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VALENTINA KAMENIKOVA (1930 - 1989)
Soviet-Czech pianist
Valentina Kamenikova was entirely unknown to me before I came across one of her recordings and decided to publish this page. Now she is only almost entirely unknown to me. I have found just an iota of information about her, and accuracy of that is questionable.
It seems she was born in Odessa, studied at the Odessa and Moscow conservatories, got married in 1954, moved to Prague in 1957, studied at the Prague Academy of Performing Arts from 1959 to 1961 under František Rauch - noted Czech pianist and teacher - thereafter enjoying a successful concert career.
Valentina Kamenikova was en exact contemporary of Rosa Tamarkna which begs the question, did they know each other? I have found no information as to the teachers with whom she studied in Odessa or Moscow.
It is very likely that Valentina Kamenikova was one of the many artists who were not permitted to travel outside the Soviet block. I have read that she made over fifty recordings, probably all for the Czech label Supraphon. Based on the handful of solo and concerto recording below, she had a mighty technique and played very musically. I find the recordings of the Liszt and Mozart sonatas of particular interest.
Haydn Piano Concerto in C major, HOB XVIII:1
Libor Hlavacek conducting the Virtuosi Pragenses
i Allegro moderato
ii Largo
iii Allegro molto
Mozart Piano Sonata 11 in A major, K 331
i Andante grazioso - Theme and Variations I-VI
ii Menuetto. Trio
iii Alla Turca: Allegretto
Mozart Piano Sonata 12 in F major, K 332
i Allegro
ii Adagio
iii Allegro assai
Chopin Ballade 1 in G minor, Op 23
Chopin Impromptus
1 in A♭ major, Op 29
4 Fantaisie-Impromptu in C♯ minor, Op 66
Liszt Sonata in B minor
recorded ca1977
Liszt Piano Concerto 1 in E♭ major
Jirí Belohlávek conducting the Brno State Philharmonic Orchestra
Tchaikovsky Piano Concerto 1 in B♭ minor, Op 23
Jiri Pinkas conducting the Brno State Philharmonic Orchestra
recorded in 1971
ii Andantino simplice
iii Allegro con fuoco
Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto 1 in F♯ minor, Op 1
Jiri Pinkas conducting the Brno State Philharmonic Orchestra
ii Andante
iii Allegro vivace
Rachmaninoff Rhapsody on a theme of Paganini, Op 43
Jiri Pinkas conducting the Brno State Philharmonic Orchestra
For those of you who enjoy murder mysteries, here is my first with a strong musical polemic as background
Murder in the House of the Muse
which is also available as an audiobook.
And this is the more recently published second mystery in the series:
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