Anna Fedorova – Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto No. 1

Anna Fedorova, Sinfonieorchester St. Gallen

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(9 press reviews)
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Original Recording Format: DXD
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Pianist Anna Fedorova returns to NativeDSD with her 3rd DSD release – Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto No. 1.  The album features over 1 hour of fine music with Fedorova accompanied by the St. Gallen Symphony Orchestra conducted by Modestas Pitrenas. This is a DSD Exclusive, Not Available on SACD release.  It’s available in Stereo and Multichannel DSD (up to DSD 256), Stereo DSD 512, and Stereo and Multichannel DXD.

“Throughout my life, Rachmaninoff and his music have had a special place in my heart. Even though I am Ukrainian and was born in Kiev many decades after the October revolution, I always felt a connection to the old pre-revolutionary Russia (the one Rachmaninoff knew and grew up in) and its spirit, which is always present in his music. My grandmother on my father’s side was representative of this true Russian culture. Her parents passed away when she was a little girl and she grew up with her grandmother, who lived most of her life in Pre-soviet Russia and who was still baring the traditions of the time. She passed it on to her granddaughter (my grandmother) whom I was very close to and spent a lot of time during my early childhood. She introduced me to Russian literature and cinematography. Before starting school I was already reading Pushkin and Turgenev and saw the Russian film adaptation masterpiece of Tolstoy’s ‘War and Peace’. By the time I was 5 years old, I had my first crush – on Andrei Bolkonski.

My first acquaintance with Rachmaninoff was quite funny and also happened during early childhood (I must have been 6 or 7 years old). I remember my father practicing Rachmaninoff’s Concerto No. 3 when he asked me to help him at the very end of the finale, where there is a quite complicated rhythmical sequence. He wanted me to play together with him the orchestra part – I was so excited! It took me some time before I could read the rhythm properly, but soon after I was very proudly playing with my father on… pan covers! During this period my father was rehearsing Rachmaninoff all the time at home and I was already then falling in love with the incredible harmonies, powerful emotions and beautiful long melodies which can’t leave your heart indifferent.

10 bells ringing on their necks, and the feeling of light melancholy and a long way ahead. Op. 32 No. 5: This is the prelude of fresh spring air, the scent of lilac which Rachmaninoff adored and the feeling of quiet ecstasy from uniting with nature and beauty. Op. 23 No. 2: Showing the bright side of Russian soul – festive Easter Church bells, jubilation and exultation, generosity and warmth, and a big loving heart! Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini was the last big work Rachmaninoff wrote for piano. He wrote it in 1934 at his summer residence “Senar” which is located on Lake Lucerne in Switzerland. Shortly before recording this album, I was extremely fortunate to visit this special place which is now overseen by the Rachmaninoff Foundation. It was so special to visit Rachmaninoff’s home – everything is left just as if he was still living there. All the furniture, silverware…even sheets and towels are authentic. Of course, the biggest treat for me was to try Rachmaninoff’s piano which he bought in 1930 and which is kept in absolutely perfect shape! In fact, it is the very piano he composed Paganini Rhapsody on. Being at his studio, sitting at his table, playing on his piano, and diving into the atmosphere of his life – all this was the greatest inspiration I could imagine for recording his music.

This album is like an express train, taking us through the whole of Rachmaninoff’s life. From his student years when he was composing his 1st Piano Concerto through adult years when he wrote the Preludes, his departure to the USA when he revised his Piano Concerto and to the last years of his life when he was spending his summers in Lucerne, Switzerland, composing and scampering around on his speed boat. Rachmaninoff was never able to return to, or even visit his home country after emigrating from Russia, but his homeland always remained in his heart and is always reflected in his music. It was so special to embark on this Rachmaninoff journey with Jared Sacks, who always make out of every recording session the most inspiring and creative process! I also couldn’t be happier to have the St. Gallen Symphony Orchestra and Modestas Pitrenas as my musical partners for this recording. – it was a pure joy making music with them!”

– Anna Fedorova, pianist

Adrian Quanjer from HRAudio.net reviewed this album recently so visit the Blog.nativeDSD to read the full review.

