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Cover: Sergei Prokofiev – Piano Sonatas Nos. 1-9 · Romeo and Juliet · Visions fugitives · Sarcasms · Other works for piano

Sergei Prokofiev

Piano Sonatas Nos. 1-9

Romeo and Juliet · Visions fugitives · Sarcasms · Other works for piano

Matti Raekallio, piano

ODE 1103-2Q · CD · April 2011

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"Raekallio proves himself completely at home with the composer\

Track listing

70 tracks · 261:47

Listen to samples on selected tracks.

CD 1

Sergei Prokofiev

  1. 1 Piano Sonata No. 1 in F minor, Op. 1 7:52
  2. Piano Sonata No. 2 in D minor, Op. 14 18:26
  3. 2 I. Allegro, ma non troppo 6:25
  4. 3 II. Scherzo: Allegro marcato 2:02
  5. 4 III. Andante 5:47
  6. 5 IV. Vivace - Moderato - Vivace 4:20
  7. 6 Piano Sonata No. 3 in A minor, Op. 28 ("from the old notebooks") 8:26
  8. Piano Sonata No. 4 in C minor, Op. 29 ("from the old notebooks") 17:38
  9. 7 I. Allegro molto sostenuto 5:39
  10. 8 II. Andante assai 8:18
  11. 9 III. Allegro con brio, ma non leggiere 3:41
  12. Piano Sonata No. 5 in C major (original version), Op. 38 16:49
  13. 10 I. Allegro tranquillo 5:48
  14. 11 II. Andantino 5:46
  15. 12 III. Un poco allegretto 5:15

CD 2

Sergei Prokofiev

  1. Piano Sonata No. 6 in A major, Op. 82 ("War Sonata I") 27:18
  2. 1 I. Allegro moderato 8:55
  3. 2 II. Allegretto 4:03
  4. 3 III. Tempo di valzer lentissimo 7:35
  5. 4 IV. Vivace 6:45
  6. Piano Sonata No. 7 in B flat major, Op. 83 ("War Sonata II") 18:01
  7. 5 I. Allegro inquieto - Andantino 8:06
  8. 6 II. Andante caloroso 6:54
  9. 7 III. Precipitato 3:01
  10. Piano Sonata No. 8 in B flat major, Op. 84 ("War Sonata III") 28:56
  11. 8 I. Andante dolce - Allegro moderato - Andante dolce, come prima - Allegro 15:10
  12. 9 II. Andante sognando 4:15
  13. 10 III. Vivace - Allegro ben marcato - Andantino - Vivace, come prima 9:31

CD 3

Sergei Prokofiev

  1. Piano Sonata No. 9 in C major, Op. 103 23:27
  2. 1 I. Allegretto 7:33
  3. 2 II. Allegro strepitoso - Andantino - Allegro strepitoso 3:13
  4. 3 III. Andante tranquillo 7:06
  5. 4 IV. Allegro con brio, ma non troppo presto 5:31
  6. Etudes, Op. 2 10:17
  7. 5 I. Etude in D minor (Allegro) 2:32
  8. 6 II. Etude in E minor (Moderato) 2:25
  9. 7 III. Etude in C minor (Andante semplice - Presto) 3:41
  10. 8 IV. Etude in C minor (Presto energico) 1:39
  11. 9 Toccata in D minor, Op. 11 4:13
  12. Sarcasms, Op. 17 12:05
  13. 10 I. Tempestoso 2:28
  14. 11 II. Allegro rubato 1:16
  15. 12 III. Allegro precipitato 1:58
  16. 13 IV. Smanioso 3:02
  17. 14 V. Precipitosissimo 3:21

