Latest News27/10/2008 On 8th December Landor Records releases the debut recording of one of the two winners of the Abstract Securities Landor Competition 2007, Russian pianist Ilona Timchenko. The recital combines works from three closely aligned figures in German 19th Century composition, Johannes Brahms and Robert Schumann and his wife Clara. On the recording, Clara Schumann’s intricately worked 3 Preludes and Fugues opus 16 separate two of the most formidably virtuosic and acutely emotional works in the Romantic canon, Robert Schumann’s passionate and impulsive Kreisleriana opus 16, dedicated to Clara, and Brahms’ Paganini Variations Books 1 and 2. Clara Schumann dubbed the Paganini Variations, based on the famous theme by Niccolò Paganini, ‘Hexenvariationen’ (Witch’s Variations), presumably on account of their fiendish difficulty, and they have showcased the talents of some of the piano world’s titans, including Earl Wild, Jean Yves Thibaudet, Claudio Arrau and Evgeny Kissin. Although the inclusion of such landmarks of the repertoire invites comparison with such performers, Ilona Timchenko was in no doubt that she wanted to include them on her debut recital disc. “I have performed these pieces for a long time now, and I feel a strong affinity with the emotions and characters that they express.” says Ilona. “All three composers were still relatively young and early in their careers when they composed them: Robert Schumann was 28, Clara was 26 and Brahms 29. They were dealing with the same issues and emotions that many people of their, and my, age experience. Although the Paganini Variations are commonly regarded as ‘virtuoso’ repertoire, they are extraordinarily emotional and tender at times.” Although a rare visitor to the UK, Ilona Timchenko, who is on a long-term contract with Landor Records, is a regular guest at many of the world’s leading concert halls, including Vienna’s Musikverein, Amsterdam’s Concertgebouw and the Great Hall of the Moscow Conservatoire. Among other awards, she won First Prize at the Enescu Competition in Bucharest, Second Prize and Press Prize at the Liszt International Competition in Utrecht, a prize at the Beethoven Competition in Vienna and Third Prize at the “Maria Callas Grand Prix” in Athens. Her debut recital disc is released on 8th December 2008.   Share with:
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