VLADIMIR SOFRONITZKY: MASTERPIECES AND RARITIES (10 CDS)

– The celebrated pianist for Scriabin’s works
– Rarely heard composers like Lyadov, Borodin, Glasunov
– A Russian romantic with Schumann and Schubert

Vladimir Sofronitzky (1901 – 1961) is still somewhat of an insider’s tip among the
great Russian pianists of the 20th century. This 10-CD documentation is the first to
present a comprehensive overview of his legacy. As the husband of a daughter of
Alexander Scriabin, his name has always been very closely linked to the works of
this composer, and they are also extensively represented here. However, the
impressive Schubert and Schumann recordings, which make for a more accurate
evaluation of this pianist, are also highly interesting. His conflicts with the guidelines
of Soviet cultural policy prevented - especially in the 1930s - longer concert tours in
Western countries. At this time Sofronitzky taught at the Conservatory in Leningrad
(1936 – 42) and then from 1942 to 1961 in Moscow. He avoided glamorous
appearances as much as possible. His recordings were made in the Great Hall and
in the Chamber Music Hall of the Moscow Conservatory, Prokofiev's Sonata No. 7
and the Preludes and Fugues op. 87 by Shostakovich in the Scriabin Memorial
Museum. Along with the recordings of works by Beethoven, Mozart, Chopin,
Debussy and Liszt, as well as the lesser known Lyadov, Borodin and Glasunov, they
now provide the opportunity to perceive this pianist struggling with alcohol and drug
abuse in all his artistic significance.

CD 1
■ Robert Schumann (1810 – 1856)
KREISLERIANA
FANTASIES FOR PIANO, Op. 16
1. Äußerst bewegt 4‘46
2. Sehr innig und nicht zu rasch
(Intermezzo I: Sehr lebhaft 6‘05
Intermezzo II: Etwas bewegter –
langsamer)
3. Sehr aufgeregt 4‘37
4. Sehr langsam – Bewegter 3‘20
5. Sehr lebhaft 3‘04
6. Sehr langsam. Durchaus leise zu
halten 3‘38
7. Sehr rasch 2‘17
8. Schnell und spielend 3‘25
9. VARIATIONS ON A THEME BY
CLARA WIEK, Op. 14 7‘42
10. ROMANCE, Op. 28 No. 1 3‘35
11. ARABESQUE, Op. 18 6‘09
12. IN THE EVENING / AM ABEND 3‘10
Fantastic Piece / Fantasiestücke, Op. 12
No. 1

Vladimir Sofronitzky piano
recorded / aufgenommen 1952 (1-8)
1953 (9) 1959 (10-12)
Total Time 52'08

CD 2
■ Robert Schumann (1810 – 1856)
FANTASIE FOR PIANO IN C MAJOR /
C-Dur, Op. 17
1. I. Durchaus phantastisch und
leidenschaftlich vorzutragen 11‘44
2. II. Mäßig. Durchaus energisch 7‘45
3. III. Langsam, getragen. Durchweg
leise zu halten 9‘17

SYMPHONIC ETUDES, Op. 13 AND
POSTHUMOUS VARIATIONS
Symphonische Etüden, op. 13, und
Variationen op.posth.
4. Thema 1‘21
5. Étude I 1‘08
6. Variation I 0‘46
7. Étude II 1‘47
8. Étude III 0‘51
9. Étude IV 0‘53
10. Étude V 0‘32
11. Variation IV 1‘34
12. Étude VI 0‘44
13. Étude VII 0‘46
14. Variation II 1‘53
15. Variation V 1‘46
16. Étude VIII 1‘36
17. Étude IX 0‘35
18. Étiude X 0‘42
19. Étude XI 2‘25
20. Étude XII 6‘19

Vladimir Sofronitzky piano
recorded / aufgenommen 1959 (1-20)
Total Time 54'30

CD 3
■ Robert Schumann (1810 – 1856)
CARNAVAL, Op. 9
1. Préambule 2‘15
2. Pierrot 0‘56
3. Arlequin 1‘09
4. Valse noble 1‘06
5. Eusebius 1‘25
6. Florestan 0‘57
7. Coquette 0‘58
8. Réplique 0‘59
9. Papillons 0‘35
10. A.S.C.H. – S-C.H.A. Lettres
Dansantes 0‘49
11. Chiarina 0‘54
12. Chopin 1‘11
13. Estrella 0‘21
14. Reconnaissance 1‘50
15. Pantalon et Colombine 0‘55
16. Valse allemande. Intermezzo:
Paganini 2‘14
17. Aveu 0‘49
18. Promenade 1‘48
19. Pause. Marche des „Davidsbündler“
contre les Philistins 3‘47

