The Eight Great Suites HWV426-433

BBC Music Magazine: Instrumental Choice - January 2012

"Smirnova here performs the so-called "Eight London Suites" with great sensitivity and poise - the first movement of the Suite No. 2 opens with the most startlingly delicate of trills - and subtle differentiation between the various Gigues, Allemandes, Courantes and Sarabandes whose abundance reflects the suites' origins in contemporary dance forms."
(The Independent)

"as Lisa Smirnova's vivacious account of the Eight Great Suites reminds us, they're a treasure-trove of Handelian wit and humanity. Purists will certainly need to take them on Smirnova's terms, too. Although she engages with period practice...she's no slave to it, producing something unapologetically pianistic and sometimes anachronistic here...Handel with care? Undeniably. And with captivating flair in spades."
(Five Stars BBC Music)

"Russian-born/Austria-based Smirnova takes on these pieces as if they are giants of the repertoire--and they really are, and she folds them into the big-boned body of the modern piano as if it were the most natural thing in the world. Her playing particularly exploits the bold bass-register resonances, leaving no doubt as to these works' power to excite."
(10/10 ClassicsToday Jan 2012)

ECM New Series debut for the exceptional Russian-born pianist Lisa Smirnova, playing Handel's Eight Great Suites (1720), also known as "The Eight London Suites" or "Suites de Pièces pour le Clavecin" - by any name, major pieces in the keyboard literature. Outstanding artists from Glenn Gould to Keith Jarrett have been drawn to these suites, but there are very few recordings of all eight, either on piano or harpsichord, currently on the market. Smirnova opts for the modern piano. She had been working rigorously on the Suites for five years prior to undertaking this recording, making many discoveries.

The 1720 edition of Suites - HWV 426-433 - is considered by many the most important collection of Handel's early works. Published by the composer himself, it includes works from both his Hamburg and English periods, all extensively revised by the composer, right through the printing process.

Educated at Moscow's Tchaikovsky Conservatory, the Salzburg Mozarteum, and with Maria Curcio and Robert Levin, Smirnova (born in Moscow, currently living in Austria) burst onto the classical scene in 1992 with a well-received debut at Carnegie Hall when she was only 20. In 1993, she received the Brahms Prize at the Schleswig-Holstein Music Festival, the first pianist ever to be honoured with this award, and her concert activities have extended to international concert podia in Europe, Asia and the USA. She has a long relationship with the Far East - since 2007 she has been Artistic Director of the Nagasaki-Ojika International Music Festival.