Brahms, Demopoulos & Mussorgsky – piano concert
This recording was originally made by Dunelm Records on limited release in 2005 and is now re-released at mid-price alongside other recordings by Greek pianist-composer Panos Demopoulos.
His rip-roaring reading of ‘Pictures at an Exhibition’ is a super conclusion to a concert-style program designed to emulate a live performance, with minimal editing and plenty of passion. Panos takes a measured approach to the Intermezzi, the late and piquant works of Brahms’ maturity; performs his own reflective and gentle (yet resolutely modern) Farewells and fires up all cylinders for Mussorgsky’s masterpiece.
Panayiotis Demopoulos was born in Athens in 1977, studied with Margaret Murray-McLeod in Edinburgh before moving to Manchester and studying piano with Murray McLachlan and composition with Anthony Gilbert. He is an active performer both as a soloist and as a member of chamber ensembles.
Track Listing
-
Johannes Brahms (1833-1897):Three Intermezzi, Op. 117
- No. 1 in E flat major
- No. 2 in B flat minor
- No. 3 in C sharp minor Panayiotis Demopoulos (b. 1977): Farewells
- Summer Farewell
- Spring Farewell
- Winter Farewell
- Autumn Farewell Modest Mussorgsky (1839-1881): Pictures at an Exhibition
- Promenade 1
- Gnomus
- Promenade 2
- Il vecchio castile
- Promenade 3
- Tuileries
- Bydło
- Promenade 4
- Ballet of the chicks in their shells
- Two Polish Jews, one rich, the other poor
- Promenade 5
- Limoges, the market place
- Catacombae
- Con Mortuis in Lingua Mortua
- The Hut on Fowl's Legs (Baba-yaga)
- The Great Gate of Kiev
Reviews
“It’s breathtaking. By the time he’s portrayed little chicks, the busy market place, the realm of the dead and arrives at the Great Gate of Kiev, awe is all that remains.
” —Alex Baran
“Brahms’s Three Intermezzi have a mellow tone and calm the brain; Demopoulos’s own music follows…think of frantic, noisy farewells and then the reflective walking away after departure. Demopoulos wants to make an impression with his version [of Pictures] which he does with a bold but sparse rendition. It’s lively and perhaps got a bit more brio to it than the last piano version we reviewed.
” —Jeremy Condliffe
“Panayiotis Demopoulos shows himself in this sharply contrasted recital to be an exceptionally sensitive artist. He is well recorded and has written some excellent accompanying notes.
” —Bryce Morrison
“Here is a young pianist, of outstanding qualities: technical, interpretive, and creative… an outstanding pianist! The piano sound and recording quality are also outstanding. This CD is extremely highly recommended.
” —Ian Milnes
“The sound quality of the disc is excellent; this is a well-produced and conceived CD. The programme is well-considered and balanced, with two nineteenth-century masterpieces framing a thoughtful and interesting modern work by the pianist.
” —John France
“A very fine pianist, as evidenced by his playing of the Three Intermezzi, Op.117 by Brahms and Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition. Well-written program notes accompany this nicely packaged and carefully engineered CD.
” —Rafael de Acha
