Rachmaninov - Morceaux de Fantaisie, Morceaux de Salon, etc. | Naxos 8574726

Rachmaninov - Morceaux de Fantaisie, Morceaux de Salon, etc.

£12.30

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Label: Naxos

Cat No: 8574726

Format: CD

Number of Discs: 1

Genre: Instrumental

Release Date: 13th February 2026

Contents

About

Composed at the age of 19, Rachmaninov’s earliest published cycle of piano pieces, the Morceaux de fantaisie, contains the Prélude in C sharp minor, destined to become his signature work, and the Mélodie in E major, much loved by Tchaikovsky. The expressive Morceaux de salon show Tchaikovsky’s influence and some of the grief felt by Rachmaninov after his mentor’s death. With the inclusion of the melodically rich Nocturnes and the Four Pieces, the earliest to survive in his hand, this collection shows both the young composer finding his voice and the timeless Rachmaninov we recognise today.

Boris Giltburg’s recordings of the Études-tableaux, op.39, and the Moments musicaux (Naxos 8573469) received wide critical approval, becoming a Gramophone Recording of the Month and admired for ‘a convergence of heart and mind, served by immaculate technique and motivated by a deep and abiding love for one of the 20th century’s greatest composer-pianists.’ Giltburg has also recorded Rachmaninov’s two piano sonatas (8574601), and the Préludes, opp. 23 and 32 (8574025), considered ‘hugely recommendable’ in BBC Music Magazine.

In addition to this solo repertoire, Boris Giltburg’s recording of Rachmaninov’s First and Fourth Piano Concertos (Naxos 8574528) completed his concerto cycle in 2023, and was regarded in Gramophone as a ‘superb disc, Giltburg is a joy to hear’. Giltburg’s recording of the Second Piano Concerto (8573629) was an American Record Guide Critic’s Choice and considered ‘compulsive listening’ by BBC Music Magazine; with one Fanfare reviewer declaring that ‘Giltburg’s playing is kaleidoscopic, colourful, and full of élan.’

Artist-in-residence with the Dresden Philharmonie and guest artistic curator for Portland Piano International, Boris Giltburg is lauded across the globe as a deeply sensitive, insightful and compelling interpreter. Giltburg has recently appeared with the Helsinki and Essen Philharmonic Orchestras, among others, and collaborated with leading conductors including Jukka-Pekka Saraste, Dima Slobodeniouk and Jun Märkl. He regularly plays recitals in the world’s most prestigious halls, including Amsterdam’s Concertgebouw, Hamburg’s Elbphilharmonie and New York’s Carnegie Hall. Giltburg is widely recognised as a leading interpreter of Rachmaninov, performing his complete Préludes during the opening weekend of the Southbank Centre’s 2025/26 season, and Third Piano Concerto with the Philharmonia Orchestra at Bold Tendencies.

Reviews

What we get here, for the most part, is slightly introverted playing that gives preference to the lyrical over the rhythmic, the gracious over the rambunctious, the tender over the inflamed. ... Tonal quality is unimpeachable – and at no point does [Giltburg] allow Rachmaninov’s emotionality to overflow.  Peter J Rabinowitz
Gramophone March 2026
Gramophone Editor's Choice

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