Sergio Fiorentino: The Legacy

Bach, Johann Sebastian;
Beethoven, Ludwig van;
Franck, Cesar;
Brahms, Johannes;
Mendelssohn, Felix;
Faure, Gabriel;
Liszt, Franz;
Debussy, Claude;
Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus;
Schumann, Robert;
Chopin, Fryderyk;
Scarlatti, Domenico;
Prokofiev, Sergey;
Schubert, Franz;
Rachmaninov, Sergey;
Scriabin, Alexander;
Borodin, Alexander;
Moszkowski, Moritz;
Kreisler, Fritz

Fiorentino, Sergio

97423

“He is the only other pianist”, said the legendary Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli of Sergio Fiorentino. How is it that one of the greatest musical geniuses of the 20th century is still so unknown? Sergio Fiorentino (1927–1998) was a remarkable Italian pianist whose career combined exceptional artistry with a quiet, almost enigmatic presence in the music world. Born in Naples, Fiorentino exhibited prodigious talent from an early age, studying at the prestigious San Pietro a Majella Conservatory under the guidance of Alfredo Casella and Paolo Denza. His early successes included significant competition wins and promising concert debuts, establishing him as a rising star in the mid-20th-century classical music scene.

However, Fiorentino’s trajectory took a dramatic turn following a plane crash in 1954, which left him physically and emotionally scarred. While he resumed performing, his public appearances became sporadic, and he withdrew from the international stage.

Fiorentino’s recordings, which gained broader recognition later in his life, reveal a pianist of extraordinary depth, technical mastery, and interpretive insight. Known for his affinity for composers such as Bach, Beethoven, Chopin, Liszt, and Rachmaninoff, Fiorentino’s playing was marked by its clarity, emotional intensity, and lack of ostentation. His interpretations were thoughtful, eschewing showmanship in favor of profound musical communication.

In the 1990s, Fiorentino returned to a more active recording schedule, earning belated acclaim as a cult figure among pianophiles. Tragically, his life was cut short in 1998, but his legacy endures through a treasure trove of recordings that continue to inspire listeners, cementing his status as one of the 20th century’s most distinctive pianists.

This set brings together the major part of Fiorentino’s recordings, spanning from the 1950-ties to the Berlin studio recordings made in the early 1990-ties. Some of the (Live) recordings inevitably show their provenance and technical deficiencies, but everywhere there shines the unbelievable musical force of one of the greatest pianists of the 20th century.

Works:

