Evgeny Soifertis

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791)

Piano Sonata in F major K. 280 (Mozart)

i Allegro Assai, ii Adagio, iii Presto

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s Piano Sonata No. 2 in F major, K 280 / 189e, (1774) is a piano sonata in three movements. The work was written down along with other piano sonatas during the visit Mozart paid to Munich for the production of La finta giardiniera from late 1774 to the beginning of the following March.

Frédéric Chopin (1810-1849)

Mazurkas, Op. 24 (Chopin)

i G minor, ii C major, iii A flat major, iv B flat minor

The Op. 24 mazurkas by Frédéric Chopin were published in 1836, when the composer was 26 years old.

Alexander Scriabin (1872-1915)

Twelve Études Op. 8 (Scriabin)

i Etude in C♯ major, ii Etude in F♯ minor, iii Etude in B minor, iv Etude in B major, v Etude in E major, vi Etude in A major, vii Etude in B♭ minor, viii Etude in A♭ major, ix Etude in G♯ minor, x Etude in D♭ major, xi Etude in B♭ minor, xii Etude in D♯ minor

The Étude No.8, in A flat major, is really an album-leaf or a nocturne, a “mourning after” that is a fitting quietus to its predecessor.

Alexander Scriabin (1872-1915)

Eight Études Op. 42 (Scriabin)

Etude D flat major op. 42 no. 1, Etude f sharp minor op. 42 no. 2, Etude F sharp major op. 42 no. 3, Etude F sharp major op. 42 no. 4, Etude c sharp minor op. 42 no. 5, Etude D flat major op. 42 no. 6, Etude f minor op. 42 no. 7, Etude E flat major op. 42 no. 8

Étude No.5, in C sharp minor, is the most famous of the Op.42 eight. Here Scriabin’s canvas is galactic and his strokes are colossal. The cosmic ship is buffeted by giant breakers, waves that boom and bellow with primal authority. The ship’s journey is rebellious and daring, its destiny and destination uncertain. This rousing, climactic étude is for us a vicarious ride in Scriabin’s Promethean theme park.

Franz Liszt (1811-1886)

Spanish Rhapsody, S. 254 (Liszt)

Rhapsodie espagnole (Spanish Rhapsody), S.254, R.90, is a composition for solo piano composed by Franz Liszt in 1858. The piece is very suggestive of traditional Spanish music, and was inspired by Liszt’s tour in Spain and Portugal in 1845. When played, this piece takes roughly 11–14 minutes and contains many technical challenges, including rapid chords, thirds and octaves. It has long been a part of the standard repertoire and often sees play in piano competitions. Ferruccio Busoni arranged the piece for piano and orchestra in 1894.

Performers

Evgeny Soifertis - Piano

Evgeny Soifertis was born in Kiev, where at the age of thirteen he won first prize in the Beethoven Competition. He later continued his studies at the Moscow Conservatory before moving to Holland. More recently he has made his home in London. In Europe he has given concerts in Italy, at the Flanders Festival and at many venues in the Netherlands, including the Concertgebouw. In the United Kingdom he has performed at Wigmore Hall and taken part in prestigious festivals all over the country.