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This is the tracklist of CD2 of the Double CD, which I published originally in Dec. 2019 on amazon.com (ASIN B082PRDVX7). Amazon did shut down the Media On Demand service in August 2021, so this Double CD is no longer available. Cover-Art by Manuela Buechler, AI Design, Switzerland.
This doublealbum is the second in the series "Demanding piano music for children and students".
Génari Karganoff (or Korganov) was a Russian composer of Armenian descent who unfortunately died very young at the age of 32. As a pianist he composed many beautiful works for piano, including the 12 Arabesques op. 6 and 12 Lyrical Pieces op. 20. His compositional style is said to have been highly praised by Anton Rubinstein, who was at that time a famous pianist, composer and conductor. Obviously Karganoff was keen to also create piano music for the youth. Within a few years he had composed two corresponding collections: "For the Young" (op. 21), published in 1889, and "Youth-Album" (op. 25), published around 1890. The first collection consists of ten pieces, which carry attractive titles such as "Fairy Tale" or "Fairy Dance" in the spirit of Schumann and Tchaikovsky. It is typical for Karganoff that many pieces follow the form A - B - A: a main part A, followed by an intermediate part B, which usually contrasts the main part both in terms of tempo and key. A good example of this is the first piece "Fairy Tale". A very tender (Cantabile) and slow (Molto sostenuto) main part in D major is followed by a very restless middle part in D minor (Allegro molto) and a sharp change of mood. Karganoff then returns to the main part in D major. In addition to the wonderful musical ideas of the main parts, this change of mood is an attractive challenge for young piano players. On one hand, because the pieces become very varied in tone and expression. On the other hand, because the return to the main part demands that the player finds his way back to the original tempo (tempo I) and expression, which is not at all easy. Perhaps this was one of the reasons why Karganoff later made a second attempt with his "Youth Album" op. 25: the eight pieces are considerably shorter and easier. The middle parts are either very short or completely missing (e.g. Gorelky) and there are (almost) no key changes. In both albums it becomes apparent that Karganoff was probably also somewhat inspired by Tchaikovsky's "Album for Children": Karganoff composed his own version of the Soldier's March (op. 25, no. 1), the Prayer (op. 25, no. 5) and the Russian Dance (op. 25, no. 8). And in op. 21, as in Tchaikovsky, there is a polka (no. 7), a waltz (no. 8) and a mazurka (no. 9). Some things also remind me a little of Schumann's album: for example, "At the brooklet" (op. 25, no. 6) with its flowing movement swaying between right and left hand reminds me of the "Little Study" (op. 68, no. 14), which also demands a soft, loose and as evenly flowing as possible sequence of moves. All in all, however, Karganoff was primarily concerned with creating piano music that appeals to young people. He omitted pieces of heavy, serious expression.
In addition, you will find excerpts from two other Karganoff collections: the “Miniatures” (op. 10) and the “Aquarelles” (op. 22), which are stylistically similar but somewhat more difficult and more musically demanding. Nevertheless, these works are also suitable for teaching as well as for the concert hall.
- Genre
- Classical
Contains tracks
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