The Balkan Piano, Volume One
The composing traditions of the ten Balkan countries are as good as unknown in the rest of the world. In this revelatory piano recital, the Albanian pianist Amir Xhakoviq presents a glittering array of keyboard jewels from his own country and its neighbours, ranging from wild and energetic toccatas to timeless evocations of bells and other ancient traditions, with a surprisingly wide range of references, from folk-music to Scarlatti and jazz. As ‘Volume One’ indicates, this album is intended as the first of a series that will continue to explore the unfamiliar music of the Balkans.
Amir Xhakoviq, piano
Sanja Drakulić (b. 1963)
- Drive (2006) (5:24)
Pancho Vladigerov (1899-1978)
Épisodes, Op. 36 (1941)
- No. 4, Improvisation* (6:29)
Tomislav Zografski (1934-2000)
Suite for Piano in A major, Op. 27 (1960)* (5:25)
- I. Sinfonia (0:41)
- II. Intermezzo (0:55)
- III. Passaggio (2:04)
- IV. Romanza (1:01)
- V. Finale (0:44)
Rafet Rudi (b. 1949)
- Preludium – Les cloches Arbëresh (1993) (6:44)
Vojin Komadina (1933-1997)
Two Minuets (1985)
- No. 1, Andante con moto (2:06)
- No. 2, Andante moderato
Dušan Bavdek (b. 1971)
- Awakening (2010) (6:22)
Aleksandër Peçi (b. 1951)
- Barokjare (2013) (5:32)
Aleksandar Perunović (b. 1978)
- Metaglasswork (2014) (6:39)
Milan Mihajlović (b. 1945)
Three Preludes (1986-1989)* (7:53)
- No. 1, Andante sostenuto – Allegro moderato (2:27)
- No. 2, Non lento (2:00)
- No. 3, Allegro (3:26)
John Psathas (b. 1966)
- Jettatura (1999)* (4:28)
All Except * First Recordings
MusicWeb International :
‘Toccata Classics does it again. […] It is wonderful to hear such music now, and what is on this disc is much more than purely interesting.
Pianist Amir Xhakoviq designed the programme, and penned the most informative booklet notes, acknowledge here with thanks. To launch it, there is a firecracker of a piece, a real adrenalin rush. Croatian Sanja Drakuli’s Drive fairly leaps out of the speakers. It grabs you by the ears and speeds along in an exciting version of John Adams’s Short ride in a fast machine. […]
To launch it, there is a firecracker of a piece, a real adrenalin rush. Croatian Sanja Drakuli’s Drive fairly leaps out of the speakers. It grabs you by the ears and speeds along in an exciting version of John Adams’s Short ride in a fast machine.’
—Steve Arloff, MusicWeb International
ExLibris :
‘Me dëshirën e përdorimit të të gjitha mjeteve të komunikimit, pianisti Amir Xhakoviq paraqitet para artëdashësve e në veçanti para admiruesve të artit pianistik edhe me këtë CD. […]
Në përfundim dua të them se kujdesi për ta bërë të mundur realizimin me sukses të albumit THE BALKAN PIANO Volumi One, e ka vënë Amirin në kërkim për të gjetur kushtet e duhura duke bërë të mundur regjistrimin në Sallen e Koncerteve në Shtëpinë Svetosavski në Nish të Serbisë me daten 05 mars 2024, duke luajtur në instrumentin e markës C. BACHSTEIN D 282 Concert Grand, si dhe duke siguruar bashkëpunimin me agjensinë prestigjioze TOCCATA CLASSICS.
Me prezantimin e këtij albumi, pianisti Amir Xhakoviq i ka bërë një shërbim artit muzikorë, kulturës tonë dhe rajonit të Ballkanit.’
—Shkodër, ExLibris