Beahzod Abduraimov

Behzod Abduraimov joins Alpha for several recordings, starting with this kaleidoscope of miniatures miniatures that are in fact fairly gigantic, and showcase the Uzbek pianists extreme virtuosity and sensitivity. Each movement is in itself a miniature, and taken together they form a kaleidoscope of human emotions and images of all kinds, says Behzod Abduraimov. In his view, the pieces in Debussys Childrens Corner are not intended for young piano students, but for adults, so that they can immerse themselves in the world of children with a little nostalgia and a lot of humor. When it comes to Chopin, each prelude has a different musical essence, creates its own atmosphere.

Whereas Prokofiev was captivated by Romeo and Juliet , Ravel had shut himself away a quarter of a century earlier in Levallois Perret to compose Gaspard de la nuit , inspired by Aloysius Bertrand's collection of poems subtitled Fantaisies à la manière de Rembrandt et de Callot . In 1973, the Uzbek composer Dilorom Saidaminova paid tribute to Mussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition and composed The Walls of Ancient Bukhara , which offers a sonic view of the historic centre of the Central Asian city founded four or five centuries before the common era. Her compatriot Behzod Abduraimov was keen to pay tribute to this little-known composer and record her music, which, like the other two works on this album, is evocative and colourful.

Switzerland has always had a great attraction for Russian composers. Peter Tschaikowsky, Sergei Prokofjew and Igor Stravinsky were impressed by the beauty of the Swiss Alpine landscape. The composer Sergei Rachmaninoff should even find his new home here. Not far from Lucerne, on Lake Lucerne, the famous composer and pianist built a magnificent house, the "Villa Senar", in 1930 and found the peace and quiet here to compose famous works today. In the summer of 1934 he wrote his highly virtuoso "Rhapsody on a Theme by Paganini" for piano and orchestra, and a year later his 3rd symphony.

Serge Rachmaninoff himself played his Third Piano Concerto in 1911 in the Netherlands with the Concertgebouworkest and Willem Mengelberg. He noted at the time: "The musicians thought it was beautiful, but the audience and the critics did not." In the end, pianist Vladimir Horowitz was able to inspire the audience for the work, and today 'Rach 3' is considered to be one of the warhorses in the repertoire. With this notoriously difficult concerto the young Uzbek pianist Behzod Abduraimov made his dazzling Concertgebouworkest debut under the direction of Valery Gergiev.