Tracklist

Please note that the below previews are loaded as 44.1 kHz / 16 bit.
1.
Piano Concerto No. 1 - Vivace
14:21
2.
Piano Concerto No. 1 - Andante
07:37
3.
Piano Concerto No. 1 - Allegro vivace
08:38
4.
Prelude Op. 23 - No. 1
03:44
5.
Prelude Op. 32 - No. 12
02:39
6.
Prelude Op. 32 - No. 5
03:21
7.
Prelude Op. 32 - No. 2
03:35
8.
Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini - Intro - Variations 1-6
03:51
9.
Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini - Variations 7-10
03:21
10.
Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini - Variation 11
01:42
11.
Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini - Variations 12-15
03:57
12.
Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini - Variations 16-17
03:50
13.
Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini - Variation 18
02:51
14.
Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini - Variations 19-24
05:31

Total time: 01:08:58

Additional information

Label

SKU

42620

Qualities

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Channels

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Artists

,

Composers

Genres

,

Cables

Van der Hul 3T

Editing Software

Pyramix Workstation / Merging Technologies

Mastering Engineer

Jared Sacks

Microphones

Bruel & Kjaer 4006, Schoeps

Conductors

Instruments

,

Original Recording Format

Producer

Jared Sacks

Recording Engineer

Jared Sacks

Recording location

Tonhalle Theatre St, Gallen, Switzerland

Recording Type & Bit Rate

DXD

Speakers

Grimm LS1

Release DateJanuary 31, 2020

Press reviews

Positive Feedback

Anna Fedorova is a remarkable talent. She is right in the top of my list for outstanding performers in recent years. Now she is expanding her recorded repertoire to include some of the most challenging pieces for piano and orchestra. And the results are compelling.

Fedorova is a deeply empathetic musician. Her performances are never bravura just for the sake of showing off technical skills, which she has aplenty. No, her performances dig more deeply into the meaning of the music with a strong affinity to revealing the emotions at play. And yet her performances are filled with intelligence. Listening to one of her recordings is like a conversation with your favorite friend who brings such deep insight to your thoughts and psychological state. She does this with the music she performs and we are allowed to come along for the conversation.

The performances on this album are lyrical poetry, but without mushy slushy sentimental undertones often given to music of the late Romantics. A tribute to Fedorova, conductor Modestas Pitranas, and the Sinfoniorchester St. Gallen. Bravo!

Classica

(…) le genie de la jeune femme irradie chacun des Préludes proposés en complément. Le stylet est bouleversant de simplicité et de retenue. (…)   

BBC Music Magazine (5 + 5 stars) 10 out of 5

“That Anna Fedorova has a special feeling for this work is not only evident in her introductory essay in the booklet: the way the second theme – the work’s first moment of quintessential Rachmaninov – emerges dream-like out of silence is very special.” (…) ”Fedorova’s reflective yet never over-indulgent style of playing is also evident in the preludes. Her technique is fluent but never facile – witness the crystalline textures of the G sharp minor Prelude. (…) the Paganini Rhapsody initially appears a scintillating and very extensive encore, demonstrating Fedorova’s fire and theatrical qualities…” PERFORMANCE: 5 stars, RECORDING: 5 stars

Pizzicato 4 out of 5

(…) The music can wonderfully breathe and sing (…) Anna Fedorova’s playing is razor-sharp (…) a sensitive and concentrated performer.

Opus Klassiek

Een verhalenvertelster: geen twijfel mogelijk (…) het flonkerende, expressief diepgravende spel van Fedorova hield me bijna 70 minuten lang op het puntje van de stoel. Fascinerend ook hoezeer zij de vele stormachtige passages in zowel het pianoconcert als de rapsodie modelleerde en die ik zou willen kenschetsen als uiterst geraffineerd gecontroleerde onbesuisdheid.

HRAudio.net

(…) With a skilful combination of sensitive elegance and brilliant virtuosity she sets down a performance that keeps the audience enchanted (…) What more can I say than recommending this release to all those seeking a revival of late romantic lyrical poetry, without any of the tearfully sentimental undertones it has sometimes in the past been given. (…) a big compliment to Maestro Pitrenas and his musicians! (…) the (surround) sound, in DSD 64 quality, is heavenly good (…)

Gramophone

(…) Fedorova follows the concerto with a selection of four Preludes, beautifully capturing the echt Russian melancholy (…)

Classics FM

(…) Her latest album is filled with 14 fantastic recordings. (…)

HRAudio.net | NativeDSD Blog

What more can I say than recommending this release to all those seeking a revival of late romantic lyrical poetry, without any of the tearfully sentimental undertones it has sometimes in the past been given. For some it may also serve as an antidote to often overblown ‘musical-contest-performances’. And while on the subject of praise, let me also extend a big compliment to Maestro Pitrenas and his musicians!

Needless to say that the (surround) sound, in DSD 64 quality, is heavenly good, with a convincing, not overstretched spatial and discrete ambient soundstage, putting the listener in the best seat in the Hall.

1 review for Anna Fedorova – Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto No. 1

    Listening to Rachmaninov performed by Anna Fedorova, my heart celebrates. Wonderful music and when I close my eyes I feel I am in the middle of a concert hall. Recording music in DSD format is a world of magic for me. I don’t understand how it actually works, but the result is fantastic. I definitely recommend this album.

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