PIANO SONATA No. 1 IN F SHARP
MINOR, Op. 11
Klaviersonata Nr. 1, fis-Moll, op. 11
20. I. Introduzione. Un poco Adagio –
Allegro vivace 10‘04
21. II. Aria 2‘56
22. III. Scherzo e intermezzo:
Allegrissimo 4‘19
23. IV. Finale: Allegro un poco maestoso
10‘45

Vladimir Sofronitzky piano
recorded / aufgenommen 1959 (1-19)
1960 (20-23)
Total Time 53'08

CD 4
■ Franz Schubert (1797 – 1828)
PIANO SONATA No. 21 IN B FLAT
MAJOR, D. 960
Klaviersonate Nr. 21, B-Dur, D. 960
1. I. Molto moderato 14‘02
2. II. Andante sostenuto 11‘10
3. III. Scherzo: Allegro vivace con
delicatezza 3‘51
4. IV. Allegro ma non troppo 7‘28

5. IMPROMPTU IN G FLAT MAJOR /
Ges-Dur, Op. 90 No. 3 5‘57

6. IMPROMPTU IN A FLAT MAJOR /
As-Dur, Op. 90 No. 4 7‘07

Franz Schubert
Transcription: Franz Liszt (1811 – 1886)
7. Der Erlkönig 4‘46
8. Aufenthalt 3‘23
9. Der Müller und der Bach 4‘49
10. Frühlingsglaube 3‘13
11. Der Doppelgänger 3‘35

Vladimir Sofronitzky piano
recorded / aufgenommen 1960
Total Time 69'42

CD 5
■ Ludwig van Beethoven (1770 – 1827)
PIANO SONATA No. 32 IN C MINOR,
Op. 111
Klaviersonate Nr. 32, c-Moll, op. 111
1. I. Maestoso 9‘09
2. II. Arietta 18‘25
■ Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756 –
1791)
3. FANTASIA IN C MINOR / c-Moll, K
396 7‘16
4. FANTASIA IN C MINOR / c-Moll, K
475 11‘09
■ Frédéric Chopin (1810 – 1849)
5. SCHERZO No. 1 IN B MINOR /
h-Moll, Op. 20 9‘52
6. SCHERZO No. 2 IN B FLAT MINOR /
b-Moll, Op. 31 9‘05
7. WALTZ IN D FLAT MAJOR, Op. 64
No. 1 / 1‘42
Walzer, Des-Dur, op. 64 Nr. 1
8. MAZURKA IN C SHARP MINOR /
cis-Moll, Op. 30 No. 4 3‘25
9. BALLADE No. 3 IN A FLAT MAJOR /
As-Dur, Op. 47 7‘19

Vladimir Sofronitzky piano
recorded / aufgenommen 1946 (1, 2)
1951 (3) 1960 (4-9)
Total Time 77'40

CD 6
■ Sergej Rachmaninoff (1873 – 1943)
TWO MOMENTS MUSICAUX, Op. 16
1. No. 2 in E flat minor / es-Moll 3‘04
2. No. 5 in D flat major / Des-Dur 3‘12

■ Franz Liszt (1811 – 1886)
3. AFTER A READING OF DANTE / 14‘59
NACH DER LEKTÜRTE VON DANTE
A sonata-fantasia from the cycle “Years of
Pilgrimage”, Italy, No. 7

■ Anatoly Lyadov (1855 – 1914)
4. PRÉLUDE IN D FLAT MAJOR / Des-Dur,
Op. 57/1 2‘08
5. PRÉLUDE IN D FLAT MAJOR / Des-Dur,
Op. 57/2 2‘07
6. PRÉLUDE IN D FLAT MAJOR / Des-Dur,
Op. 57/3 1‘16
7. A MUSCAL SNUFFBOX, Op. 32 / 1‘52
Eine musikalische Schnupftabakdose
8. PRÉLUDE IN D FLAT MAJOR / Des-Dur,
Op. 11/1 2‘43
9. PRÉLUDE IN G MAJOR / G-Dur, Op. 36/3
0‘55
10. PRÉLUDE IN D MINOR / d-Moll, Op.
40/3 1‘16
11. PRÉLUDE IN D FLAT MINOR / des-Moll,
Op. 31/2 1‘39
12. BARCAROLLE IN F SHARP MAJOR /
Fis-Dur, Op. 44 3‘38
13. NOVELETTE „NOVINKA“, Op. 20 2‘52

■ Claude Debussy (1862 – 1918)
14. SERENADE FOR THE DOLL /
SERENADE FÜR DIE PUPPE 2‘24
from the piano suite “Children‘s Corner”, No.
5

■ Frédéric Chopin (1810 – 1849)
TWO NOCTURNES, Op. 15
15. No. 1 IN F MAJOR / F-Dur 4‘20
16. No. 2 IN F SHARP MAJOR / Fis-Dur
3‘20

