Als achtjarige werd Sergei Prokofiev door zijn ouders meegenomen naar het Bolshoi Theater waar werken van Gounod, Borodin en Tchaikowsky zijn liefde voor opera en ballet aanwakkert. Een jaar later wordt zijn eerste werk Velikan in besloten kring uitgevoerd. Tijdens zijn studietijd in Sint Petersburg schrijft Prokofiev de opera The Igrok en balletmuziek voor Ala i Lolli. Twintig jaar later schrijft Prokofiev zijn beroemde Romeo en Julia. Aan de hand van een suite van dit werk bewerkt Sergei Babayan deze muziek voor twee piano’s. Verder bewerkt Sergei Babayan toneel- en filmmuziek zoals Hamlet, Eugene Onegin, The Queen of Spades en muziek uit de opera War and Peace. Hij draagt deze bewerkingen op aan Martha Argerich. Samen geven de twee pianolegendes een sublieme vertolking van deze prachtige muziek.
Prokofiev for Two
All works transcribed for two pianos by Sergei Babayan.
Martha Argerich (piano) & Sergei Babayan (piano)
Pianists Martha Argerich and Sergei Babayan present two stunning selections from Prokofiev’s music for stage and screen in magnificent two-piano transcriptions by Babayan.
The album features Babayan’s twelve-movement transcription of numbers from the ballet Romeo and Juliet and his seven-movement suite transcribed from the Russian composer’s incidental music for Hamlet and Eugene Onegin, film score for The Queen of Spades and opera War and Peace.
These new Prokofiev transcriptions are both dedicated to Martha Argerich. “This project happened because of my love for Prokofiev, my love for Martha and my love for the ballet Romeo and Juliet,” reflects Babayan.
The sense of mutual inspiration felt by these kindred spirits, palpable in their live performances together, is now captured for posterity in these recordings.
Tracks
Disc 1
1. 1. Juliet's Death (Transcription For 2 Pianos By Sergei Babayan)
2. 2. Montagues And Capulets (Transcription For 2 Pianos By Sergei Babayan)
3. 3. Morning Dance (Transcription For 2 Pianos By Sergei Babayan)
4. 4. Quarrel (Transcription For 2 Pianos By Sergei Babayan)
5. 5. Gavotte (Transcription For 2 Pianos By Sergei Babayan)
6. 6. The Young Juliet The Nurse And Romeo (Transcription For 2 Pianos By Sergei Babayan)
7. 7. Folk Dance (Transcription For 2 Pianos By Sergei Babayan)
8. 8. Dance With Mandolines (Transcription For 2 Pianos By Sergei Babayan)
9. 9. Aubade (Transcription For 2 Pianos By Sergei Babayan)
10. 10. Dance Of Five Couples (Transcription For 2 Pianos By Sergei Babayan)
11. 11. Romeo And Juliet Before Departure (Transcription For 2 Pianos By Sergei Babayan)
12. 12. Death Of Tybalt (Transcription For 2 Pianos By Sergei Babayan)
13. The Ghost Of Hamlet's Father (Transcription For 2 Pianos By Sergei Babayan)
14. Mazurka (Transcription For 2 Pianos By Sergei Babayan)
15. Polka (Transcription For 2 Pianos By Sergei Babayan)
16. Polonaise (Transcription For 2 Pianos By Sergei Babayan)
17. Waltz No.2 In C Sharp Minor (Transcription For 2 Pianos By Sergei Babayan)
18. Natasha's And Andrei's Valse (Transcription For 2 Pianos By Sergei Babayan)
19. Idée Fixe (Transcription For 2 Pianos By Sergei Babayan)
