Fanny Azzuro – Rachmaninoff: The Landscapes of the Soul (2021) [Official Digital Download 24bit/96kHz]

“Recording the complete Preludes is like painting notes with an unlimited palette of sound!” writes pianist Fanny Azzuro in the notes to her debut album for Rubicon. “Playing this music is exhilarating. The danger is that you lose control of your emotions and yield to the temptation to pile on the pathos in music that is so naturally expressive.

The French pianist Fanny Azzuro is the winner of several international competitions, including the World Piano Competition in Cincinnati. Her penchant for Russian music is confirmed in her new album devoted to the twenty-four Rachmaninov Preludes. Fanny Azzuro was still just a student at the Paris Conservatoire when pianist Vladimir Viardo set her to work on Rachmaninov’s Variations on a Theme of Corelli during a master class. From then on Russian music became one of her principal interests.

For Fanny Azzuro, Rachmaninov’s twenty-four Preludes bear witness to the landscape of the Russian soul. They were very well described by the composer himself, as the pianist likes to say, quoting Rachmaninov: “The work must become a part of the pianist. Each note must bring an awareness of his true artistic mission”. “Playing this music is exhilarating”, she says, but Fanny Azzuro never loses the thread nor is she overwhelmed by the pathos and powerful expression of the Russian composer.

Tracklist:
01. Fanny Azzuro – Rachmaninoff: Morceaux de fantaisie, Op. 3: II. Prélude in C-Sharp Minor (04:31)
02. Fanny Azzuro – Rachmaninoff: 10 Préludes, Op. 23: I. Largo in F-Sharp Minor (03:25)
03. Fanny Azzuro – Rachmaninoff: 10 Préludes, Op. 23: II. Maestoso in B-Flat Major (03:24)
04. Fanny Azzuro – Rachmaninoff: 10 Préludes, Op. 23: III. Tempo di minuetto in D Minor (03:58)
05. Fanny Azzuro – Rachmaninoff: 10 Préludes, Op. 23: IV. Andante cantabile in D Major (04:56)
06. Fanny Azzuro – Rachmaninoff: 10 Préludes, Op. 23: V. Alla marcia in G Minor (03:53)
07. Fanny Azzuro – Rachmaninoff: 10 Préludes, Op. 23: VI. Andante in E-Flat Major (02:56)
08. Fanny Azzuro – Rachmaninoff: 10 Préludes, Op. 23: VII. Allegro in C Minor (02:25)
09. Fanny Azzuro – Rachmaninoff: 10 Préludes, Op. 23: VIII. Allegro vivace in A-Flat Major (03:08)
10. Fanny Azzuro – Rachmaninoff: 10 Préludes, Op. 23: IX. Presto in E-Flat Minor (02:06)
11. Fanny Azzuro – Rachmaninoff: 10 Préludes, Op. 23: X. Largo in G-Flat Major (03:56)
12. Fanny Azzuro – Rachmaninoff: 13 Préludes, Op. 32: I. Allegro vivace in C Major (01:10)
13. Fanny Azzuro – Rachmaninoff: 13 Préludes, Op. 32: II. Allegretto in B-Flat Minor (03:03)
14. Fanny Azzuro – Rachmaninoff: 13 Préludes, Op. 32: III. Allegro vivace in E Major (02:26)
15. Fanny Azzuro – Rachmaninoff: 13 Préludes, Op. 32: IV. Allegro con brio in E Minor (05:42)
16. Fanny Azzuro – Rachmaninoff: 13 Préludes, Op. 32: V. Moderato in G Major (03:17)
17. Fanny Azzuro – Rachmaninoff: 13 Préludes, Op. 32: VI. Allegro appassionato in F Minor (01:23)
18. Fanny Azzuro – Rachmaninoff: 13 Préludes, Op. 32: VII. Moderato in F Major (02:52)
19. Fanny Azzuro – Rachmaninoff: 13 Préludes, Op. 32: VIII. Vivo in A Minor (01:47)
20. Fanny Azzuro – Rachmaninoff: 13 Préludes, Op. 32: IX. Allegro moderato in A Major (02:56)
21. Fanny Azzuro – Rachmaninoff: 13 Préludes, Op. 32: X. Lento in B Minor (05:15)
22. Fanny Azzuro – Rachmaninoff: 13 Préludes, Op. 32: XI. Allegretto in B Major (02:15)
23. Fanny Azzuro – Rachmaninoff: 13 Préludes, Op. 32: XII. Allegro in G-Sharp Minor (02:38)
24. Fanny Azzuro – Rachmaninoff: 13 Préludes, Op. 32: XIII. Grave in D-Flat Major (05:13)