046 CD / Franz Schubert: Klavierwerke
The Koroliov Series Vol. IV
Franz Schubert
Sonata B flat major D 960
Moments Musicaux
Evgeni Koroliov, piano
EAN/barcode: 4009850004608
Description
"... The Sonata is a real catch; it is as if cast in one go. Only few pianists can build up the span of excitement – and maintain it: endure, one might say. It is stretched almost to snapping point and breathless. That is what music sung and played in camera is like: turned inwards, averse to external influences, absolutely calm. And already it darkens and shadows build up; Koroliov dims the light. Moonlight, just right for sleep walkers. Constantly wide awake; suddenly there is cold light on the scene. He avoids any intrusion into barn-dance reminiscence. He understands form and feeling, and has a rare purity of tone. He leaves simple music as it is, whereas others are coquettish with it. Koroliov’s Schubert demands time from the listener." (Stuttgarter Nachrichten) "(...) Koroliov's technical command of the piano is total. (...) He plays Schubert's Schubert, not his. (...) This is major piano playing, and TACET's sonics are of high audiophile quality. Oh yes, and the booklet contains exceptionally good program notes in German, English and French. Highest recommendation!" (InTune)
3 reviews for 046 CD / Franz Schubert: Klavierwerke
You must be logged in to post a review.
Stuttgarter Zeitung –
A fixed star shines by itself.
Unaffected by the day's excitements, Evgeni Koroliov follows his own path. He is not a star in the pianist firmament as far as the media are concerned, but to those who have heard him and appreciate his recordings, he appears in his quiet greatness as a fixed star — a very distant, self-luminous celestial body that seems firmly anchored above, yet in reality slowly changes its position.
Koroliov is no showman and doesn’t play in the league of self-promoters — someone like him is hard to market. As someone who makes little fuss about himself or his abilities, he was fortunate to encounter the right producer and sound engineer. None of the industry’s big moguls wanted to bring him on board — it was a stroke of luck that he met Andreas Spreer, founder of the Stuttgart-based Tacet label and a meticulous craftsman at the microphone. Spreer is committed to the aesthetics of unadulterated sound. Nothing is glossed over or manipulated in any way. His recordings remain excellent and incomparable, especially the Prokofiev interpretations (“Visions fugitives” Op. 22, “Sarcasms” Op. 17, and Sonata No. 5 Op. 38, Tacet 32), as well as the Schubert CD featuring the great B-flat major sonata and the Moments Musicaux (D 780, Tacet 46), shaped entirely from the music’s closeness to death. Also remarkable is his rendition of Tchaikovsky’s The Seasons (Tacet 25), a cycle not easily accessible to everyone and rarely recorded.
And Bach, of course. Bach is the central sun in the life of pianist and piano professor Evgeni Koroliov (53), who lives in Hamburg. The Art of Fugue (Tacet 13) — one of the most intriguingly enigmatic works in the history of music in the best sense. Now, after years of hesitation and doubt, he has completed the recording of all 48 Preludes and Fugues of The Well-Tempered Clavier with the release of the second volume (Tacet 93 and 104). Live recordings from concerts of the International Bach Academy Stuttgart, released on Haussier Classics, include the Goldberg Variations as well as two additional Bach CDs.
His Bach playing strikes a balance between intellect and emotion; it leans into the melody while delivering powerful, chordal accents. A fiery spirit turns inward in reflection. Koroliov doesn’t smooth out the edges — he remains sharply alert. In doing so, he distances himself as much from the subtly romanticized interpretations of Sviatoslav Richter as from the unorthodox exegesis of Glenn Gould. (…)
... The Sonata is a real catch; it is as if cast in one go. Only few pianists can build up the span of excitement – and maintain it: endure, one might say. It is stretched almost to snapping point and breathless. That is what music sung and played in camera is like: turned inwards, averse to external influences, absolutely calm. And already it darkens and shadows build up; Koroliov dims the light. Moonlight, just right for sleep walkers. Constantly wide awake; suddenly there is cold light on the scene. He avoids any intrusion into barn-dance reminiscence. He understands form and feeling, and has a rare purity of tone. He leaves simple music as it is, whereas others are coquettish with it. Koroliov’s Schubert demands time from the listener.
Jürgen Holwein
Fanfare-Magazin –
... Koroliov is that rare individual who conveys the sense that he is the conduit for the composer′s ideas, offering a performance of self-effacing musicianship and sensitivity...
In Tune –
... Koroliov′s technical command of the piano is total... He plays Schubert′s Schubert, not his... This is major piano playing, and TACET′s sonics are of high audiophile quality. Oh yes, and the booklet contains exceptionally good program notes in German, English and French. Highest recommendation!"