• Franz Liszt: Klavierkonzerte Nr. 1 2
• Franz Liszt: Polonaise für Klavier & Orchester (nach Carl Maria von Weber)
• Franz Liszt: Klaviersonate h-moll; Annees de pelerinage (2. Jahr: Schweiz)
• Franz Liszt: Venezia e Napoli; Paganini-Etüde Nr. 2
• Franz Liszt: Gnomenreigen (in zwei Einspielungen)
• Franz Liszt: Ungarische Rhapsodien Nr. 2, 6-8, 10-13, 15 (Nr. 8 in zwei Einspielungen)
• Franz Liszt: Grand Galop chromatique
• Franz Liszt: Grande Etude de perfectionnement "Ab Irato"
• Franz Liszt: Grande Fantaisie de bravoure sur la Clochette de Paganini
• Franz Liszt: Präludium "Weinen, Klagen, Sorgen, Zagen"
• Franz Liszt: Consolations Nr. 1-6
• Franz Liszt: Nuages gris
• Franz Liszt: La Lugubre gondola (Versionen 1 & 2)
• Franz Liszt: R. W. - Venezia
• Franz Liszt: Kleine Klavierstücke Nr. 1-4
• Franz Liszt: Elegie Nr. 2
• Franz Liszt: Dem Andenken Petöfis
• Franz Liszt: Schlaflos! Frage und Antwort
• Franz Liszt: Unstern! Sinistre, disastro
• Franz Liszt: Mephistowalzer Nr. 1 (in zwei Einspielungen)
• Franz Liszt: 5 Ungarische Volkslieder
• Franz Liszt: Sposalizio
• Franz Liszt: Liebestraum Nr. 3
• Franz Liszt: La Campanella
• Franz Liszt: Balladen Nr. 1 & 2 (in zwei Einspielungen)
• Franz Liszt: Funerailles (in zwei Einspielungen)
• Franz Liszt: La Leggierezza
• Franz Liszt: Waldesrauschen
• Franz Liszt: Valse-Impromptu
• Franz Liszt: Valse oubliee
•Robert Schumann: Fantasie op. 17
•Robert Schumann: Arabeske op. 18
•Robert Schumann: Novelette op. 21 Nr. 1
•Robert Schumann: Klaviersonate Nr. 2
•Robert Schumann: Romanze op. 28 Nr. 2
•Robert Schumann: Die Lotosblume op. 25 Nr. 7
•Robert Schumann: Widmung op. 25 Nr. 1
•Robert Schumann: Carnaval op. 9 (in zwei Einspielungen)
•Robert Schumann: Ein Faschingsschwank aus Wien op. 26 (in zwei Einspielungen)
•Robert Schumann: Kinderszenen op. 15 (in zwei Einspielungen)
•Robert Schumann: Symphonische Etüden op. 13 (in zwei Einspielungen)
• Franz Schubert: Klaviersonaten D. 537, 664, 960
• Franz Schubert: Impromptus D. 899
• Frederic Chopin: Klaviersonaten Nr. 2 & 3
• Frederic Chopin: Balladen Nr. 1-4
• Frederic Chopin: Scherzi Nr. 1-4
• Frederic Chopin: Etüden Nr. 1-24
• Frederic Chopin: Nouvelles Etudes Nr. 1-3
• Frederic Chopin: Walzer Nr. 1-19
• Frederic Chopin: Impromptus Nr. 1-4
• Frederic Chopin: Polonaisen Nr. 1-19
• Frederic Chopin: Andante spianato et Grande Polonaise brillante op. 22
• Frederic Chopin: Große Fantasie über polnische Lieder op. 13
• Cesar Franck: Prelude, Fugue et Variation h-moll
• Cesar Franck: Prelude, Choral et Fugue
• Cesar Franck: Danse lente
• Cesar Franck: Prelude, Aria et Final
•Alexander Scriabin: Klaviersonaten Nr. 1, 2, 4
•Sergej Rachmaninov: Klaviersonaten Nr. 1 & 2
•Sergej Rachmaninov: Preludes op. 3 Nr. 2; op. 23 Nr. 1-10; op. 32 Nr. 1-13
•Sergej Rachmaninov: Etudes-Tableaux op. 33 Nr. 1-8
•Sergej Rachmaninov: Polka de W. R. As-Dur
•Serge Prokofiev: Klaviersonate Nr. 8 B-Dur op. 84
•Johann Sebastian Bach: Chromatische Fantasie & Fuge BWV903
•Johann Sebastian Bach: Italienisches Konzert BWV971
•Johann Sebastian Bach: Präludien & Fugen BWV532 & 552 (BWV532 in zwei Einspielungen)
•Johann Sebastian Bach: Französische Suite BWV816
•Johann Sebastian Bach: Jesus bleibet meine Freud
•Johann Sebastian Bach: Prelude, Gavotte & Gigue aus Partita BWV1006
•Johann Sebastian Bach: Partiten BWV825 & 825
•Johann Sebastian Bach: Violinsonate BWV1001
•Johann Sebastian Bach: Chaconne aus Partita BWV1004
•Johann Sebastian Bach: Preludio aus Partita BWV1008
•Claude Debussy: Suite bergamasque
•Claude Debussy: Arabesques Nr. 1 & 2
•Domenico Scarlatti: Klaviersonaten K. 141 & 380
•Moritz Moszkowski: Etüde Nr. 6
•Gabriel Faure: Apres un reve op. 7 Nr. 1
•Ludwig van Beethoven: Variationen WoO 80
•Ludwig van Beethoven: Klaviersonaten Nr. 8, 14, 21, 23
•Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Klavierkonzert Nr. 21
•Johannes Brahms: Paganini-Variationen op. 35
•Johannes Brahms: Händel-Variationen op. 24
•Felix Mendelssohn: Etüde op. 104 Nr. 1
•Felix Mendelssohn: Lied ohne Worte op. 67 Nr. 4
•Alexander Borodin: Scherzo As-Dur
•Fritz Kreisler: Liebesfreud

CD x 26

Muzyka klasyczna

Brilliant Classics

16-04-2025

5028421974231