The piano composer Rachmaninov has always been popular, the orchestral composer has been discovered more and more thoroughly in recent years. Due to language barriers, however, the 80 or so art songs that the Russian composed between 1893 and 1916 are less well known in this country. Julia Lezhneva, whose luminous, extremely agile soprano voice initially made her indispensable in the baroque repertoire, and the stylistically adept pianist Alexander Melnikov, a specialist in historical keyboard instruments, have now compiled a larger cross-section from the Lied releases: Melodically beguiling miniatures filled with genuinely romantic poetry, whose weighty piano parts repeatedly give a sense of Rachmaninov's sound magic. Selected “Préludes” and “Études-Tableaux” complete the mosaic of moods.

+ 7 minutes
The "plus" in the concert: In a 7-minute discussion excursus together with the artists of the evening, characteristic, sometimes curious aspects of the programme are picked out or exciting phenomena in the context of the works are highlighted.

Also available by subscription