Alexander Korsantia
In Concert - Live - 2 CD Edition

CD 1 Johann Sebastian Bach: Chorale from Cantata No. 147 Jesu, Joy of Men's Desiring is arranged by Myra Hess and Prelude Chorale BWV 639 I Call on Thee, Lord Jesus Christ is arranged by Ferruccio Busoni. Originally written for male choir with organ and orchestral accompaniment, the Chorale Jesu, Joy of Men's Desiring is one of Bach’s best known works. This beautiful musical gem has been transcribed for almost every possible ensemble or solo instruments. The majestic music creates the atmosphere of a great cathedral, with a mood of dignity and serenity presenting a real challenge to great pianists. Although many purists to day might look with disfavor of Busonis arrangements of Bach’s works (Bach himself arranged music by Vivaldi), by any reasonable assessment Prelude Chorale BWV 639 I Call on Thee, Lord Jesus Christ amply underscore his sublime craftsmanship. Both works were performed and recorded by IBA on March 27th, 1999 in the Henry Crown Symphony Hall, Jerusalem.

Johann Sebastian Bach: Aria from Cantata No. 208, Sheep May Safely Graze, is arranged by Egon Petri. As assistant to his former teacher Ferruccio Busoni in editing Bach’s keyboard works, the popular Bach aria is Petri’s own transcription. The aria comes from the cantata No. 208 “Was mir behagt, ist nur die muntre Jagd” which Bach composed on the occasion of the birthday of Duke Christian of Sachsen-Weissenfels in 1713. This famous aria was performed and recorded on 15th, 2004 in the Museum of Art, Tel-Aviv.

Joseph Haydn: Sonata in G major, Hob. XVI/6 was composed after Haydn first accompanied the Prince Esterhazy to his summer estate as Cappelmeister in 1760 where he was removed from the (generally mediocre) influences of Vienna – in his own words “forced to become original”. The Sonata in G thoroughly illustrates this; it was performed and recorded on July 22nd, 2006 at New Paltz, New York.

Joseph Haydn: Sonata in C major, Hob. XVI/1. The Sonata in C is a work from Haydn’s early period and from the zenith of the “Haydn” style. It is a youthful work for his pupils, reflecting the influences of Haydn’s Viennese contemporaries, competent craftsmen whose names are now forgotten. The Sonata in C was performed and recorded on April 23rd, 2004 in Jordan Hall, Boston.

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Sonata in C major, KV330. The first movement of the tenth Sonata is exuberantly gay and is based on the traditional sonata form. It is followed by an intimate andante cantabile with a beautifully expressive minor episode. This movement reminds one of the Minuet and Trio form (Minuet - Trio - Minuet - Coda); the numerous phrase marks and careful dynamic indications testify to Mozart's fondness for this sonata. The last four bars are not in the autograph - Mozart added them when the sonata was engraved - what a blissful afterthought. The Andante is followed by the cheerful Allegretto in sonata form. This sonata was also performed and recorded on April 23rd, 2004 in Jordan Hall, Boston.

Stravinsky – Agosti – Korsantia: The Firebird. In 1934 Gwido Agosti made a magnificent piano transcription of the last 3 pieces of the The Firebird Suite in a grand virtuosic style of Ferruccio Busoni's transcriptions. In his transcription of Agosti's work, Alexander Korsantia chose to take the music back to Stravinsky's original orchestral sound. It was performed and recorded on December 15th, 2004 in the Museum of Art, Tel-Aviv.

Igor Stravinsky: Tango was composed in 1940 and in 1953 Stravinsky made an arrangement for 19 instruments. Based on true Tango rhythm, the piece is a veritable extravaganza of the mature composers’ harmonies and polyphonies. Tango was performed and recorded on September 9, 2003 in Toulouse.

Giya Kancheli: Instead of Tango was composed in 1996. Originally written for the quartet of violin, piano, bandoneon and double bass, Mr. Kancheli later made a piano arrangement dedicating it to Alexander Toradze, George Vatchnadze and Alexander Korsantia who performed and recorded it on September 9th, 2003 in Toulouse.

CD 2 Sergei Prokofiev: Pastoral Sonatina, Op. 59 No. 3, Piano Sonata No. 7 in B flat major, Op. 83 and Vision Fugitive No. 11, Op. 22 were all performed and recorded by IBA on March 27th, 1999 in the Henry Crown Symphony Hall, Jerusalem. The Pastoral Sonatina was written in 1933-34 as pure concert music, yet it is quite rarely performed in recitals. The seventh piano sonata composed in 1939-42 is a powerful and convincing piece of youthful exhibitionism and mature reflection on the most profound issues of the time.

Sergei Prokofiev: Sonata No. 8 in B flat major Op. 84. It is well known that Prokofiev’s style changed considerably at different times, possibly and partly owing to the lengthy period he lived in France. It was only after Prokofiev reentered the Soviet Union that he wrote the sketches to his eight piano sonata. Together with his sixth and seventh sonatas the three are sometimes referred to as the “War Sonatas” due more to the time of composition than because of any programmatic content, although the eight bears some heroic idioms. It was Kabalevsky who wrote that: “It would be hard to find a composer whose works provoked such impassioned and sharp disputes as those which centered round Prokofiev throughout his life”. Sonata No. 8 was performed and recorded on March 27th, 1995 in the Museum of Art, Tel-Aviv.