NIKOLAI MEDTNER (1880–1951)

 

CD 1 [79'31]

Skazki Op 8 [10'04] 1 Andantino [3'19] 2 Allegro [6'44]

Skazki Op 9 [8'18] 3 Allegro inquieto [3'34] 4 Allegro alla serenata, con alcuna licenza [2'42] 5 Allegretto vivo, odoroso [1'57]

Skazki Op 14 [7'39] 6 Ophelia’s Song: Andantino con moto [3'29] 7 March of the Paladin: Allegro marciale [4'08]

Skazki Op 20 [6'39] 8 Allegro con espressione [2'52] 9 Campanella: Pesante. Minaccioso [3'45]

Skazki Op 26 [10'28] 10 Allegretto frescamente [2'27] 11 Molto vivace [1'30] 12 Narrante a piacere [2'26] 13 Sostenuto [4'01]

14 Skazka Op 31 No 3 [2'23]

Skazki Op 34 [17'05] 15 The Magic Violin: Tempo cangiando, abbandonamente [5'44] 16 Allegro cantabile e leggiero [2'16]

17 Allegretto tenebroso [3'24] 18 Molto sostenuto e semplice [5'37]

Skazki Op 35 [16'50] 19 Andante maestoso [3'44] 20 Capriccioso, con grazia [5'37]

21 Cantabile, narrante [3'28] 22 Allegro appassionato e tempestoso [3'54]

 

CD 2 [77'28]

Skazki Op 42 [14'13]

1 Russian Tale: Allegro sostenuto [6'11] 2 Phrygian Mode: Con moto disinvolto e grazioso [2'00] 3 Moderato, narrante [5'59]

Skazki Op 48 [12'52] 4 Dance Tale: Allegro risoluto [8'26] 5 Tale of the Elves: Con moto flessibile [4'19]

Skazki Op 51 [22'24] 6 Allegro molto vivace … e sempre leggierissimo [5'31] 7 Cantabile, tranquillo [3'43]

8 Allegretto tranquillo e grazioso [3'34] 9 Allegretto con moto flessibile [4'04] 10 Presto [2'11] 11 Allegro vivace sempre al rigore di tempo [3'11]

Romantic Sketches for the Young Op 54 [25'34]

12 Pastoral (Prelude) [2'18] 13 Bird’s Tale [2'36] 14 Tempo di Sarabanda (Prelude) [2'06] 15 Scherzo (Tale) [2'38]

16 Tender Reproach (Prelude) [3'08] 17 The Organ Grinder (Tale) [5'31] 18 Hymn (Prelude) [3'40] 19 The Beggar (Tale) [3'28]

20 Skazka (1915) [2'12]

 

Hamish Milne - piano

 

Total Duration: 156'59

 

This is a magnificent and important set.

 

Notwithstanding the current revival of interest in Medtner (in which Hyperion has played no small part) the complete Skazki have never been recorded together, and some of the pieces here are receiving their long overdue first recordings. The Skazki (‘Märchen’ in German; ‘Contes’ in French; the incorrect ‘Fairy Tales’ in English) were the most personal of Medtner’s idioms and contain his most immediately appealing music: they are miniature tone poems full of atmosphere and colour and are arguably the most neglected ‘great’ piano music in the repertoire.

 

Medtner has been central to Hamish Milne’s repertoire since the 1970s—he has already recorded eight CDs of the composer’s music—and no one has a finer grasp of the subtle sound world of these works. Hamish has here surpassed himself in a recording which is also graced with superlative piano sound. These CDs are sure to be regarded as definitive for many years to come.

 

Hyperion 2cds CDA67491-2