittersweet, solemn and de Beaumont: “ ‘When I think of your good- is invisible in nature.” For him music always an acacia-scented garden, with dance music stately. Petit Pucet (“Hop O’ My Thumb”) is heartedness, you do not appear so ugly to me.’ ‘Oh, began where words and sight left off. in the distance. The Malagueña is one of the preceded by a sentence from Perrault: “He but I am! I may have a good heart, but I “Music,” he wrote, “is a mysterious form of most famous of Spanish dances, whose thought he could easily find his way back by remain a monster.’ ‘There are many men uglier mathematics whose elements are derived movements, accompanied by the guitar and means of the pieces of bread he had strewn than you.’ ‘If I had a soul, I would pay you a from the Infinite. Music is the expression of castanets, are sensuous and appealing. The along the path as he went, but he was very fine compliment to thank you – but I am only the movement of the waters, the play of third section, Habanera , was composed by surprised when he could not find a single a beast.’ … ‘Beauty, will you be my wife? ’ ‘No, curves described by changing breezes. There Ravel when he was twenty years old, in 1895, crumb – the birds had appeared and eaten all Beast!’ … ‘I shall die happy, since I have had is nothing more musical than a sunset. He and originally appeared as the first of two of it.” Ravel depicts the scene with a winding, the pleasure of seeing you once more.’ ‘No, my who feels what he sees will find no more movements of his Sites auriculaires . wavering theme suggesting the tiny lad lost dear Beast, you will not die – you will live to beautiful example of development in all that (“Landscapes of Sound”) for two pianos. By on a forest path. He even incorporates sounds become my husband!’ ” The music depicts the book which alas, musicians read but too lit - definition a habanera is a dance, usually in of twittering hungry birds . Laideronette, scene quite realistically with the Beast repre - tle, the Book of Nature.” slow duple time, of a languorous nature Impératrice des Pagodes (“Little Ugly One, sented in low, growling tones and Beauty in Debussy composed his four-hand Petite which was imported to Cuba from Africa. Empress of the Pagodas”) was inspired by gentle, flute-like treble tones. The joyous Suite in 1889. It shows Debussy at an early The final movement is entitled Féria , which Marie d’Aulnoy’s story Le Serpentine vert in transfiguration in the music is when the beast stage of his development, where his melodies means, “Fair,” and is marked Assez animé . which a witch curses a princess with ugliness. becomes the handsome Prince through spring from the many influences of earlier The music is colorful and exciting, filled with She hides in a forest where she meets a huge Beauty’s compassion. Le Jardin féerique (“The figures in 19th century French music. En all the ardor of the Spanish spirit. green serpent that confides that he too was Fairy Garden”) is the musical story of Prince bateau (“Boating”) is a lyrical, smooth flowing 4 5

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