SCHMITT
COMPLETE ORIGINAL WORKS
FOR PIANO DUET AND DUO • 2

SUR CINQ NOTES, OP. 34
REFLETS D’ALLEMAGNE, OP. 28
8 COURTES PIÈCES, OP. 41

"What a sheer joy it is to witness the release of CD 2. Along with Schmitt’s poignant and spirited Reflets d’Allemagne, it introduces for the first time on disc his Sur cinq notes and Huit courtes pièces. The entire melodic content of the latter two works is based on a mere five–note set, with the composer exhibiting his trademark wittiness, variety and brilliant invention."– Andrey Kasparov & Oksana Lutsyshyn

Listen to ‘Ronde’ from Sur cinq notes:

 

FLORENT SCHMITT
© Photo Lipnitzki/Roger-Viollet
  ABOUT THIS RELEASE

One of the most original and influential French composers of his time, Florent Schmitt’s music shimmers with luxuriant melodies, good humor and a fearless harmonic vocabulary. This second of four volumes is filled with innovation and stylistic bravura, from the remarkable variety to be found On Five notes, to the balletic poetry of Reflets d’Allemagne.

Florent Schmitt’s piano music is rarely recorded, standing as he does at the fringe of an easier to categorize group of French musical contemporaries. Schmitt’s piano duos and duets are probably second only to Schubert in terms of sheer quantity and yet beyond a few works they are hardly known on disc. This new four volume set of recordings seeks to redress this lack, and volume 2 explores the innovative five–note framework conjured from the self–imposed limitations of Sur cinq notes as well as a fun and sophisticated way to learn style in Eight Pieces to Prepare the Student for Modern Music. The waltzes of Reflets d’Allemagne reflect Schmitt’s travels, also becoming more widely known as music for ballet. Performed by the multiple award winning Invencia Piano Duo, Schmitt’s warm melodic gift, sensual but subtly stated harmonies and rhythmic inventiveness make these works a significant and enjoyable addition to our experience of one of the most vibrant and exciting periods in French music.




 

SUR CINQ NOTES, OP. 34 * (16:14)
1  I. Ronde (01:08)
2  II. Barcarolle (02:41)
3  III. Mazurka (01:51)
4  IV. Bercement (02:41)
5  V. Danse pyrénéenne (00:59)
6  VI. Mélodie (03:24)
7  VII. Pastorale (02:17)
8  VIII. Farandole (01:13)

REFLETS D’ALLEMAGNE, OP. 28 (23:40)
9  I. Heidelberg (02:43)
10  II. Coblentz (03:09)
11  III. Lübeck (03:15)
12  IV. Werder (02:45)
13  V. Vienne (03:04)
14  VI. Dresde (02:10)
15  VII. Nuremberg (03:11)
16  VIII. Munich (03:23)

 

8 COURTES PIÈCES, OP. 41 * (19:13)
17  No. 1. Ouverture (02:36)
18  No. 2. Menuet (02:14)
19  No. 3. Chanson (02:45)
20  No. 4. Sérénade (01:56)
21  No. 5. Virelai (01:11)
22  No. 6. Boléro (03:18)
23  No. 7. Complainte (03:16)
24  No. 8. Cortège (01:57)

* World Première Recordings

TOTAL TIME: 59:07




Watch The Invencia Piano Duo play:
Sur cinq notes, Op. 34, Nos. 1, 3, 8 


THE INVENCIA PIANO DUO
© Glen McClure
 

In the recording studio
 
ABOUT THE ARTISTS

The Invencia Piano Duo has won high critical acclaim for its compelling interpretations of a vast and diverse repertoire. Hailing from Armenian and Ukrainian families, Andrey Kasparov and Oksana Lutsyshyn were educated at the Moscow State Conservatory before moving to Indiana University’s School of Music in Bloomington to pursue advanced studies. They presently make their home in the United States and serve on the faculty at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia. Additionally, they are Artistic Co–Directors of the Norfolk Chamber Consort. Kasparov and Lutsyshyn are critically acclaimed recording artists. Both members of the duo are recipients of prestigious awards. Lutsyshyn was a prizewinner at the Vienna Modern Masters Third International Performers’ Recording Awards Competition in 1997 and the William Kapell International Piano Competition in College Park, Maryland in 1990. As a result of the latter, she made her début at the Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall. Kasparov won the Albert Roussel Prize at the Orléans International Piano Competition in 1998. In 1994 Kasparov gave the première of the newly discovered edition of Béla Bartók’s Piano Concerto No. 3, revised by the composer himself. In addition to his career as a pianist, Kasparov is an active composer whose works have been published and recorded by the Kompozitor Publishing House in Moscow and the Atlantic Music Artist Agency in Kiev, among many others. His awards include a prize from the Sergey Prokofiev International Composition Competition in Moscow in 1997 for his Piano Sonata No 2.

"Few pleasures can compare with hearing unfamiliar music superbly played by an extraordinary pair of musicians [...] subtlety, drama and beauty in every selection."Artsong Update about Schmitt Complete Original Works for Piano Duet and Duo • 1 (GP621)

 
Grand Piano is a new premium label dedicated to the exploration of undiscovered keyboard repertoire. Pulling from a deep pool of talent around the globe, Grand Piano brings to life exciting interpretations of these gems of the piano repertoire. Grand Piano will release around 20 new titles each year, including many world premières and complete cycles.
Previous releases:   New releases:
   
GP621     GP619-20
 
 
GP611   GP629-30
   
For enquiries contact info@grandpianorecords.com
Visit us on
℗ & © 2012 HNH International Ltd.