Rachmaninov – Piano Sonatas Nos. 1 & 2

Pianist Boris Giltburg has been a major Naxos recording artist for some ten years now, during which time he has proved himself a consummate interpreter of the music of Rachmaninov. Gramophone, for example, noted of his performances of Piano Concertos Nos. 1 and 4 (8.574528) that ‘Throughout this superb disc, Giltburg is a joy to hear … these are among the finest accounts of these works.’ His latest programme will no doubt attract similar accolades. It features the dramatic power of Rachmaninov's First Piano Sonata, the vividly passionate Second Piano Sonata, and Georgy Kirkor’s 1957 transcription of The Isle of the Dead, which Boris himself has revised significantly.


Symphonic in scale and with great dramatic power, Rachmaninov’s Piano Sonata No. 1 in D minor is an underappreciated masterpiece, depicting a tremendous range of human emotions. The turbulent and brilliant Piano Sonata No. 2 in B flat minor is heard in the 1931 revised version which clarifies textures and streamlines the work, heightening its emotional impact. The Isle of the Dead employs Georgy Kirkor’s 1957 transcription which Boris Giltburg has revised significantly. Giltburg’s authority in Rachmaninov has been universally acknowledged, with his performances termed ‘characterful, sensitive and technically dazzling’ by BBC Music Magazine (Naxos 8.574528).

Listen to an extract from Piano Sonata No. 1:
I. Allegro moderato
About the Artist

Pianist Boris Giltburg is lauded across the globe as a deeply sensitive, insightful and compelling musician. Born in 1984 in Moscow, he moved to Tel Aviv at an early age, studying with his mother and then with Arie Vardi. He went on to win numerous awards, notably the First (and Audience) Prize at the Queen Elisabeth Competition in Brussels in 2013. He has performed regularly in recital and with leading orchestras worldwide. He made his Australian debut in 2017 and has frequently toured China and South America. Since his BBC Proms debut in 2010, Boris has also appeared at many of the world's major festivals.

More recordings featuring Boris Giltburg
8.509005 [9-Disc Boxed Set]
★★★★★
‘Boris Giltburg’s complete cycle for Naxos must be reckoned among the best in recent years, with no holds barred and some strikingly original interpretative ideas … Certainly one of the most imaginative versions of ‘the 32’ to come my way in quite some while.’
Gramophone
8.573666
SHOSTAKOVICH, D.:
Piano Concertos Nos. 1 and 2
String Quartet No. 8

Giltburg • Owens
Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra
Petrenko
★★★★★
★★★★★
★★★★★
★★★★
★★★★
‘The concertos are excellent, playful, and brimming with verve and wit. Giltburg has thought through each phrase and given it its own personality and direction; he and the orchestra are fully engaged.’
American Record Guide
8.573981
★★★★★
★★★★★
★★★★
★★★★
‘Boris Giltburg is a phenomenon. The music seems to ooze from every pore of his being, and he makes us think anew about what we are listening to.’
American Record Guide
8.573629
RACHMANINOV, S.:
Piano Concerto No. 2
Études-tableaux, Op. 33

Giltburg
Royal Scottish National Orchestra
Prieto
★★★★★
★★★★
★★★★
★★★★
★★★★★
‘The fusion of freshness with generous spirit and soul lends an enthralling dynamism to this familiar repertoire ... there is a fluid imagination at work here tied to an enquiring musical intelligence.’
Gramophone
For Boris Giltburg's complete Naxos discography, follow this link.


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