Description
TATIANA NIKOLAYEVA, piano – The 1989 Herodes Atticus Odeon Recital, Athens, Greece [FHR46]
Published for the first time
JS BACH: French Suite No. 4 in E flat major, BWV 815
SCHUMANN: Symphonic Etudes, Op. 13 (1952 version)
RAVEL: Miroirs: No. 2. Oiseaux tristes / No. 3. Une barque sur l’ocean
SCRIABIN: Prelude and Nocturne for the Left Hand, Op. 9
SCRIABIN: Poème tragique, Op. 34
BORODIN: Petite Suite: I. In the Monastery
MUSSORGSKY: Pictures at an Exhibition: V. Ballet of the Chickens in their Shells
Press Quotes
“Piano epic… Another world… gripping” [Norman Lebrecht]
“Admittedly not every recording showed her at her imperious best, but this one, given four years before her death, certainly does… the E flat French Suite is simply joyous, thanks to its unfailing energy, perfectly weighted touch and beautifully imagined layering of texture and dynamics… the recording quality is exceptional, sacrificing nothing of the sense of occasion that emanates from the playing. As a first release, this is quite a discovery.” [Gramophone, Nov. 2016 – Gramophone 2016 ‘Critics Choice’]
“What revelations!… The Bach Ricercar and French Suite are as musically played as I have ever heard… She has wonderful ideas about the architecture… . She can easily be grouped with the greatest Bach pianists of the 20th Century, including Gould, Schiff and Hewitt… . She offers more color and panache in a minute and a half than some do in the en…tire work. This is the first release of this program, which belongs in the record library of every afficionado of great piano performances.” [American Record Guide]
“Nikolayeva in her sixties has extraordinary power tempered with tenderness; her Bach is gloriously grand, her Ravel as delicate as her Schumann is ultra-serious. A splendid concert…” [BBC Music Magazine]
“The audience is appreciative and maybe too quick to applaud. Still, how can you blame them? This was a very good night for the pianist, and a good night for them. This release is an important addition to the First Hand Records catalog.” [Fanfare]
“Nikolayeva, like her predecessor Maria Yudina, emphasized a crisp, clear style of playing, each note emerging as pure as a drop of water in a mountain stream, and this is evident throughout this wonderful recital… One of the great delights of this recital is the exceptional recorded sound, so realistic and clear that it could easily have been recorded in a studio. A wonderful release. [artmusiclounge]
“The French Suite’s opening Allemande is delightfully voiced, its Menuet rhythmically alert, its Air pliantly nimble and the Gigue strongly bass-etched… The restoration has been finely done, with good engineering…” [Musicweb-International]