KARA KARAYEV: Ballet Suites
Seven Beauties (1952) • In the Path of Thunder (1957)
Moscow Radio and TV Symphony Orchestra
Rauf Abdullayev, conductor
DRD 2009
Karayev’s beautiful, exotic ballet music has broad sweep and dimension, along with poignant emotional content and lively Azerbaijani folk elements. A leading figure among post WWII Russian composers, Karayev is a master orchestrator, whose music shows influences of Prokofiev and Shostakovich.
In these stunning ballets, Karayev is writing about the stuff of legend, with a Middle Eastern flavor in the epic Seven Beauties. Both ballets are large designs, telling stories of legendary figures — powerful stories with deep human emotions.
20th Century Russian Piano Music Vladimir Yurigin-Klevke, piano Music of: Gubaidulina; Pärt; Shostakovich; Shchedrin & Karayev |
Karayev’s delightful 24 Preludes for piano are featured on this “highlights” album of outstanding Russian piano music of the 20th Century.
The Preludes draw on Karayev’s Azerbaijani folk roots and national |