Anastasiia Larchikova – Four Hands. Two Hearts. One Hope [CD]

Description

Ukrainian and American Music for Piano Duo, performed by Ukrainian artists Anastasiia Larchikova and Mykhailo Diordiiev. These two young pianists perform a splendid program of half Ukrainian/half American compositions, all contemporary and all very accessible. On the American side the album has John Corigliano’s “Gazebo Dances”, Ricky Ian Gordon’s “Ring-A-Ding-Ding”, and a world premiere recording of Lowell Liebermann’s “Romance, Etude and Chorale, Op. 134”. This is the centerpiece of the album, and it is a stunning work that was commissioned by Steinway as a wedding present to Lang Lang. The Ukrainian music features “Carpathian Song” by Zoltan Almashi, composer, cellist and winner of the Lev Revultsky Prize in 2003; “Three Extravagant Dances” by the late Myroslav Skoryk, who was awarded the titles “The People’s Artist” and “Hero of Ukraine”, and whose music contains stylistic traits from Ukrainian folk music; and lastly “Ru-um-bambar” by Bohdan Sehin, who studied with M. Skoryk and whose music is highly textured, with Eastern European expressiveness. Proceeds from this album will be donated to Ukraine humanitarian aid organizations.

Tracklist:

1. Carpathian Song
2. Gazebo Dances-I. Overture
3. Gazebo Dances-II. Waltz
4. Gazebo Dances-III. Adagio
5. Gazebo Dances-IV. Tarantella
6. Three Extravagant Dances-I. Entrance and Dance… Almost Hispano-Moresque
7. Three Extravagant Dances-II. Blues… Almost American
8. Three Extravagant Dances-III. Can-Can… As If from An Old Gramolphone Record
9. Romance, Etude and Chorale, Op. 134-I. Romance and Etude
10. Romance, Etude and Chorale, Op. 134-II. Chorale
11. Ru-Um-Bambar
12. Ring-A-Ding-Ding

UPC: 030911176228
Label: Reference Recordings
Release Date: 8.22.25
Format: CD