VASILIJE MOKRANJAC (1923–1984)

COMPLETE WORKS FOR PIANO

RATIMIR MARTINOVIĆ

‘This year marks the 35th anniversary of the tragic departure of Vasilije Mokranjac, one of the most profound composers of this part of Europe. The fact that most people have never heard of his name, in the times when almost everybody is a kind of music, film, television, reality or whatever-star, says more about the time we live in, than his work. Time seems to stand still as eternity for his entire opus just like it does for a butterfly that has one day to live. A single day of this special species becomes timeless. I hope this album will bring attention to his music and life, and that silence for his oeuvre that lasts for far too long will find the balance with the blasts, screams, rises, falls and the final serenity that both Man and Artist Vasilije Mokranjac were bearing silently, within.’

– Ratimir Martinović

Listen to an excerpt from Seven Études: II. Andante
Vasilije Mokranjac - Complete Works for Piano
GP829-30
Vasilije Mokranjac

About this Recording

Vasilije Mokranjac (1923–1984) belonged to a prominent Serbian musical dynasty. His great musical gifts combine with an unassertive and introverted nature to create a unique catalogue of often incredibly virtuoso piano music, recorded here for the first time in its entirety. From the first elegant Menuetto to the last Prélude written at the time of his tragic death, pianist Ratimir Martinović finds Mokranjac’s music ‘exceptionally profound and spiritually uplifting’.

DISC 1
1
MENUETTO (1944) (04:31)
2
THEME AND EIGHT VARIATIONS (1947) (14:02)
SONATA ROMANTICA (1947) (21:44)
3
I. Allegro (07:17)
4
II. Marcia funebre (Lento) (05:36)
5
III. Tempo giusto (02:40)
6
IV. Allegro con fuoco (06:08)
7
PRÉLUDE, DANCE AND MARCH (1950) (1905) * (04:57)
SEVEN ÉTUDES (1951–52) (16:02)
8
I. Presto con indolenza (02:52)
9
II. Andante (03:15)
10
III. Staccato (01:40)
11
IV. Uguale (01:48)
12
V. Presto (01:32)
13
VI. Presto possibile (01:45)
14
VII. Presto ritmico (03:02)

TOTAL TIME: 71:24

DISC 2
SIX DANCES (1950–57) (08:40)
1
I. Moderato (01:18)
2
II. Presto (00:44)
3
III. Moderato (01:47)
4
IV. Allegro (01:36)
5
V. Allegro giusto e molto ritmico (01:44)
6
VI. Prestissimo (01:31)
SONATINE NO. 1 IN A MINOR (1953) (09:26)
7
I. Allegro, molto agitato – II. Adagio (07:01)
8
III. Prestissimo – Allegro (02:24)
SONATINE NO. 2 IN C MAJOR (1954) (08:48)
9
I. Allegro risoluto (02:48)
10
II. Andante (03:17)
11
III. Presto (01:21)
12
IV. Allegro molto con brio (01:17)
SUITE ‘FRAGMENTS’ (1955–56) (09:14)
13
I. Allegro (01:20)
14
II. Andante ma non troppo (01:04)
15
III. Presto, molto ritmico e articolato (01:16)
16
IV. Lento quasi cantato (01:53)
17
V. Prestissimo possibile (01:10)
18
VI. Grave. Allegro robusto. Adagio (02:24)
SUITE ‘INTIMATE VOICES’ (1973) (13:08)
19
Largo – Andante – Moderato – Calmo – Più mosso – Lento – Allegro – Adagio (13:08)
SUITE ‘ECHOES’ (1973) (15:46)
20
Lento, quasi improvisato – Allegro – Largo – Andante – Allegro – Presto – Andante maestoso – Adagio – Moderato – Adagio – Lento (15:46)
FIVE PRÉLUDES (1975) (07:46)
21
Moderato – Lento – Attacca – Lento – Moderato (07:46)
22
PRÉLUDE (1984) (03:12)
* WORLD PREMIÈRE RECORDING

TOTAL TIME: 76:16

RATIMIR MARTINOVIĆ

RATIMIR MARTINOVIĆ

Critically acclaimed pianist Ratimir Martinović occupies a special status among artists of his generation. Born in Kotor, Montenegro, Martinović studied under virtuoso Kemal Gekić at the Academy of Arts in Novi Sad where he now serves as a professor of piano. He received his Master’s degree in 2002, and has performed at over 700 concerts with over 60 orchestras in prestigious international venues such as the Stern Auditorium at Carnegie Hall, Auditorium Parco della Musica in Rome, Shanghai Oriental Art Center, the Glenn Gould Studio in Toronto, Seoul Arts Center and the Moscow International House of Music. Martinović is the founder and director of the KotorArt Festival in his hometown. Together with the Mokranjac family, Martinović is the founder and president of the Vasilije Mokranjac Foundation in Belgrade.

www.ratimirmartinovic.com
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