Alexander Knyazev - J.S. Bach: 18 Leipzig Chorales (2015) CD-Rip

Equally adept with both the cello and organ, Alexander Knyazev, a graduate of the Moscow Conservatory specializing in cello and Nizhny Novgorod Conservatory specializing in organ has long focused on the organ and cello repertory of J.S. Bach. Lauded for his innate musicality and interpretative skills, Knyazevs first public acclaim came as a cellist.

“Knyazev is an artist who possesses great musicality, an original turn of mind and a formidably accomplished technique,” according to an authoritative reviewer of BBC Music Magazine. The musician graduated from Moscow Conservatory specialising in the cello and from Nizhny Novgorod Conservatory as an organist. In the first years of his concert activity Knyazev was primarily known for his cello skills, however, later he showed himself in both areas of performing art.

Bach’s organ and cello works have always been a major focus of the performer’s interest. “I am seeking for an interpretation of Bach’s music that should first and foremost be very vivid,” Knyazev reveals, “I believe the genius of Bach’s music is in its being extremely modern. We should by no means treat it as a museum artefact.” Reviewers and public alike also equally appreciated his performance of “The Art of Fugue” and six suites for unaccompanied cello.

The CD includes 18 “Leipzig Chorales,” recorded by Alexander Knyazev in 2012 using one of the best European organs – the one in the Riga Cathedral. This collection, which comprises chorale preludes composed by Bach in the 1720s–1740s in Leipzig, summarized Bach’s work in this genre. Many of the chorales presented are marked by large scale of form, enhanced dynamic contrasts and density of sound. The last three preludes were dictated by the totally blind composer to his disciples…