CD 4

Sergei Prokofiev

  1. Visions fugitives, Op. 22 26:01
  2. 1 I. Lentamente 1:13
  3. 2 II. Andante 1:27
  4. 3 III. Allegretto 1:05
  5. 4 IV. Animato 0:54
  6. 5 V. Molto giocoso 0:21
  7. 6 VI. Con eleganza 0:27
  8. 7 VII. Pittoresco (Arpa) 2:01
  9. 8 VIII. Commodo 1:45
  10. 9 IX. Allegretto tranquillo 1:07
  11. 10 X. Ridicolosamente 1:00
  12. 11 XI. Con vivacità 1:07
  13. 12 XII. Assai moderato 1:17
  14. 13 XIII. Allegretto 0:51
  15. 14 XIV. Feroce 1:02
  16. 15 XV. Inquieto 0:42
  17. 16 XVI. Dolente 2:22
  18. 17 XVII. Poetico 1:36
  19. 18 XVIII. Con una dolce lentezza 1:59
  20. 19 XIX. Presto agitatissimo e molto accentuato 0:42
  21. 20 XX. Lento irrealmente 2:59
  22. Tales of an Old Grandmother, Op. 31 9:36
  23. 21 I. Moderato 2:51
  24. 22 II. Andantino 1:20
  25. 23 III. Andante assai 2:54
  26. 24 IV. Sostenuto 2:30
  27. Romeo and Juliet: Ten Pieces for Piano, Op. 75 32:48
  28. 25 I. Folk Dance 4:31
  29. 26 II. Scene: The Street Awakens 1:27
  30. 27 III. Minuet: Arrival of the Guests 2:47
  31. 28 IV. The Young Juliet 3:31
  32. 29 V. Masks 2:10
  33. 30 VI. The Montagues and the Capulets 3:47
  34. 31 VII. Friar Laurence 2:18
  35. 32 VIII. Mercutio 2:13
  36. 33 IX. Dance of the Girls with Lilies 2:32
  37. 34 X. Romeo Bids Juliet Farewell 7:27

About this recording

This 4-CD collector's box features Matti Raekallio with piano solo music by Sergei Prokofiev, including a complete set of the nine Piano Sonatas. Also included are the famous Ten Pieces for Piano from Romeo and Juliet, Visions fugitives, and Sarcasms, as well as further cycles and popular piano pieces. All recordings from this set were previously released to great critical acclaim, including (10/10) accolades from ClassicsToday.com. David Hurwitz has hailed these sonata recordings as "maybe the finest complete survey of the sonatas available".

Finnish-born pianist Matti Raekallio has built an international reputation particularly upon making these Prokofiev recordings between 1988 and 1999 ("I don't think there's any other pianist who has surveyed significant chunks of this repertoire with a sharper ear for the way that details of texture, rhythm, and articulation interact." - Fanfare Magazine, March/April 2000). A prolific pedagogue, Matti Raekallio joined in 2007 the faculty of the Juilliard School in New York, having previously held professorships at Western Michigan University, as well as in Helsinki, Stockholm, and Hanover.

Features

Boxed set of 4 CDs; booklet with liner notes in English by the performing artist

Press

Matti Raekallio (...) plays with a shot-from-guns virtuosity that carries all before it.
Bryce Morrison, Gramophone, October 2011, 'Reissue of the Month'

Voici l'occasion rêvée d'acheter un des meilleurs cycles des Sonates de Prokofiev. Tout y concourt pour une réalisation absolument superbe.
Rémy Franck, Pizzicato, Octobre 2011

Die (...) Edition jedem Hörer zu empfehlen, der alle neun Sonaten auf CD sein eigen nennen möchte - und darüber hinaus ein erkleckliches Maß an Prokofieff-Repertoire als Zugabe erhält.
Peter Cossé, Klassik Heute, 20.6.2011

Raekallion soitto on pidäkkeettömän lennokasta, voimallisesti muotoiltua, määrätietoisesti väritettyä ja erehtymättömän taiturillista. Lyyristä tyyneyttä ja romanttisuuteenkin taipuvaa lempeyttä löytyy, vaikka murskaava vasarointi puskeekin pintaan liian herkästi.
Jukka Isopuro, Helsingin Sanomat, 30.4.2011

The artists

Matti Raekallio

Born in Helsinki in 1954, Matti Raekallio studied in his home country of Finland, as well as with Maria Curcio in London, Dieter Weber at the Vienna Academy of Music, and at the Leningrad (now Saint Petersburg) Conservatory. He has been an active concert performer, making his American debut in 1981 at the Carnegie (Weill) Recital Hall. Since then, he has made regular tours of the US, including solo recitals and performances with several American orchestras. He has performed complete cycles of the 32 Beethoven Sonatas, the 10 Scriabin Sonatas, and the 9 Prokofiev Sonatas, as well as a total of 62 piano concertos. He has made approximately 20 albums for Ondine.

Full biography

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