Pianist Nikita Mndoyants devotes this recording to Prokofiev, whose music has accompanied him since his early days. Here he brings together the Fourth Sonata 'From Old Notebooks' and the Eighth, an integral part of the so-called 'War Sonatas', as well as an arrangement of the scherzo from the Fifth Symphony. Nikita Mndoyants thus gives us an insight into the composer's different facets, and a measure of the richness of a language that combines exceptional virtuosity, a sense of enchantment and biting irony.
In counterpoint, Nikita Mndoyants records a Nocturne for piano written by himself, continuing the Russian tradition of pianist-composers and following in the footsteps of Russia's 'enfant terrible'.
SERGEI PROKOFIEV Piano Sonata no. 4 in C minor ‘From Old Notebooks’ op. 29
1. Allegro molto sostenuto
2. Andante assai
3. Allegro con brio ma non leggiere
4. Scherzo. Allegro marcato (Symphony no.5, op. 100) transc. Nikita Mndoyants
NIKITA MNDOYANTS
5. Nocturne
SERGEI PROKOFIEV Piano Sonata no. 8 in B flat major op. 84
6. Andante dolce – Allegro moderato
7. Andante sognando
8. Vivace