Sheng Cai plays Rachmaninov

Description

Canadian pianist Sheng Cai dedicates his most recent recording to piano works by the Russian composer Sergei Rachmaninoff. Dedicated to Alexander Zatayevich and revised in 1940, the Six Moments Musicaux, Op. 16, represent a turning point in Rachmaninoff’s solo piano music: they abandon the salon repertoire and are steeped in heightened Romanticism. His Piano Sonata No. 2, Op. 36, is an essentially Romantic work. It abounds with intricate countermelodies reminiscent of Robert Schumann, its breathtaking virtuosity follows in the footsteps of Liszt, and the tumultuous and elusive character of the three movements is akin to the fiery and ecstatic sonatas of Alexander Scriabin. Rachmaninov and Vladimir Horowitz enjoyed transcribing famous operatic passages, always leaving themselves the option to modify them with each performance, according to the inspiration of the moment. It is in this same spirit that Sheng Cai has created his own, adding: “I try to create new sounds and colors on the piano that differ from the orchestral scores.” The W. R. Polka was long attributed to Rachmaninov. It is actually a work by the German composer Franz Behr (1837-1898), brilliantly arranged in 1911 by Rachmaninov as a tribute to his father, Vasily.