Louis Kentner plays Balakirev Sonata No.2 (I)

First recording (1949) of Balakirev's Sonata No.2 in B-flat minor, op.5, by Louis Kentner.

I. Andantino

II. Mazurka. Moderato
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NOK8xIDRCKc

III. Intermezzo. Larghetto
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gcUpzwHXUdw

IV. Allegro non troppo, ma con fuoco
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BNx54-_hi_o

~

Mily Alexeyevich Balakirev (1837 - 1910)

Russian pianist, conductor and composer. Born in Nizhny-Novgorod, the son of a minor government official. His early piano lessons were with his mother, supplemented by a summer visit to Moscow in 1847, when he had some lessons from Alexander Dubuque, a pupil of John Field. It was later in his schooling that he was introduced, through his teacher, to Alexander Ulibishev, a landowner, patron of music and writer of books on Mozart and Beethoven. It was through Ulibishev that he was to receive every encouragement, with access to music and opportunities to hear performances at his house, however inadequate these may sometimes have been.

Entry to the musical world of St. Petersburg was effected when Ulibishev took Balakirev there in 1855, introducing him to Glinka and allowing him the opportunity to give public concerts, with considerable success. Nevertheless Balakirev found difficulty in supporting himself, although the death of Ulibishev in 1858 brought him a legacy of 1000 roubles, two violins and his patron's music library.

Balakirev's subsequent career brought him, initially, friendship with Cui, Mussorgsky, Rimsky-Korsakov and Borodin, his meeting with the last-named in late 1862, nine months after the foundation of the Free School of Music that was to occupy his attention for the next ten years.

Until 1872, both the Free School and Balakirev suffered a great deal from the political games within music world in Russia, leading to a nervous breakdown and taking a break of five years from music. His resignation from the directorship of the school did not happen before 1874 and he was replaced by Korsakov.

From 1872, Balakirev worked for the Warsaw Railway, becoming increasingly devoted to religion. His gradual return to musical life began in 1876, recognised in 1883 by his appointment as Director of Music to the Imperial Chapel, a position he relinquished in 1894. A pension now allowed him to devote his time for the remaining years of his life to composition, but by the time of his death in 1910 his music had been largely forgotten, so that a projected concert of his works planned for 1909 was abandoned for lack of support.

In character Balakirev was a difficult man. His influence had, at one time, been very great in his own circle, but his friends and associates were to tire of the self-assertive dominance he exercised over them. At the same time he had shown occasional signs of mental instability, even as early as 1859, when Dmitry Stasov nursed him back to health, and again in the 1870s, when he was indebted to the help given him by Lyudmila Shestakova, Glinka's sister. He was outspoken, tactless and completely devoted to the cause of Russian music as he saw it, intolerant of any divergence of opinion.

His devotion to the furtherance of Russian music was unquestioned. The means by which he chose to carry out his mission sometimes proved offensive, but his example and inspiration was largely responsible for the shape Russian music was to take.

~~~

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Louis
• Kentner
• Balakirev
• Sonata
• No.1
• op.5
• Islamey
• Barere
• Gilels
• Horowitz

[NOSEhow2LIV]

A beautiful work.Strange that it's ignored and NEVER played by any of its major countrymen.One can only dream...suppose for instance,Rachmaninoff,Lhevinne­,or Barere or Horowitz had taken it up... Instead it languishes,poorly if ever played by minor pianists.Here,Kentner,for many years the only recording by a major artist, is at least authoritative in style,if a bit lightweight in sound.His 1st mvt is a bit rapid for my taste,missing some poetry,but with good flow & clear lines.

[BRENDANGCARROLL]

Thank you so much for posting this great rarity!