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Tchaikovsky Solo Piano Works
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky

Peter Donohoe

Tchaikovsky Solo Piano Works

Price: € 22.95
Format: CD
Label: Signum Classics
UPC: 0635212059425
Catnr: SIGCD 594
Release date: 22 November 2019
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Label
Signum Classics
UPC
0635212059425
Catalogue number
SIGCD 594
Release date
22 November 2019
Album
Artist(s)
Composer(s)
EN

About the album

Tchaikovsky’s contemporaries tell us that he was good enough to become a concert pianist, if he had chosen to follow that path. But he preferred to focus on composition, and rarely performed in public concerts. His interest in the piano is mainly to be found in his many pieces for the instrument, and since most of these were suitable for amateurs with solid skills, they sold well and played an important role in building up his fame. Writing for concert soloists was a more difficult task, and even Tchaikovsky’s most sympathetic critic, Hermann Laroche, while praising the melodic beauty of the piano music, suspected that the composer could not manage without “the varied and luxuriant colours of the modern orchestra and the great expanse of symphonic
form; only there … does he feel at home, but where his palette is more restricted, he sounds relatively impoverished”. To be fair, this was written in 1873, before Tchaikovsky finally turned his hand to the composition of more ambitious piano works. Tchaikovsky had the greatest respect for the music of Robert Schumann, whose influence on his piano music is obvious. Alongside his Russian colleagues, Tchaikovsky prized Schumann for his innovative spirit, but also for his ardent expression of emotion, which led him to avoid superficial virtuosity. Schumann’s piano music was often very challenging to play, but it was personal and intimate even so: the difficulties emerged from the spirit of the piece, and not from any external desire to impress the ladies (a charge levelled at Liszt, rather uncharitably). Tchaikovsky adhered closely to Schumann’s intimate approach outside the occasional showy
flourish.

But this is not to say that Tchaikovsky’s piano music was derivative, since he developed his own unmistakable style, with boundless melodic invention and a clarity of textural layers that bring to mind his orchestral sonorities. There are, if you listen closely, “woodwind” passages (as in one of the episodes in the final rondo of the G-major Sonata) or climaxes of roaring brass (as in the first movement of the same work). Konstantin Igumnov, a passionate advocate of Tchaikovsky’s piano music, and one of the first to record the Sonata), claimed that the piano pieces do not “play themselves”, and do not offer sonorities of self-evident beauty, in the manner of Chopin or Liszt: pianists need to discover how to convey them effectively, as they must do with
Beethoven, or indeed, with Schumann. As Igumnov put it, “Tchaikovsky’s piano music is difficult to perform, but not impossible”. Peter Donohoe disagrees, insisting that all music requires performers to find the right approach, so he does not see Tchaikovsky as any kind of exception. He writes:
“It is inexplicable to me that Tchaikovsky’s solo piano music should remain so infrequently performed, containing as it does all of the composer’s characteristic harmony, his wonderful melodic gift, his capacity for majestic gesture, magically beautiful moments, immense sadness, and passages of extreme excitement. His piano writing is often orchestral in texture, but also demonstrates the direct but very diverse pianistic influences of Liszt and Schumann, and incorporates in an almost naive way folk-style dance rhythms and melodies from Russia. This treasure trove is immensely rewarding to play, whether it be a small-scale salon piece such as the Humoresque Op. 10 No 2, or large in scale, such as is the gigantic Grand Sonata in G
Major.”

Artist(s)

Peter Donohoe (piano)

“I cannot imagine a living pianist capable of improving upon Donohoe’s outstanding artistry” Robert Matthew-Walker, Musical Opinion Peter Donohoe was born in Manchester in 1953. He studied at Chetham’s School of Music for seven years, graduated in music at Leeds University, and went on to study at the Royal Northern College of Music with Derek Wyndham and then in Paris with Olivier Messiaen and Yvonne Loriod. He is acclaimed as one of the foremost pianists of our time, for his musicianship, stylistic versatility and commanding technique.  Donohoe has performed with all the major London orchestras, as well as orchestras from across the world: the Royal Concertgebouw, Leipzig Gewandhaus, Munich Philharmonic, Swedish Radio, Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France, Vienna Symphony and Czech...
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“I cannot imagine a living pianist capable of improving upon Donohoe’s outstanding artistry” Robert Matthew-Walker, Musical Opinion Peter Donohoe was born in Manchester in 1953. He studied at Chetham’s School of Music for seven years, graduated in music at Leeds University, and went on to study at the Royal Northern College of Music with Derek Wyndham and then in Paris with Olivier Messiaen and Yvonne Loriod. He is acclaimed as one of the foremost pianists of our time, for his musicianship, stylistic versatility and commanding technique.

Donohoe has performed with all the major London orchestras, as well as orchestras from across the world: the Royal Concertgebouw, Leipzig Gewandhaus, Munich Philharmonic, Swedish Radio, Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France, Vienna Symphony and Czech Philharmonic Orchestras. He has also played with the Berliner Philharmoniker in Sir Simon Rattle’s opening concerts as Music Director. He made his twenty-second appearance at the BBC Proms in 2012 and has appeared at many other festivals including six consecutive visits to the Edinburgh Festival, La Roque d’Anthéron in France, and at the Ruhr and Schleswig Holstein Festivals in Germany. In the United States, his appearances have included the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Boston, Chicago, Pittsburgh, Cleveland and Detroit Symphony Orchestras. Peter Donohoe also performs numerous recitals internationally and continues working with his long-standing duo partner Martin Roscoe, as well as more recent collaborations with artists such as Raphael Wallfisch, Elizabeth Watts and Noriko Ogawa.

