Elisabeth Leonskaja

A piano legend, Elisabeth Leonskaja soars like no other to the sublime heights of Schubert’s most beautiful works.

Sometimes referred to as the “Posthumous Impromptus,” the Drei Klavierstücke D. 946 are gems that alternate between tragedy, tenderness, and a folk-like vitality softened by wistful reverie. This is Schubert singing and pouring out his soul, while the monumental Wanderer Fantasy, based on a lied melody, marks his only foray into the realm of grand virtuosity. “The devil should play this!” the composer is said to have exclaimed about the fugal finale of this four-movement work, which is played without interruption. Imposing, powerful and organic, the Wanderer Fantasy is a touchstone of Romantic piano music, as is the sumptuous and at times heartrending Sonata D. 960. A testamentary work, an open letter to posterity, this sonata—and especially its haunting Andante—is undeniably one of the purest masterpieces of Western music. In counterpoint to these Schubertian summits, Elisabeth Leonskaja also shares with us the art of two Russian women composers: Julia Riabova, who continues the tradition of the 19th century composer-pianists, and Elena Firsova, whose prolific body of work often draws inspiration from Pushkin, Pasternak, and Tsvetaeva.

Piano Elisabeth Leonskaja

^{Photo © Marco Borggreve}

Franz Schubert
3 Klavierstücke, D. 946 
Wanderer Fantasie
Sonate pour piano en si bémol majeur, D. 960

Julia Riabova
Bagatelles

Elena Firsova
Elegy