Vladimir Sofronitzky piano
recorded / aufgenommen 1960 (1, 15, 16)
1951 (3-14)
Total Time 52'07

CD 7
■ Alexander Borodin (1833 – 1887)
PETITE SUITE
1. Dans le monastère 4‘12
2. Intermezzo 3‘07
3. Mazurka in C major / C-Dur 2‘33
4. Mazurka in D flat major / Des-Dur
2‘43
5. Rêverie 1‘37
6. Sérénade 1‘29
7. Nocturne 2‘19

■ Alexander Glasunov (1865 – 1936)
8. Prélude & Fugue, Op. 101/1 13‘47
9. Piano Piece, Op. 49/1 2‘17

■ Dimitri Shostakovich (1906 – 1975)
PRÉLUDES & FUGUES, Op. 87
10. No. 3 in G major / G-Dur 3‘09
11. No. 9 in E major / E-Dur 4‘22

Vladimir Sofronitzky piano
recorded / aufgenommen 1946/54
Total Time 41'47

CD 8
■ Sergej Prokofiev (1891 – 1953)
PIANO SONATA No. 7 IN B FLAT
MAJOR, Op. 83
Klaviersonate Nr. 7, B-Dur, op. 83
1. I. Allegro inquieto – Andantino –
Allegro 7‘19
2. II. Andante caloroso 5‘32
3. III. Precipitato 3‘14

FOUR TALES OF A GRANDMOTHER,
Op. 31
Vier Geschichten einer Großmutter, op.
31
4. Moderato 2‘04
5. Andantino 1‘08
6. Andante assai 2‘41
7. Sostenuto 2‘32

PIANO PIECES, Op. 12
8. Gavotte 2‘19
9. Rigaudon 1‘15
10. Legende 2‘33
11. Prélude 1‘54
12. Allemande 3‘06
13. Scherzo humoristique 2‘56
14. SARCASMS, Op. 17 No. 5 2‘22

Vladimir Sofronitzky piano
recorded / aufgenommen 1951
Total Time 41‘08

CD 9
■ Alexander Scriabin (1872 – 1915)
PIANO SONATA No. 3 IN F SHARP
MINOR, Op. 23
Klaviersonate Nr. 3, fis-Moll, op. 23
1. I. Dramatico 5‘55
2. II. Allegretto 2‘21
3. III. Andante – attacca. Presto con
fuoco 14‘15

PIANO SONATA No. 4 IN F SHARP
MAJOR, Op. 30
Klaviersonate Nr. 4, Fis-Dur, op. 30
4. I. Andante 2‘49
5. II. Prestissimo volando 4‘56

6. PIANO SONATA No. 5, Op. 53 11‘09
7. PIANO SONATA No. 8, Op. 66 12‘50
8. PIANO SONATA No. 9, Op. 68 7‘57
9. PIANO SONATA No. 10, Op. 70 11‘19

Vladimir Sofronitzky piano
recorded / aufgenommen 1958 (1-3, 6,
7) 1959 (4, 5) 1960 (8-9)
Total Time 73'47

CD 10
■ Alexander Scriabin (1872 – 1915)
PRÉLUDES
1. E minor / e-Moll, Op. 11 No. 4 1‘28
2. B minor / h-Moll, Op. 13 No. 6 1‘21
3. C sharp minor / cis-Moll, Op. 9 No. 1 2‘31
4. C sharp minor / cis-Moll, Op. 11 No. 10
1‘01
5. F sharp major / Fis-Dur, Op. 16 No. 5
0‘33
6. A flat major / As-Dur, Op. 11 No. 17 0‘38
7. E flat major / Es-Dur, Op. 11 No. 19 1‘04
8. C minor / c-Moll, Op. 11 No. 20 1‘01
9. F major / F-Dur, Op. 11 No. 23 0‘37

10. ETUDE IN B FLAT MINOR / b-Moll, Op.
8 No. 11 3‘58

11. ETUDE IN D SHARP MINOR /
des-Moll, Op. 8 No. 12 2‘24

12. TRAGIC POEM, Op. 34 3‘17

TWO POEMS, Op. 32
13. No. 1 in D major / D-Dur 1‘42
14. No. 2 in F sharp major / Fis-Dur 3‘08

TWO POEMS, Op. 69
15. No. 1 1‘44
16. No. 2 1‘15

17. POEME „VERS LA FLAMME“, Op. 72
5‘16
18. THE MASK, Op. 63 No. 1 0‘59
19. MAZURKA IN F SHARP MAJOR /
Fis-Dur, Op. 40 No. 2 1‘15
20. WALTZ IN A FLAT MAJOR / A-Dur, Op.
38 6‘26

Vladimir Sofronitzky piano
recorded / aufgenommen 1960 (1-16,
18-20) 1958 (17)
Total Time 42'05