Pallavi Mahidhara

This program takes us from Russia to Germany, with uncovered gems of great piano masters.  We begin in Russia with Prokofiev’s Piano Sonata no. 1, Op. 1.  This was the first piece of his to be published, and was reworked from the first movement of a three movement sonata that he wrote in his student years.  Next we move onto two works by Anatoly Lyadov, his Barcarolle Op. 44 in F-sharp Major, and The Music Box, Op. 32.  Lyadov was a Russian composer of the late romantic period, and was a teacher to Prokofiev at the St. Petersburg Conservatory.  From here we move to Rachmaninoff, with two transcriptions – one from Mussorgsky titled Hopak from Sorochintsy’s Fair, and the second Lilacs, transcribed by himself for solo piano from his set of Op. 21 songs; followed by two Preludes from Op. 23.  After the interval, we move to Germany, with two sets of variations, one by Clara Schumann, and one by Johannes Brahms.  Clara’s rarely played variations op. 20 are based on a theme by her husband, Robert Schumann from his Bunte Blätt, while the Variations and Fugue Op. 24 by Brahms are based on a theme by Georg Friedrich Händel.