Sunday, November 8, 2015

RACHMANINOV Piano Concerto No. 2 & MONTERO Ex Patria


“[Ex Patria is] an elegiac fantasia for piano and orchestra, very Russian in style…it hangs organically together, and has no need to be read as programme music…the best part of this CD consists of three improvisations…here is the full Montero, revelling in her fine technique and unstoppable creative flow.” --BBC Music Magazine, September 2015

“Just 13 minutes long, Ex Patria certainly packs a punch. A dissonant but subdued start gives way to a violent, pulsating allegro, then a full-blooded romantic melody that sours and disintegrates...Montero’s volatile, ferociously rhythmic compositional style suits her subject.” --The Times, 13th June 2015 ***


Gabriela Montero (piano)

YOA Orchestra of the Americas, Carlos Miguel Prieto

Gabriela Montero’s debut orchestral recording features the world premiere of her first formal composition, Ex Patria, as well as her first concerto recording, Rachmaninov’s Piano Concerto No.2.

Montero is a passionate advocate for the people of her native Venezuela and a vocal opponent to its brutal Chavist government. It was here that she found her inspiration as she set down to write her Opus 1.

The album marks an important point in the evolution of Montero’s career. Long acclaimed as a pianist and for her thrilling improvisations, Montero now takes her place amongst and pays homage to the great tradition of composer/performers, of which Rachmaninov is one of the most enduring exponents.

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