Firma Melodiya and the Andrei Konchalovsky Foundation present a unique set dedicated to the outstanding Russian pianist of the 20th century Vladimir Sofronitsky.
Simple words are not enough to speak about the musician. His art and his performing style are beyond any definitions. It’s difficult to compare him with the others, even the greatest of his contemporary peers. “…A seal of something unusual, sometimes almost supernatural, mysterious, unexplainable and imperiously attractive is always on his play,” Heinrich Neuhaus wrote. When Maria Yudina, Sviatoslav Richter and other outstanding pianists spoke about Sofronitsky, they always stressed their admiration for him without a shadow of artistic jealousy. Sofronitsky who tolerated no clichés strongly objected to the reputation of a Scriabinist although he found his own inimitable key to Scriabin’s music at an early age. Those who had a chance to hear the composer play said that only Sofronitsky was congenial to Scriabin’s interpretations. With a hostile attitude to studio work, the pianist felt truly free only in concert. He was able to perform the same piece differently even just a few days later. Every time Sofronitsky played, he re-experienced music, let it through himself as if he confessed before the audience. Perhaps that was the main secret of his magical impact. Many of the remaining concert recordings still preserve that sensation. Five of six discs include recordings made at Vladimir Sofronitsky’s recitals in 1951 to 1960, including works of Scriabin, Schumann, Chopin, Schubert, Liszt, Mozart, Rachmaninoff, Lyadov, Debussy, Prokofiev and Shostakovich.
The sixth disc of the set includes a documentary on Vladimir Sofronitsky (from the series Geniuses) filmed by the outstanding contemporary director Andrei Konchalovsky.