Mikhail Glinka - Piano Works Vol. 1 (Inga Fiolia)

Information

Composer: Mikhail Glinka

1. Variations on an original theme in F major
2. Variations on a theme from the opera 'Faniska' by Cherubini
3. Variations on 2 themes from the ballet 'Chao-Kang' in D major
4. Variazioni brillanti on a theme from the opera 'Anna Bolena' by Donizetti in A major
5. Variations on a theme from 'Die Zauberflöte' by Mozart in E-flat major (2nd version)
6. Variations on the romance 'Benedetta sia la madre' in E major
7. Variations on the the Russian folk-song 'Sredi dolinï rovnïya' in A minor
8. Variations on a theme from the opera 'I Capuleti e i Montecchi' by Bellini in C major
9. Variations on the song 'Solovey' by Alabiev in E minor

Inga Fiolia, piano
Date: 2017
Label: Grand Piano
https://www.grandpianorecords.com/Album/AlbumDetails/GP741

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Review

Tchaikovsky’s judgement that Glinka was the acorn from which the oak of Russian music grew rests on the orchestral Kamarinskaya rather than his piano music, but these sets of variations are at least interesting in that they identify the composers who were the catalyst in exciting Glinka’s passion for music in the first place. Such sets of keyboard variations were nothing new in Russia: they go right back to the 18th century. But Glinka knew his Field, Hummel and Henselt, and he contributed something new in the manner of their swagger and colour to the sort of Russian piano music that was designed to titillate elegant salons.

In this first volume of a projected series of Glinka’s piano music the Georgian-born pianist Inga Fiolia has the right sort of perky spirit, charm and deftness of technique to give some idea of how those salons might have swooned and sighed in admiration at Glinka’s gifts. But whether their reaction would have been the same if they had had to listen to all the sets of variations in one go is a moot point. The most ambitious (and among the longest) are the variations on themes from Bellini’s I Capuleti e i Montecchi and Donizetti’s Anna Bolena, the latter triggered by Glinka’s attendance at the opera’s Milan premiere in 1830, when he ‘wallowed in rapture’. However, for all the tinselled titivation of Glinka’s piano-writing, it is hard to view these variations as much more than youthful jeux d’esprits – until, that is, the variations on Alyabyev’s song ‘The Nightingale’ of 1833 which, in its Russian inflection, might justifiably be considered to have acorn status.

-- Geoffrey Norris, Gramophone

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Mikhail Glinka (1 June [O.S. 20 May] 1804 – 15 February [O.S. 3 February] 1857) was the first Russian composer to gain wide recognition within his own country, and is often regarded as the fountainhead of Russian classical music. Glinka's compositions were an important influence on future Russian composers, notably the members of The Five, who took Glinka's lead and produced a distinctive Russian style of music. Glinka's two operas and other orchestral works have been fairly popular in concerts and recordings. He also composed many art songs, many piano pieces, and some chamber music.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mikhail_Glinka

***

Georgian-German pianist Inga Fiolia studied at the Central Music School of the Tchaikovsky Conservatory and the Cologne Musikhochschule with Alexey Nasedkin, Vassily Lobanov and Rudolf Kehrer. As a soloist she has collaborated with orchestras such as the Brandenburg State Opera Philharmonic, the Brussels Philharmonic, and the Georgian State Chamber Orchestra. Fiolia has also performed for major TV and radio stations including ZDF, ARTE, Classica TV, SWR, Deutschlandradio, and WDR. In 2018 she made her debut at the Klavierfestival Ruhr with works by Ravel, Debussy, Schubert and Glinka.
https://www.ingafiolia.com/

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

FLAC, tracks

Links in comment

Enjoy!