Witold Maliszewski (b. 1873) died in 1939 and thus his musical career spanned the great days of pre-Revolutionary Russia as well as the Soviet Union before the Second World War. He became associated with the publisher Belaieff and thus with a wide constituency of Russian composers including Cui, Lyadov, Scriabin, Taneyev and Glazunov. Maliszewski established a significant career as a composer and was the first Rector of the Odessa Conservatory. After the revolution, he moved to Poland and is often considered a Polish composer, teaching at the Chopin Music School in Warsaw. In this vibrant and colourful programme, Martin Yates and the Royal Scottish National Orchestra present gripping performances of the Third Symphony – a major Russian nationalist symphony – and the Piano Concerto in B flat minor. Pianist Peter Donohoe’s magisterial performance in the concerto shows him to be a powerful advocate of Maliszewski’s music.

Symphony no. 3 in C minor op. 14 (1907)

1 i Allegro non troppo
2 ii Adagio misterioso
3 iii Theme and Variations: Theme (Allegretto)
4 Variation 1 (Allegro passionato)
5 Variation 2 (Andante con moto)
6 Variation 3 (Allegro impetuoso)
7 Variation 4 (Adagio lugubre)
8 Variation 5 Romance (Andante non troppo)
9 Variation 6 (Allegro feroce)
10 iv Finale (Allegro giocoso)

Piano Concerto in B flat minor op. 27 (1938) PD

11 i Moderato
12 ii Andante cantabile
13 iii Allegro animato

ROYAL SCOTTISH NATIONAL ORCHESTRA
Martin Yates conductor
PD Peter Donohoe piano
WORLD PREMIERE RECORDINGS [1-10] ];
FIRST DIGITAL RECORDING [11-13]

This SACD is compatible with all CD players

CDLX7325

“… this premiere recording must register as another feather in Martin Yates’s cap [Symphony]” “… a particularly dashing solo part seized with relish by the great Peter Donohoe. [Piano Concerto]” Jeremy Nicholas, Gramophone, May 2016