The pianist Lukas Geniušas has recorded the original version of Rachmaninoff’s Piano Sonata no.1 in the composer’s Swiss home Villa Senar (Sergei & Natalia Rachmaninoff) and on his own piano, an unusually long Steinway & Sons model, presented to the composer and concert pianist by the manufacturer to mark his sixtieth birthday. The difference between the original version of Sonata no.1 and the second version, shorter by more than 100 bars, is not just a question of length, according to Lukas Geniušas: ‘There is a lot lost between the first and second editions. I know it goes against the grain, but I would name this sonata to be one of, if not the best Rachmaninoff’s solo piano work. Its shattering might, its splendor and scale can only be likened to the Third piano concerto, which was written soon after.’ The programme is completed by four preludes from the Op. 32 set.

Having triumphed on the stage, Asmik Grigorian now brings her artistry to the recording studio with the release of her eagerly awaited first recording with pianist Lukas Geniušas, Dissonance, the first of many projects planned with Alpha Classics. Devoted to one of her favourite composers, Sergei Rachmaninov, Ms. Grigorian chose to present his intimate yet highly emotional romances written for voice and piano. “Most of Rachmaninov’s romances really demand operatic power. In fact, he wrote ‘mini-operas’ which last a few minutes.”

The first half of the twentieth century marks the birth of three masterpieces for violin and piano, each bearing the traits of its author and echoing the thriving creativity of the time. Aylen Pritchin and Lukas Geniusas lead us through this mesmerizing exploration that extends from Debussy’s evocative power to Stravinsky’s modernism, without neglecting the nostalgic gaze of Hahn. Behold a sublime panorama of the rich and turbulent years of a musical France.

Having triumphed on the stage, Asmik Grigorian now brings her artistry to the recording studio with the release of her eagerly awaited first recording with pianist Lukas Geniušas, Dissonance , the first of many projects planned with Alpha Classics. Devoted to one of her favourite composers, Sergei Rachmaninov, Ms. Grigorian chose to present his intimate yet highly emotional romances written for voice and piano. “Most of Rachmaninov’s romances really demand operatic power. In fact, he wrote ‘mini-operas’ which last a few minutes.” Present throughout the album in many senses of the word, the theme of Dissonance refers to the romance Opus 34 , to the contrast present on this album in general, and to the “internal conflicts” that mark these songs. In collaboration with her compatriot, pianist Lukas Geniušas, the powerful artistry of these two musicians is on full display, and, in contrast with the album’s title, in complete harmony.

A Russian rural scenery narrated by a bard, characters present in traditional Hungarian songs, folk tunes from Bucovina whose enigmatic titles and melodic evanescence nevertheless leave a lasting impression - this summarizes the musical journey on which Lukas Geniušas takes us. Those scores are inspired by Central and Eastern European folklore and embody the junction of two musical art forms that have been in constant dialogue over the centuries.

In his first album with Mirare, the pianist Lukas Geniušas offers us a recital featuring two early masterpieces of Prokofiev coupled with the only sonata the composer penned in Western Europe.
Even though the earlier works are four decades distant from the latter, a steady feature remains: Prokofiev’s feelings for his beloved Russia.