SAMUIL FEINBERG the COMPOSER Heir to Scriabin and Rachmaninov
The music below represents the creative lifetime of Samuil Feinberg the composer. It spans music Feinberg wrote for the piano from 1915 to 1962, from age 25 through the last year of his life. The discovery of this body of work has, for me, been a joyous occasion. It is beautiful music, splendidly crafted, supremely pianistic, and proof positive that there has been exquisite music composed in the "modern" style for the piano in the 20th century
While the influence of Alexander Scriabin is clear and present, there are other, subtler influences as well. Not the least of these is that of Sergei Rachmaninov, not so much in the style of the music as in the style of the writing for the piano. This is music written by a supremely skilled pianist, and as in the music of Rachmaninov and Scriabin, and yes, Chopin, much of it seems to melt under the fingers which have considerable influence over how the music evolves.
The last Sonata, N°12, written in the composer's final year is a poignant farewell to life, to music, and an homage to much beloved composers, the first movement to Chopin, the second to Ravel and Schumann, and the final movement to Brahms.
The first file below is the only example I have to offer at this point of Samuil Feinberg the Composer playing his own music.
Feinberg plays Feinberg Suite Op.11 (1923) four pieces in etude form 1 Leggiero e cantando 2 Con moto 3 Affanato 4 Tranquillo e cantabile Recorded in 1929
The following examples of the music of Samuil Feinberg are performed by several first rate contemporary pianists, some of whom are composers in their own right, all of whom truly understand the musical language and idiom of the 20th Century.
These are presented in chronological order so a sense of the composer's development can be appreciated.
Piano Sonata No°2 Op.2 (1915) Christophe Sirodeau, piano
Piano Sonata No°3 Op.3 (1917) Christophe Sirodeau, piano
I "Prelude"
II "Funeral March"
III "Sonata" (Part 1/2)
III "Sonata" (Part 2/2)
Piano Sonata N°4 Op.6 (1918) Nikolaos Samaltanos, piano
Fantasia N°2 in E minor (1919) Christophe Sirodeau, piano
Four Preludes Op.8 (1920) Jenny Lin, piano
Piano Sonata N°5 Op.10 (1920) Nikolaos Samaltanos, piano
Three Preludes Op.15 (1922) Peter Paul Kainrath, piano
Piano Sonata No°6 Op.13 (1923) Christophe Sirodeau, piano
Part I
Part II
Berceuse Op.19a (1925) Marc-Andre Hamelin, piano
Piano Sonata No°7 Op.21 (1924-28) Christophe Sirodeau, piano
I "Allegro moderato"
II "Larghetto"
III "Epilogue"
Piano Sonata No°8 Op.21a (1933) Christophe Sirodeau, piano
I "Un poco animato"
II "Andante"
III "Allegro"
Piano Sonata N°9 Op.29 (1939) Nikolaos Samaltanos, piano
Piano Sonata No°10 Op.30 (1940-44) Nikolaos Samaltanos, piano
Part I
Part II
Piano Sonata No°11 Op.40 (1952) Nikolaos Samaltanos, piano
Part I
Part II
Piano Sonata No°12 Op.48 (1962) Christophe Sirodeau, piano
