Scriabin & Medtner: Piano Sonatas Katja Avdeeva

• Alexander Scriabin (1872-1915): Piano Sonata No. 3 in F-sharp minor, Op. 23
• 1I. Drammatico06:44
• 2II. Allegretto02:27
• 3III. Andante04:17
• 4IV. Presto con fuoco06:22
• Piano Sonata No. 4 in F-sharp major, Op. 30
• 5I. Andante03:14
• 6II. Prestissimo volando05:53
• Nikolai Medtner (1880-1951): Sonata-Skazka [Märchen-Sonate] in C minor, Op. 25 No. 1
• 7I. Allegro abbandonamente05:41
• 8II. Andantino con moto04:02
• 9III. Allegro con spirito04:11
• Sonata-Reminiscenza in A minor, Op. 38 No. 1
• 10Forgotten Melodies, Op. 38: No. 1. Sonata reminiscenza12:58
• Total Runtime55:49

Info for Scriabin & Medtner: Piano Sonatas

Russian soul without a doubt. Here, pianist Katja Avdeeva takes us onto the ideal ground for demonstrating her art and profoundly expressing the sensitive poetry of her illustrious compatriots Alexander Scrabin and Nikolai Medtner. These two contemporaries had in common devoting practically all their musical production to the piano. Already marking Scriabin’s stylistic evolution towards modernity, the Sonata No.3 ‘États d’âme’ opens this programme and then invites us to fly off ‘to the star, symbol of happiness’, represented, according to the composer, by the sublime Fourth Sonata. Making us travel with refinement, the extraordinary palette of colours that the pianist displays intimately plunges lovers of Russian music in the inner world of the master of modernity. Under the fingers of this great artist of today, you will also (re)discover two sonatas by Nikolai Medtner, nine years younger than Scriabin.

Katja Avdeeva, piano

Katja Avdeeva
Russian music is a constant feature in the work of this pianist who started to play piano at the age four. At eight, Ms. Avdeeva already had her first public appearance on stage for a piano competition in St. Petersburg, where she later studied piano at the State Conservatory with Marina Wolf and Pavel Egorov in the best traditions of the Russian piano school. After graduating with distinction in Russia she went on to study in Switzerland, with Marc Pantillon in Neuchatel and Thomas Larcher at the Basel Music Academy. After receiving her soloist diploma from the Conservatory, the recording of her final recital of Rachmaninoff’s Études-tableaux was bought and produced by Sony. She is laureate of national and international piano competitions in Switzerland, Italy, France and Spain.

Her fascination for contemporary music led her to work with such musicians like Pierre Boulez, Harrison Birtwistle, Heinz Holliger, Otto Zikan , Kasper de Roo (Windkraft Tirol) , John Galea and Igor Drukh. Her music has been broadcast by ORF, Radio Suisse Romande, and Radio Hermitage. Currently, Ms. Avdeeva is busy with intense concert activity, performing as soloist and chamber music artist in Russia , China and Europe, in halls such as the St. Petersburg Philharmonia, Teatru Manoel, Teatro Sá de Miranda, and others. She has appeared in numerous festivals, such as Klangspuren, Lucerne Festival, Les Jardins Musicaux, VFMIF. She has also taught international master classes and participated in several competitions as a jury member.

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