Alexander Melnikov

'... an unforgettable experience.'
– Hamburger Abendblatt

Alexander Melnikov is a contemporary torchbearer of a pianistic tradition that can be traced back to the nineteenth century. At the Moscow Conservatory, Alexander honed his craft under the guidance of Lev Naumov (the 'Godfather of the Russian piano school'; himself a student of the legendary Heinrich Neuhaus), and was introduced to Sviatoslav Richter, who promptly invited him to festivals throughout Russia and France. Meteoric ascension was all but assured: prizes at the Robert Schumann Competition in Zwickau (1989) and the Queen Elisabeth Competition in Brussels (1991) swiftly followed, leading to his selection as a BBC Radio 3 New Generation Artist (2000–02). Then came a recording contract with harmonia mundi – one of the world's most prestigious labels. Many of the albums in his impressive corpus of recordings have attained reference status, winning awards such as the Diapason d'Or, the Preis der deutschen Schallplattenkritik, an Echo Klassik and a GRAMMY nomination.

In Australia to perform concerti with the Melbourne and Sydney Symphony Orchestras, Alexander makes his debut at UKARIA with an all-Rachmaninov program. The kaleidoscopic diversity of this music – which encompasses everything from haunting melodies to pyrotechnics of the highest order – will reveal Alexander as one of the quintessential Russian virtuosi of our time.

Sergei Rachmaninov (1873–1943)
Variations on a Theme of Corelli, Op. 42 (17')

Theme. Andante
Variation 1. Poco più mosso
Variation 2. L'istesso tempo
Variation 3. Tempo di Minuetto
Variation 4. Andante
Variation 5. Allegro (ma non tanto)
Variation 6. L'istesso tempo
Variation 7. Vivace
Variation 8. Adagio misterioso
Variation 9. Un poco più mosso
Variation 10. Allegro scherzando
Variation 11. Allegro vivace
Variation 12. L'istesso tempo
Variation 13. Agitato
Intermezzo
Variation 14. Andante (come prima)
Variation 15. L'istesso tempo
Variation 16. Allegro vivace
Variation 17. Meno mosso
Variation 18. Allegro con brio
Variation 19. Più mosso. Agigato
Variation 20. Più mosso
Coda. Andante

Variations on a Theme of Chopin, Op. 22 (24')

Theme. Largo
Variation 1. Moderato
Variation 2. Allegro
Variation 3. (L'istesso tempo)
Variation 4. (L'istesso tempo)
Variation 5. Meno mosso
Variation 6. Meno mosso
Variation 7. Allegro
Variation 8. (L'istesso tempo)
Variation 9. (L'istesso tempo)
Variation 10. Più vivo
Variation 11. Lento
Variation 12. Moderato
Variation 13. Largo
Variation 14. Moderato
Variation 15. Allegro scherzando
Variation 16. Lento
Variation 17. Grave
Variation 18. Più mosso
Variation 19. Allegro vivace
Variation 20. Presto
Variation 21. Andante – Più vivo
Variation 22. Maestoso – Meno mosso – Presto


INTERVAL

Sergei Rachmaninov (1873–1943)
Études-Tableaux, Op. 39 (40')

No. 1 in C minor
No. 2 in A minor
No. 3 in F sharp minor
No. 4 in B minor
No. 5 in E flat minor
No. 6 in A minor
No. 7 in C minor
No. 8 in D minor
No. 9 in D major