Hamish Milne - Anatoly Alexandrov: Piano Music (2002) CD-Rip

Anatoly Alexandrov (1888-1982) - not to be confused with several other Russian composers with the name Alexandrov - was a Russian composer and pianist who wrote music in virtually all genres but mainly focused on the keyboard. The style is reminiscent of late Scriabin and, perhaps more than anything else, Medtner. Now, Alexandrov's music isn't, in the end, quite on the level of either of those composers, but this survey by Hamish Milne proves that Alexandrov is certainly a worthwhile encounter. The music is harmonically rich and lush, with varied textures and some brilliant fireworks without, perhaps, very much in terms of memorable melodies. There is a certain stylistic development between the preludes op. 1 and the third sonata op. 18, but fairly little between that one and, say, the Visions op. 111. Hamish Milne plays it all with amazing aplomb - surely you can wish for no better advocate of this music - and the production and presentation is of the high Hyperion standards we've become used to. Recommended.