Dmitri Bashkirov - Beethoven & C.P.E. Bach: Piano Concertos (2010)

He is one of the "superstars" of the piano world. An exceptional teacher – his pupils include stars such as Arcadi Volodos or Claire-Marie Le Guay – Dmitri Bashkirov’s debut with Claves combines a most original programme with orchestra. Face to face; we have: Johann Sebastian Bach’s most famous son; Carl Philip Emanuel; forbearer of the great Romantic composers; and an unusual Ludwig van Beethoven. This particular Concerto op. 61a is indeed very rarely played; copying almost note for note the original score of the Violin Concerto op. 61.

Written about two years after the completion of the latter; this transcription – for which Etienne Barilier suggests the term "transposition" in the booklet - is shrouded in mystery. Is it the consequence of the original lack of success of the violin concerto; or Beethoven’s response to the pianist and editor Muzio Clementi who commissioned the work? Beyond these unanswered questions; Etienne Barilier underlines the relevance of pairing this work to CPE Bach’s Concerto in C minor: "Bach had written for the harpsichord; to resort to the piano tends to "modernise" his world.

Whereas on the other hand; Beethoven’s almost monophonic piano has a somewhat archaic and strangely nude feel; which sends his work back in time. So that for us; both works seem closer to each other in time; with an almost comparable "sensibility"; both bright and serene; with the same deep expressivity; free from pathos. For Carl Philip Emanuel Bach; the storms of Romanticism are still far away. For Beethoven; they are very close indeed; in this strange work however; he keeps them at bay."

What with Dmitry Bashkirov’s magnificent interpretation and the Orchestre de Chambre de Lausanne’s delicate and artful accompaniment; this will make for a memorable recording.