About this Release
“Although Bersa was the most influential Croatian composer at the turn from the 19th to the 20th century, his music stayed rather unknown to international audiences. The beauty of his melodic lines and the delicacy of the way he conceives musical textures are an astonishing discovery. Occasionally evoking styles of Beethoven, Brahms or Liszt, Bersa never abandons the idioms of music traditions of his home Mediterranean, which seems to be the area of his utmost expression.” — Goran Filipec
BERSA, BLAGOJE (1873–1934)
Complete Piano Music • 2
- Goran Filipec, piano
As with the first volume in this series (GP767), Blagoje Bersa’s piano works are organised according to their character and tonality rather than chronologically. They include elements of transcription drawing on Mozart and Beethoven but also characterful barcarolles that evoke Italian music, a taut and witty Bizarre Serenade, a simple but affecting Mélancolie, and an invitation to a Viennese ballroom in the Valzer, Op. 3.
This recording was made on a modern instrument: Fazioli, F278
Tracklist
|
1
Ballade in D Minor, Op. 65 (1921) (00:07:14)
|
|
2
Rondo-Polonaise, Op. 18 (1897) (00:08:07)
|
|
3
Valse mélancolique, Op. 76 (1921) (00:03:28)
|
|
4
Serenade-Barcarolle (1917) (00:01:43)
|
|
5
Venecijanska barkarola (Venetian Barcarolle), Op. 58 (1921) (00:04:06)
|
|
6
Riso e lamento, Op. 63 (1908) (00:02:56)
|
|
7
Valzer in A Major, Op. 3 (1893) (00:10:25)
|
|
8
Tema con variazioni (Theme and Variations), Op. 15 (1899) * (00:05:47)
|
|
9
Piano Sonata [No. 1] in C Major, Op. 19 (1897) * (00:06:32)
|
|
10
Minuet, Op. 11 (1896) * (00:04:19)
|
|
11
Novelette, Op. 69 (1910) (00:03:18)
|
|
12
Bizarna serenada (Bizarre Serenade) (1915) (00:02:14)
|
|
13
Fantasia breve, Op. 56 (1905) * (00:02:28)
|
|
14
Stari mornar priča (An Old Sailor's Telling) (1916) (00:02:05)
|
|
15
Mélancolie, Op. 76 (1921) (00:02:16)
|
The Artist(s)
A pianist of fiery energy and captivating performing style inspired by the legendary piano traditions of the early 20th century, Goran Filipec (Rijeka, 1981) is acclaimed by critics from Argentina to New York and London for his “poetic, brilliant and refined performances”. Primarily renowned as a remarkable Lisztian, Goran Filipec endeavours in the domain of musical interpretation consist primarily of the perpetual rediscovery of emotional values of the music in question, and its relative subtraction from historicisation. Starting from this point, Filipec creates vibrant audible representations of the interpreted music in the spirit of the so-called "grand style," which occasionally unites interpretation and arrangement. The Composer(s)
As a composer of symphonic music, operas and songs, as well as chamber and piano works, Blagoje Bersa (1873–1934) was undoubtedly one of the central figures of Croatian musical life at the turn of the 20th century. Reviews
“It’s hard to resist the music’s infectious energy, especially through Goran Filipec’s powerful and irrepressible fingers.” – Gramophone
Also Available
Grand Piano has gained a reputation for producing high quality recordings of rare keyboard gems. Dedicated to the exploration of undiscovered piano repertoire, the label specialises in complete cycles of piano works by many lesser-known composers, whose output might otherwise have remained unknown and unrecorded.
- info@grandpianorecords.com
