Hindemith: Sonatas for piano and… Alexander Melnikov

• Paul Hindemith (1895-1963): Sonata for Althorn and Piano (1943)
• 1 I. Ruhig bewegt 02:05
• 2 II. Lebhaft 03:30
• 3 III. Sehr langsam 02:04
• 4 IV. Das Posthorn (Zwiegespräch) - Lebhaft 04:00
• Sonata for Violoncello and Piano (1948)
• 5 I. Pastorale 06:34
• 6 II. Moderately fast - Slow - Tempo I 06:16
• 7 III. Passacaglia 08:42
• Sonata for Trombone and Piano (1941)
• 8 I. Allegro moderato maestoso 02:54
• 9 II. Allegretto grazioso 03:11
• 10 III. Lied des Raufbolds (Swashbuckler's Song). Allegro pesante 02:10
• 11 IV. Allegro moderato maestoso 02:52
• Sonata for Violin and Piano (1935)
• 12 I. Ruhig bewegt 03:57
• 13 II. Langsam - Sehr lebhaft - Langsam - Wieder lebhaft 06:34
• Sonata for Trumpet and Piano (1939)
• 14 I. Mit Kraft 05:22
• 15 II. Mäßig bewegt - Lebhaft - Wie zuerst 02:19
• 16 III. Trauermusik, Sehr langsam - Ruhig bewegt - Wie am Anfang - Alle Menschen müssen sterben. Sehr ruhig 08:31
• Total Runtime 01:11:01

Info zu Hindemith: Sonatas for piano and…

Hindemith composed more than 30 sonatas for the most diverse instruments – all of which he was capable of playing himself! This fascinating selection of works written between 1935 (when he became persona non grata in Nazi Germany) and 1948 (the brilliant Cello Sonata for Piatigorsky) is played by some of today’s finest soloists, with the guiding spirit of Alexander Melnikov at the piano.

How often does one hear a sonata for Althorn? Especially one published along with a poem by the composer?

Isabelle Faust, violin
Alexander Rudin, cello
Jeroen Berwaerts, trumpet
Alexander Melnikov, piano
Teunis van der Zwart, althorn
Gérard Costes, trombone

Alexander Melnikov
graduated from the Moscow Conservatory under Lev Naumov. His most formative musical moments in Moscow include his early encounter with Svjatoslav Richter, who thereafter regularly invited him to festivals in Russia and France. He was awarded important prizes at such eminent competitions as the International Robert Schumann Competition in Zwickau (1989) and the Concours Musical Reine Elisabeth in Brussels (1991).

Known for his often-unusual musical and programmatic decisions, Alexander Melnikov discovered a career-long interest in historical performance practice at an early age. His major influences in this field include Andreas Staier and Alexei Lubimov, with whom he collaborated on numerous projects. Melnikov performs regularly with such distinguished period ensembles as Concerto Köln and the Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin.

Together with Andreas Staier, Alexander Melnikov developed a programme that sets excerpts from Bach's Well-Tempered Clavier (Andreas Staier – harpsichord) in musical dialogue with Shostakovich's 24 Preludes and Fugues (Alexander Melnikov – piano). Intensive chamber music collaborations with partners including cellists Alexander Rudin and Jean-Guihen Queyras, as well as the baritone Georg Nigl, also form an essential part of his work.

Melnikov’s association wth the label harmonia mundi arose through his regular recital partner, violinist Isabelle Faust, and in 2010 their complete recording of the Beethoven sonatas for violin and piano won both a Gramophone Award and Germany’s ECHO Klassik Prize. This CD, which has become a touchstone recording for these works, was also nominated for a Grammy. Their latest CD, featuring chamber works of Weber, was released in January 2013.

Alexander Melnikov’s recording of the complete Preludes and Fugues by Shostakovich was awarded the BBC Music Magazine Award, Choc de classica and the Jahrespreis der Deutschen Schallplattenkritik. In 2011, it was also named by the BBC Music Magazine as one of the “50 Greatest Recordings of All Time.” Additionally, Melnikov’s discography features works by Brahms, Rachmaninoff and Scriabin; his recording of the Shostakovich piano concertos with the Mahler Chamber Orchestra and Teodor Currentzis was also met with critical acclaim.

As a soloist, Alexander Melnikov has performed with orchestras such as the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Gewandhausorchester Leipzig, Philadelphia Orchestra, NDR Sinfonieorchester, HR-Sinfonieorchester, Russian National Orchestra, Munich Philharmonic, Rotterdam Philharmonic, BBC Philharmonic and the NHK Symphony, under conductors such as Mikhail Pletnev, Teodor Currentzis, Charles Dutoit, Paavo Järvi and Valery Gergiev.

Alexander Melnikov is the 2013/14 Artist-in-Residence at the Muziekgebouw in Amsterdam. This season begins with Melnikov’s debut at the BBC Proms with the Warsaw Philharmonic under Antoni Wit, followed by performances in the season-opening concerts of the Czech Philharmonic under Jiří Bělohlávek. Further musical partners of the season include the Mahler Chamber Orchestra, Freiburger Barockorchester, Amsterdam Sinfonietta, Seattle Symphony, Utah Symphony and New Zealand Symphony. Melnikov’s solo engagements will take him to such venues as the Maison symphonique de Montreal, Wigmore Hall in London, De Singel in Antwerp and the Mozarteum Salzburg, as well as to concert halls in Osaka, Nagoya and Tokyo.

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