About this Recording

‘When I discovered the Barjansky scores in the library and first tried some of his pieces I was instantly moved by the beauty of the harmonies, the poetic aura of the melody. You hear the influence of Beethoven and Schubert, but also a foreshadowing of Scriabin and Debussy which effortless blend into a new original Barjansky. When I was trying out the piano in the church where the recording took place, two passers-by came in, sat down and listened for a few minutes. One asked who the composer was, he reminded her of Schubert, and the other said the music was so emotional it made her cry.

What particularly fascinates me is how Barjansky speaks directly to the soul with seemingly simple themes, creates a soundscape with just a few notes. There is a lot of light, joie de vivre and energy in Barjansky’s music, and the downpour never lasts long: life is, despite everything, marvellous. As an illustration of these characteristics may serve the first and second movements from Barjansky’s second sonata, which are among my favourite pieces.

I think the natural room reverberation suits Barjansky’s generous music well, which is why this recording was not made in a studio but in a church.’ – Julia Severus