Monday 22 September 2014

The Night Wind Sonata

Nikolai Medtner was one of the great composer-pianists, and the lesser-known compatriot and colleague of Rachmaninoff. Both of them staunchly disavowed the modernisation of music. That Medtner never enjoyed the popularity of his loyal supporter is, not unduly, attributed to the unrelenting complexity and intense character of his works.

Still, whether or not one is drawn to his chosen aesthetic, it cannot be denied that he was a composer of great skill and dedication. And that brings us to perhaps his greatest creation - the mighty Night Wind Sonata. Monolithic, tumultuous and brooding. And a spectacular, explosive testament to Russian piano virtuosity.

I'm hoping to post a proper recording of this sonata in the future. In the meantime, here is a little teaser of the piece which I used to test my recording equipment.