2022 marks the 150th anniversary of Alexander Scriabin’s birth on 6th January 1872. In the light of this celebration, Etcetera Records is proud to present Anastasia Safonova who has proven her knowledge, devotion and understanding of this repertoire.
Anastasia Safonova
Anastasia Safonova is a Russian/Dutch pianist and piano teacher at Conservatorium Maastricht. She was a laureate of prestigious international competitions, winner of the first prizes at the Yuri Egorov International Competition and the Yamaha Music Competition. Her numerous performances included appearances in famous concert venues in the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, France, England, Germany, Spain, Italy, Turkey, China and Russia. Read more.
Vol vers l’étoile - Flight to the star - Полет к звезде
The early years of the 20th century. The sun sets and night begins to fall in the streets of Moscow: the lamplighter is finishing his round. People hurry not to miss the start of a concert at the Pasternaks’ home; this was a meeting point for painters, musicians, writers and poets, where they played music, recited their works, and discussed everything, a manifestation of the great outburst of creativity that occurred at the turn of the century. Scriabin’s playing is nervous and inspired, delicate and refined. He fascinates his audience, not only with his playing but also with his compositions. Lev Tolstoy, the great Russian writer, praised Scriabin’s music, calling it “a sincere expression of genius”.
Anastasia's wish for this CD is that it might provide an insight into the special period in Russian cultural life between the two revolutions. She would like to end this introduction with a quote from the great Russian artist Wassily Kandinsky: “Every work of art is a child of its time, although often it is also the parent of our emotions. Every cultural period therefore creates its own art, which can never be repeated.”
"... The CD opens and closes with Scriabin, and it is clear that Safonova has built up a special bond with this composer. In her approach to this elusive sound magician, she goes straight for her goal. She doesn't have the patience or time for romantic posturing, the big picture rules in her musical universe. The technical requirements that Scriabin in particular sets are unquestionably colossal, and they are tackled by her without batting an eyelid. Her forte has a formidable impact without ever becoming tinny, and her pianissimo knows all the shades the composer asks for. We can't catch her on wrong notes, a trademark of Sviatoslav Richter. In short, an impressive debut, in which the Steinway comes out beautifully from the speakers thanks to Daan van Aalst's recording technique. Too bad it's over after just over an hour....."
-Opus Klassiek April 2022
We would like to congratulate Anastasia on her new release!
Listen on YouTube:
https://youtu.be/MTDDvQZXweA
https://youtu.be/_TCt6wfM9po
https://youtu.be/e1pE2MyqHxE
