Franck: Préludes, Fugues & Chorals Nikolai Lugansky

• César Franck (1822 - 1890): Prélude, Choral et Fugue, FWV 21:
• 1 Prélude, Choral et Fugue, FWV 21: Prélude. Moderato 04:48
• 2 Prélude, Choral et Fugue, FWV 21: Choral. Poco più lento - Poco Allegro 06:30
• 3 Prélude, Choral et Fugue, FWV 21: Fugue. Tempo I° 07:29
• Prélude, Aria et Final, FWV 23:
• 4 Prélude, Aria et Final, FWV 23: Prélude. Allegro moderato e maestoso 09:16
• 5 Prélude, Aria et Final, FWV 23: Aria. Lento 05:54
• 6 Prélude, Aria et Final, FWV 23: Final. Allegro molto ed agitato 07:04
• Prélude, Fugue et Variation, Op. 18:
• 7 Prélude, Fugue et Variation, Op. 18: I. Andantino. II. Lento (Arr. pour piano) 04:16
• 8 Prélude, Fugue et Variation, Op. 18: III. Allegretto ma non troppo (Arr. pour piano) 03:14
• 9 Prélude, Fugue et Variation, Op. 18: IV. Andantino (Arr. pour piano) 03:47
• Trois Chorals pour grand orgue, FWV 38-40:
• 10 Trois Chorals pour grand orgue, FWV 38-40: Choral No. 2 en Si Mineur, FWV 39. Maestoso. Largamente con fantasia. I° tempo ma un poco meno lento (Arr. pour piano) 14:11
• Total Runtime 01:06:29

Info for Franck: Préludes, Fugues & Chorals

Given the paucity of César Franck's piano music on disc, Nikolai Lugansky's focus on this composer is to be commended. On his third release for harmonia mundi, the Russian pianist reveals an organ master strongly attached to the musical forms inherited from J.S. Bach: the prelude, the fugue, and the chorale. Translated to the piano keyboard, Franck's music, with it's expansively conceived structures, requires a completely fresh approach that puts the greatest performers to the test: here, Lugansky took on an additional challenge by preparing his own transcription (a brilliant one, at that!) of Franck's celebrated Choral pour grand orgue No.2.

Nikolai Lugansky, piano

Nikolai Lugansky
Concerto highlights in Nikolai Lugansky’s 2013/14 season include his debut with the London Symphony Orchestra (Gianandrea Noseda), and returns to the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra (Jiří Bělohlávek), the Philharmonia Orchestra (Pablo Heras-Casado), St Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra (Yuri Temirkanov) and the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra.

In recital and chamber performances, Lugansky makes his debut at the Berlin Konzerthaus, and performs at the Great Hall of the Moscow Conservatoire and the Great Hall of the St Petersburg Philharmonia, Chicago’s Symphony Center, Paris’ Théâtre des Champs-Elysées and in the International Piano Series at the Queen Elizabeth Hall; his chamber music collaborations include performances with Vadim Repin, Mischa Maisky and Alexander Kniazev.

An acclaimed recording artist, Nikolai Lugansky records exclusively for the Naïve-Ambroisie label. His recording of Prokofiev’s Piano Concerto No.3 and Grieg’s Piano Concerto with the Deutsches-Symphonie Orchester Berlin and Kent Nagano is released in autumn 2013. This release follows on from his first two acclaimed solo recordings - of Liszt and Rachmaninov - for the label; the latter being awarded the “Solo Recording of the Year (20th/21st Century Music)” plaudit at the 2013 Echo Klassik Awards.

Booklet for Franck: Préludes, Fugues & Chorals