On Thursday, April 30, 2015 at 6:58:06 PM UTC-7, Bozo wrote:
> My first hearings of these works of Mily Balakirev :
>
> 3 Nocturnes for piano ; real gems from pianist Alexander Paley’s 1994 2-cd set of the composer’s complete piano music on the Essay label :
>
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J183N1UQmhA
>
> The attractive Scherzos Nos.1,2,3, Paley again , with echoes of “ Islamey “ :
>
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JmKIOxLRSIw
>
> Balakirev’s 1st Piano Sonata, Op. 5, with some ideas recycled in his later, more famous 2nd Sonata, Op.102 ( I did not realize there was a 1st ) , Paley’s recording again :
>
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xx7D4Vu2ryM
>
> Both Sonatas seem to have fallen completely out of favor , a pity as far as the 2nd goes, IMHO, as unfortunately seem have the other works mentioned..
>
> At YT are also Paley’s recordings of the composer’s Waltzes and Mazurkas I have yet to hear as Balakirev is best in small doses.
>
> Great playing by Paley so far. My first exposure to this pianist.
>
> From his website , http://www.alexanderpaley.net :
>
> “ Mr. Paley has made numerous recordings of a wide range of works, including the complete solo piano works of Balakirev (E.S.S.A.Y), works by Scriabin and Weber (Naxos), cello and piano sonatas by Chopin and Rachmaninoff (with cellist Alexandre Dmitriev) (Accord), the Liszt transcription of Beethoven's Septour (Musidisc), the world premier recording of Giovanni Sgambati's piano concerto with the Orchestre Philharmonique Montpellier (Actes Sud Musicales), a 1994 recording of Anton Rubinstein's Piano Concerti No..2 and No.4 with the Russian State Orchestra, a 2003 recording of the Sheila Silver piano concerto with the Lithuanian State Symphony Orchestra conducted by G. Rinkevičius (Naxos), a recording of works by Jean-Louis Agobet with the Pro Philharmonique Orchestre of Strasbourg (Timpani). Mr. Paley has recorded a series of CDs on the Bluthner label, including 10 pieces of Romeo and Juliet and Two Suites from Cinderella by Prokofiev, Mozart, Beethoven, Brahms und Bartel, Chopin, Bach: Goldberg Variations, Bach: the Well-Tempered Clavier as well as a DVD titled "Bluthner soiree with Alexander Paley", featuring Schubert/Liszt Song Tanscriptions (live performance) from Leipzig. His last releases include both Enesco cello sonatas with cellist Alexandre Dmitriev and the complete violin sonatas of Enesco with violinist Amiram Ganz (Label Saphir), and Tchaikowsky's Grand Sonata in G major and complete Seasons (Label Aparté).”

(Upcoming radio program featuring Balakirev):

https://www.wfmt.com/2023/06/25/music-of-mily-balakirev