Nikolai Tokarev – Alexander Rosenblatt: Tokarev plays Rosenblatt

Description

The music of Alexander Rosenblatt combines classical forms and methods with jazzy vintage features (harmonies, rhythms, melodic lines). Anchored as it is in the classical tradition, his music cannot be considered a “jazzy stream”. Rosenblatt’s key message to performers of his music is: ”Please don’t pretend you are jazz PLAYERS!” Whatever the genre (sonata, fantasy, instrumental concerto etc) Rosenblatt’s music always reveals a highly romantic approach.

The two good friends Tokarev and Rosenblatt make music already for a very long time with one another. For the first time here Tokarev plays on this CD both Rosenblatt’s own compositions and its already several times highly praised arrangements. Rosenblatt is also an excellent pianist, as we can hear on the track “Concertino on Two Russian Themes for 4 hands“, which he plays together with Nikolai Tokarev.

In April 2007, Nikolai Tokarev released his first piano recital featuring works by Schubert, Chopin and Alexander Rosenblatt. He received the German Echo Classical 2008 award as Best Newcomer (piano). On his current CD Nikolai Tokarev plays the Piano Concerto in A minor by Grieg and the Piano Concerto No. 2 in F minor by Chopin.

Tokarev about the track „Paganini’s Variations“: The pianist must have a distinct, precise feeling for rhythm when playing this work, even in the slow variation, for example, where a degree of free phrasing is allowed. I hope that everyone who listens to the work will derive similar pleasure to that of the performer playing it. I am absolutely sure that these Variations bear comparison with such famous compositions based on themes by Paganini such as those by Liszt, Brahms and Rakhmaninov.