Vassily Sapellnikoff was a pupil of Sophie Menter, a great piano virtuoso and one of Franz Liszt's favorite students. He was a highly respected concert painist and became a professor of piano at the Moscow Conservatory in 1897.
Sapellnikoff was a close friend of Tchaikovsky's (it is rumored they were lovers), whose B flat minor concerto he performed to great acclaim at his debut with the composer conducting. He was the first to record the
Tchaikovsky Piano Concerto in B Flat Minor, Opus 23
in 1926. This performance offers a view of the composer's own conception of the work as being considerably less a vehicle for technical supremacy than we are accustomed to today.
Tchaikovsky wrote, "A rare force, beauty, and brilliancy of tone; inspired warmth of rendering; a wonderful power of self-restraint; finish of detail, musical sensibility, and complete self-confidence. These are the distinguishing characteristics of Sapellnikoff's playing." High praise indeed!
Sapellnikov left a handful of recordings of solo works for piano. Some of these recordings are of relatively unfamiliar works by Russian composers: Alabiev, Balakirev, Liadov, and Sapellnikov himself. They give us a charming view of late 19th Century Russian Salon piano music and how it was played.
The more familiar Mendelssoh Scherzo is a refreshing delight, as are the pieces by Tchaikovsky and Wagner-Liszt.
Sapellnikoff Gavotte Op. 3 Recorded in 1923
Alabiev-Liszt Le Rossignol Recorded in 1923
Balakirev Mazurka no. 4 in G flat Major Recorded in 1925
Liadov Musical Snuff Box Recorded in 1925
Liszt Valse Impromptu Recorded in 1925
Mendelssohn Scherzo in E minor, Op.16 N° 2 Recorded in 1924
Rubinstein Staccato Etude Op 23 No 2 Recorded between 1923 and 1927
Tchaikovsky Humoresque in G, Op. 10 N° 2 Recorded in 1924
Wagner-Liszt Spinning Song From The Flying Dutchman Recorded in 1925
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