Piano Concertos Nos. 1 and 2 / Grande Fantaisie on Russian Folksongs

"..this is a fascinating release well worthy of investigation."
MusicWeb May 2009

"Rimsky-Korsakov praised Mily Alexeyevich Balakirev as being an excellent pianist. The two piano concertos of the conservative composer who lived until 1910 are colorful and tuneful works which partake of similar rich orchestrations to the music of Rimsky-Korsakov. No. 2 had to be completed by another Russian composer, Sergey Lyapunov. Balakirev was not only a pianist and composer but also a conductor, teacher and mentor to many of the Russian composers. He was only a few years older than both Tchaikovsky and Mussorgsky, and had a major influence on Russian music in general.

The short First Concerto echoes the music of Chopin in some sections; interesting to note that Balakirev dropped out of music for some years and worked for the Warsaw Railway. The considerably longer Second Concerto uses as a theme in its Adagio movement a chant from the Russian Orthodox Requiem. Exuberant bell-like patterns distinguish the third and final movement. The Grande Fantaisie draws on two Russian folk songs and is part of a long tradition of such nationalist works, which began before the Revolution. Sonics are fine-we don't need to accept poor sound to enjoy more unusual Russian music as was true during the Soviet era."
(Five Stars AudAud.com)

"The Grand Fantasia will steal your heart and take your breath away. It's really gorgeous, and it makes you wonder why Balakirev was overshadowed by Mussorgsky, Borodin, and Rimsky-Korsakov. Of the "Mighty Handful," only César Cui is less appreciated than Balakirev is."
(Fanfare)

Leader of the 'Mighty Handful' of Russian composers, Mily Alexeyevich Balakirev was praised by Rimsky-Korsakov as "an excellent pianist … endowed by nature with a sense of correct harmony and part-writing", qualities abundantly evident in his two piano concertos, the second of which was completed by Sergey Lyapunov. Brimming with Romantic bravura, rich orchestrations and solo writing that, while distinctive, can often stand comparison with Tchaikovsky, these are highly appealing works. With his Grande Fantasie on Russian Folksongs, Balakirev made an important contribution to Russian nationalist music.