Donohoe is also in high demand as a jury member for international competitions. He has recently served on the juries at the International Tchaikovsky Piano Competition in Moscow (2011 and 2015), Busoni International Competition in Bolzano, Italy (2012), Queen Elisabeth Competition in Brussels (2016), Georges Enescu Competition in Bucharest (2016), Hong Kong International Piano Competition (2016), Artur Rubenstein Piano Master Competition (2017), Lev Vlassenko Piano Competition and Festival (2017), Concours de Geneve Competition (2018), Ferrol Piano Competition (2022), Val Tidone Piano Competition (2022) and Hong Kong International Piano Competition (2022), along with many national competitions both within the UK and abroad.

The 23/24 season kicked off with Peter Donohoe performing as a soloist with the London Symphony Orchestra and Simon Rattle with performances of Messiaen’s Turangalîla-Symphonie in London, Edinburgh, and Bucharest. In January 2024, Peter returns to Philadelphia for performances with the Ama Deus Ensemble and will then travel to Dubai to adjudicate the 3rd Classic Piano Competition 2024.

Peter Donohoe is an honorary doctor of music at seven UK universities, and was awarded a CBE for services to classical music in the 2010 New Year’s Honours List.


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Composer(s)

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky

Tchaikovsky is considered as one of the most talented Russian composers of the 19th century. Unlike many other Russian composers of his time, he studied at a conservatory and made the western music theory his own. So, he was not as distrustful of western music as the group of nationalistic composers surrounding Balakirev. Yet, Tchaikovsky sought to express the typical Russian mentality just as much and used many Russian folk songs in his music.  He had a good relationship with Balakirev, who helped him with constructive feedback on his first masterpiece, the overture of Romeo and Juliet. At times, Tchaikovsky was emotionally unstable, which has often been attributed to struggles with his homosexuality. His decision to marry proved to be disastrous...
more
Tchaikovsky is considered as one of the most talented Russian composers of the 19th century. Unlike many other Russian composers of his time, he studied at a conservatory and made the western music theory his own. So, he was not as distrustful of western music as the group of nationalistic composers surrounding Balakirev. Yet, Tchaikovsky sought to express the typical Russian mentality just as much and used many Russian folk songs in his music. He had a good relationship with Balakirev, who helped him with constructive feedback on his first masterpiece, the overture of Romeo and Juliet. At times, Tchaikovsky was emotionally unstable, which has often been attributed to struggles with his homosexuality. His decision to marry proved to be disastrous and plunged him into a deep crisis. Yet, the passionate letters of his fiance, even though they barely knew each other, did inspire him to compose his succesful opera Evgenij Onegin. Tchaikovsky had the wonderful gift of composing the most beautiful, lyric melodies. He had a feeling for creating a certain atmosphere in his music and mastered the art of orchestration. Moreover, he excelled in dance music, which made him the ideal composer for ballet. With his ballets The Swan Lake, The Sleeping Beauty, and The Nutcracker he brought the genre to a higher level. During his life, he was already a celebrity. He often did tours to conduct his music and in the USA he was welcomed as a star. He died unexpectedly, nine days after the premiere of his incredibly gloomy Sixth Symphony, probably of cholera. Some other highlights of his body of works are his First Piano Concerto, his Violin Concerto and the Rococo-variations.
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Press

Play album Play album
Disc #1
01.
Two Pieces Op. 1: Scherzo á la Russe in Bb Major Op. 1 No. 1
06:24
(Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky) Peter Donohoe, Peter Donohoe
02.
Two Pieces Op. 1: Impromptu in E Flat Minor, Op. 1 No. 2
06:08
(Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky) Peter Donohoe, Peter Donohoe
03.
Capriccio in G Flat Major, Op. 8
05:25
(Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky) Peter Donohoe, Peter Donohoe
04.
Six Pieces on One Theme, Op. 21: I. Prélude. Allegro moderato
02:03
(Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky) Peter Donohoe, Peter Donohoe
05.
Six Pieces on One Theme, Op. 21: II. Fugue à 4 voix. Andante
03:06
(Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky) Peter Donohoe, Peter Donohoe
06.
Six Pieces on One Theme, Op. 21: III. Impromptu. Allegro molto
01:53
(Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky) Peter Donohoe, Peter Donohoe
07.
Six Pieces on One Theme, Op. 21: IV. March funèbre. Moderato. Tempo di Marcia
05:42
(Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky) Peter Donohoe, Peter Donohoe
08.
Six Pieces on One Theme, Op. 21: V. Mazurque. Allegro moderato
04:11
(Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky) Peter Donohoe, Peter Donohoe
09.
Six Pieces on One Theme, Op. 21: VI. Scherzo. Allegro vivace
04:50
(Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky) Peter Donohoe, Peter Donohoe

Disc #2
01.
Aveu Passionné, Op. Post.
03:01
(Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky) Peter Donohoe, Peter Donohoe
02.
Sonata No. 2 in G Major, Op. 37: I. Moderato e risoluto
11:57
(Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky) Peter Donohoe, Peter Donohoe
03.
Sonata No. 2 in G Major, Op. 37: II. Andante non troppo quasi Moderato
07:50
(Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky) Peter Donohoe, Peter Donohoe
04.
Sonata No. 2 in G Major, Op. 37: III. Scherzo. Allegro giocoso
03:20
(Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky) Peter Donohoe, Peter Donohoe
05.
Sonata No. 2 in G Major, Op. 37: IV. Finale. Allegro vivace
06:55
(Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky) Peter Donohoe, Peter Donohoe
06.
Humoresque, Op. 10 No. 2
02:48
(Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky) Peter Donohoe, Peter Donohoe
07.
Doumka, Op. 59
08:20
(Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky) Peter Donohoe, Peter Donohoe
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