Frédéric (Mazurkas, Nocturnes, Waltzes)

Alexander Boldachev

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This is the first full-length album with Chopin’s works on the harp. These are no arrangements, since Alexander Boldachev preserved the entire ur-text, allowing only unavoidable changes. The only piece transcribed for the harp is Fantasia-Impromptu is arranged by Wilhelm Posse, who was born three years after Chopin’s death. This is one of the most virtuoso pieces performed on the harp.

The album consists of 16 pieces, including Etudes, Mazurkas, Nocturnes, Waltzes, Preludes, and Impromptu Fantasy. Polish dances, salons, suffering, and joy – Alexander tried to cover the entire spectrum of Chopin’s and convey them through natural and varied rhythms – the harp.

The album is dedicated not only to the new sound of Chopin’s works, the development of the harp’s repertoire, and the presentation of harp capabilities. But also, to the life of the author, his experiences, and the unique touch of the piano, which contemporaries sometimes described: “plucking the strings of the harp.” For example, Schumann called Chopin’s etude in A-flat major – “Aeolian Harp.”

“Sometime after the recording, staying at the Georges Sand Hotel in the small village of Gargilesse, I looked around and realized that everything is done right – the Harp perfectly complements the worlds around Chopin and his contemporaries.”

“One of the main characters that motivated me to record Chopin on the harp was Georges Sand. Her house in Nohant-Vic keeps within its walls the Erard harp, which Georges played. Inspired by their complex love story, I began to check one composition after another, going through all archives. The final program of the disc – the quintessence of the most interesting and colorfully sounding pieces on the harp. A small scattering of Chopin’s diamonds”.

“I hope that this album will allow people to hear familiar melodies in a new way or give the motivation to turn their attention to Chopin’s work for the first time. That through the harp, I was able to convey that complex, intricate, and sometimes piercing love that connected Chopin with music.”

2019 and 2020 became Chopin’s jubilee years (1810-1849), and it is symbolic that the album was recorded in 2019 and will be released in 2020, on the day of Chopin’s death – October 17th.

Live Performance of Fantasie-Impromptu on the Harp (video). 
Performed by Alexander Boldachev in Kremlin Palace on the Jubilee concert of Oleg Pogudin.

Tracklist

Please note that the below previews are loaded as 44.1 kHz / 16 bit.
1.
Etude in A-flat major, Op. 25 No. 1 - 1836
02:21
2.
Nocturne in C-sharp minor Op. posth. No. 20 - 1830
04:18
3.
Mazurka in C major, Op. 24 No. 2 - 1833
02:49
4.
Mazurka in G minor, Op. 24 No. 1 - 1833
02:29
5.
Waltz in F minor Op. 70 No. 2 - 1842
02:34
6.
Mazurka in C major, Op. 68 No. 1 - 1830
01:48
7.
Mazurka in A minor, Op. 68 No. 2 - 1827
02:48
8.
Mazurka in F major, Op. 68 No. 3 - 1830
01:30
9.
Mazurka in F minor, Op. 63 No.2 - 1846
01:54
10.
Mazurka in C major Op. 56 No. 2 - 1843-44
01:55
11.
Prelude in B minor, Op. 28 No. 6 - 1838-39
02:04
12.
Nocturne in E minor, Op. posth. No. 1 - 1827
04:03
13.
Waltz in B minor, Op. 69 No. 2 - 1829
03:25
14.
Prelude in E minor, Op. 28 No. 4 - 1838-39
02:18
15.
Fantaisie-Impromptu Op. posth. - 1834
05:11
16.
Prelude in D-flat major Op. 28 No. 15 - 1838-39
06:23

Total time: 00:47:50

Additional information

Label

SKU

RS0705

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Digital Converters

Merging HORUS AKD8DP AD Card

Editing Software

Pyramix

Mastering Engineer

Vladimir Ryabenko

Original Recording Format

Recording Engineer

Pavel Timofeev

Recording Type & Bit Rate

DSD 256

Release DateOctober 16, 2020

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