Folk Trails
Folk-music has been a resource for classical composers since the beginning of the western tradition. The violin has its own folk heritage, of course, but since you can’t lug a piano from village to village, composers for that instrument have had to dig into their own musical roots to generate a folk-based keyboard repertoire, usually with refreshing results. This recital takes the listener on a journey that spans three continents, east to west, marrying the resources of the modern concert grand with the immediacy of the folk originals.
Anya Alexeyev, piano, primo
Leslie De’Ath, secondo
Béla Bartók
15 Hungarian Peasant Songs, Sz. 71 (13:57)
- No. 1, Rubato (1:09)
- No. 2, Andante (1:48)
- No. 3, Poco rubato – Sostenuto (0:35)
- No. 4, Andante (0:34)
- No. 5, Scherzo. Andante (0:51)
- No. 6, Ballad (Theme and Variations) (2:52)
- No. 7, Allegro (0:44)
- No. 8, Allegretto (0:31)
- No. 9, Allegretto (0:18)
- No. 10, L’istesso tempo (0:34)
- No. 11, Assai moderato (0:56)
- No. 12, Allegretto (0:34)
- No. 13, Poco più vivo (0:32)
- No. 14, Allegro (0:32)
- No. 15, Allegro (1:28)
Leonid Desyatnikov
Songs of Bukovina: 24 Preludes for Piano
- No. 1, Steppe wind a-blowin’ (2:52)
- No. 3, Ian, where d’you come from? Beyond the Danube (1:31)
- No. 4, Oh, Petrivochka, a night so short (1:49)
- No. 7, Oh, I’ll go to the garden (1:12)
- No. 8, Oh, my sweet vast Canada (1:05)
- No. 24, A pipe made of maplewood (1:28)
Charles Villiers Stanford (arr. Percy Grainger)
Four Irish Dances, Op. 89
- No. 3, The Leprechaun’s Dance (3:05)
Georgs Pelēcis
- Fantasy on Latvian Folksongs (8:45)
Đặng Hữu Phúc
Bunches of Flowers of Vietnam
- No. 1, Spring (2:08)
Jean Sibelius
Six Finnish Folksongs
- No. 1, Minun kultani (’My beloved’) (1:28)
- No. 2, Sydamestani rakastan (’I love you with all my heart’) (1:25)
- No. 3, Ilta tulee, ehto joutuu (’Evening is coming’) (1:12)
- No. 4, Tuopa tytto, kaunis tytto (’That girl, beautiful girl’) (1:24)
Wang Jianzhong
Four Folksongs of Northern Shaanxi
- No. 1, Red Lilies Crimson and Bright (5:05)
Marko Tajčević
Seven Balkan Dances
- No. 4, Sostenuto e cantabile (2:53)
- No. 7, Allegro quasi pesante (1:05)
Komitas (arr. Georgy Saradjev)
- Qeler Tsoler (‘Walking, shining’) (4:09)
Connor Chee
The Navajo Piano
- Navajo Vocable No. 9 (3:01)
Eleanor Alberga
- Jamaican Medley (5:01)
MusicWeb International :
‘[A] thoughtfully planned disc. […] I enjoyed the new recording, technically in every way superior to ASV’s. Alexeyev’s slightly more understated performance is very attractive. […]
As usual with Toccata, the presentation is immaculate. The notes in English describe each work, and give brief details about the composers.’
—Jim Westhead, MusicWeb International
American Record Guide :
‘This Russian pianist teaches at Wilfrid Laurier University in Waterloo, Ontario. Here she has put together an interesting and farranging program of folk-song arrangements for piano. 11 composers from as many different countries are represented, some well known but others obscure (though they may be well known in their country). All pieces, while different in origin and style, are enjoyable and well played. […]
The excellent liner notes, by Alexeyev herself, have photographs of all composers.’
—Bruno Repp, American Record Guide
Fanfare :
‘Alexeyev’s firm rhythmic pulse and the clarity and accuracy of her fingerwork are important assets in [Hungarian Peasant Songs]. […]
Alexeyev’s rhythmic vitality and strong technique bring a lively energy to the program, which has been assembled with the kind of intelligent curiosity that one always wishes for in recitals. There is not a single piece here that is not worth knowing. […]
As usual, Toccata’s recorded sound is excellent, and the program notes are very informative.’
—Henry Fogel, Fanfare
Fanfare :
‘This collection is a well-chosen and well-arranged survey from all around the world. […]
Alexeyev plays [Bartók’s Hungarian Peasant Songs] in the composer’s order as a balanced group. […]
This is a collection to set on repeat and enjoy over and over. There is a rhythmic vitality all though these pieces and the nationalistic differences in melody and harmony always keep your interest. Alexeyev plays with exceptional energy and has a perfect balance in these wonderful folk based pieces. Highly recommended.’
—James Harrington, Fanfare
Fanfare :
‘Throughout the recital, folk melodies and rhythms, and evocations of regional instruments abound. Virtuoso display appears on occasion, too, notably in the Komitas/Saradjev work, and Eleanor Alberga’s Jamaican Medley. Alexeyev strikes a superb balance between the works’ folk and concert elements, offering sterling articulation, a myriad of colors, and keen affinity for the wide-ranging styles. A heartfelt, uplifting recital; highly recommended.’
—Ken Meltzer, Fanfare
Fanfare :
‘Aside from revealing Alexeyev as a remarkable musician with a wide command of these disparate musical styles, this album is also welcome for the wide range of other musical traditions referenced in it.
[…] [this is] a remarkable release that achieves Alexeyev’s stated goal of recreating the uninhibited joy of folk-style music-making on classical piano. Enthusiastically recommended.’
—Mark Gabrish Conlan, Fanfare