MEDTNER: THE COMPLETE PIANO SONATAS – Marc-André Hamelin Hyperion

Sonata in F minor Op 5[31’29]CD1
1
Allegro[12’25]2
Intermezzo: Allegro[3’22]3
Largo divoto[8’08]4
Finale: Allegro risoluto[7’34]Skazki Op 8[9’01]5
Andantino[3’09]6
Allegro[5’52]Sonaten-Triade Op 11[24’47]7
Sonata in A flat major[9’46]8
Sonata in D minor ‘Sonata-Elegy'[7’09]9
Sonata in C major[7’52]CD2
10
Sonata in G minor Op 22[15’47]Sonata-Skazka in C minor Op 25 No 1[11’40]11
Allegro abbandonamente[4’47]12
Andantino con moto[3’23]13
Allegro con spirito[3’30]Sonata in E minor ‘Night Wind’ Op 25 No 2[33’21]14
Introduzione: Andante – Allegro[18’49]15
Allegro molto sfrenatamente, presto[14’32]Sonata-Ballada in F sharp major Op 27[22’44]CD3
16
Allegretto[10’17]17
Introduzione: Mesto[3’31]18
Finale: Allegro[8’56]19
Sonata in A minor Op 30[12’09]Vergessene Weisen ‘Forgotten Melodies’ Op 38[39’19]20
Sonata-Reminiscenza in A minor: Allegretto tranquillo[16’04]21
Danza graziosa: Con moto leggiero[2’57]22
Danza festiva: Presto[4’47]23
Canzona fluviala: Allegretto con moto[2’40]24
Danza rustica: Allegro commodo[2’01]25
Canzona serenata in F minor: Moderato[4’17]26
Danza silvestra[3’40]27
Alla Reminiscenza: Quasi coda[2’53]Vergessene Weisen ‘Forgotten Melodies’ Op 39[26’08]CD4
28
Meditazione: Introduzione, quasi Cadenza – Meno mosso – Meditamente[4’44]29
Romanza: Meditamente[4’19]30
Primavera: Vivace[3’31]31
Canzona matinata in G major: Allegretto cantando, ma sempre con moto[4’34]32
Sonata tragica in C minor: Allegro risoluto[9’00]Sonata in B flat minor ‘Sonata Romantica’ Op 53 No 1[23’40]33
Romanza: Andantino con moto, ma sempre espressivo –[7’47]34
Scherzo: Allegro[4’27]35
Meditazione: Andante con moto[3’26]36
Finale: Allegro non troppo[8’00]37
Sonata in F minor ‘Sonata Minacciosa’ Op 53 No 2[16’13]Sonate-Idylle in G major Op 56[11’18]38
Pastorale: Allegretto cantabile[3’55]39
Allegro moderato e cantabile[7’23]

‘I repeat what I said to you back in Russia: you are, in my opinion, the greatest composer of our time.’ – Sergei Rachmaninov (1921)

It would be hard to overestimate the importance of this set.

Medtner’s piano compositions are arguably the last area of great Romantic piano repertoire to be discovered. His music is difficult, both technically and intellectually, and does not ‘play to the gallery’, which may explain its neglect. But once his world has been entered it proves endlessly fascinating and compelling, his work growing in stature with every hearing until one is left in no doubt as to its overwhelming effect.

Central to his output are the 14 Piano Sonatas (though the title covers a multitude of structures and sizes) and here for the first time we have the complete cycle recorded by one artist.