Schumann / Liszt: Ingenious Opposites Roman Zaslavsky

• 1 Thema: Andante 01:35
• 2 Etude 1 Un poco piu vivo 01:08
• 3 Etude 2: Espressivo 03:18
• 4 Etude 3 Vivace 01:23
• 5 Etude 4 00:51
• 6 Etude 5: Scherzando 01:10
• 7 Etude 6 Agitato 00:51
• 8 Etude 7 Allegro molto 01:18
• 9 Etude 8 Sempre marcatissimo 03:20
• 10 Etude 9 Presto possibile 00:39
• 11 Etude 10 Sempre con energia 01:21
• 12 Etude 11 Con espressione 03:12
• 13 Etude 12 Finale Allegro brillante 06:43
• 14 No. 5. Sonetto 104 del Petrarca (Sonnet 104 of Petrarch) 07:12
• 15 No. 6. Sonetto 123 del Petrarca (Sonnet 123 of Petrarch) 07:45
• 16 No. 7. Apres une lecture du Dante, fantasia quasi una sonata (After Reading Dante) 17:36
• 17 No. 8 in C minor, 'Wilde Jagd' 05:29
• 18 No. 10 in F minor, 'Appassionata' 04:37
• Total Runtime 01:09:28

Info for Schumann / Liszt: Ingenious Opposites

Russian-Israeli pianist Roman Zaslavsky is a master of piano technique that espouses nuance without resorting to arbitrary mannerisms. He first gained recognition by taking 1st prize—the Primer Gran Premio—at the José Iturbi International Music Competition in Valencia, Spain and concert tours brought him around the globe with rave reviews after performances in Israel, Germany, Netherlands, France, Japan, Canada and Latin America. In presenting the historic and artistic connections of “Ingenious Opposites,” he gives the listener the chance to experience these masterpieces in a whole new light. Starting with Volume 1 there will be more Ingenious Opposites coming up in the near future.

'Ingenious Opposites: Volume I, and the program notes, in the form of a conversation between Gerda Borkamp and the pianist, spend a lot of time trying to justify the combination of Schumann and Liszt. But it hardly needs justification, and the argument is often a bit confusing anyway.' (Peter J. Rabinowitz, FanFare)

Roman Zaslavsky, piano

Recorded at Studio Halle, Halle, October 2011
Recording and mastering by Nirto Karsten Fischer for Forced Media, Berlin
Steinway & Sons Grand D Hamburg

Awards: The recording received the SuperSonic Award 2013 of the Pizzicato Classic Magazine. 'The sound is superb.' 'The dynamic of this 24bit/96kHz product is immense (…) and gives a sound image that suggests reality.' Pizzicato Magazine 4/13

Roman Zaslavsky
Russian born Israeli pianist Roman Zaslavsky is recognized by international audiences, critics and colleagues alike as one of the next generation’s foremost emerging artists. The Scottish “Herald” was impressed by his performance calling it ”…a touch of dynamite”, “…flamboyant, swashbuckling”, “...a sensation”. The British press praised him in “Strad” magazine, saying that Mr. Zaslavsky is “… a pianist with exceptional virtuosity”, the Canadian “Toronto Star” wrote that his performance was “marvellous”, German “Badische Neueste Nachrichten” referred to him as “… a virtuoso keyboard lion”.

Roman Zaslavsky has the reputation of being a musician with a highly intellectual approach and passionate interpretation. His performances on international stages include among many others the Laeiszhalle, Hamburg, the Recital Hall of the Amsterdam Concertgebouw, the Palau de la Música in Valencia and the Auditorio Nacional de Música in Madrid, the Salle Gaveau in Paris, the Oji Hall in Tokyo, the Kitara Hall in Sapporo, the Teatro do Sesi in Porto Alegre, Brazil, the Tel-Aviv Museum of Arts and the Jerusalem Theatre.

Pianist Roman Zaslavsky is a master of piano technique. His sensitive and profound performance impresses through its fine balance of virtuosity and his appreciation of the sense of sound and the savor of extremes.

Roman Zaslavsky’s exceptional musical talent was recognized early. At a very young age he was accepted as a student at the renowned St. Petersburg Conservatory, later continuing his musical education at the Rubin Academy of Music in Tel-Aviv-Yafo. He graduated at the German conservatories of Frankfurt and Karlsruhe with the highest honors.

Numerous awards accompany the development of this pianist: Already at the age of 18 years, Roman Zaslavsky won the First Prize at the National Piano Competition of the Russian Republic. In Israel he was granted a scholarship of the renowned America-Israel Cultural Foundation for young artists and the Cultural Fond of Baden recognized him with an Honorary Grant.

Roman Zaslavsky has won some important piano- and chamber music contests: In 1997 he was accorded prizes at the Italian “Città di Senigallia International Piano Competition”, at the Third "Hamamatsu Academy International Piano Competition" in Japan, as well as at the Chamber Music Competitions “Trio di Trieste” and “Vittorio Gui” in Italy. His greatest competition success, however, Roman Zaslavsky celebrated in the year 2000: He was the sole winner of the “Vendome Prize” at the International Piano Competition in Cologne and the highly coveted “Primer Gran Premio” at the “José Iturbi” International Piano Competition in Valencia.

Roman Zaslavsky is a highly gifted artist, a pianist with a sharp intellect and a passionate temperament, which always shows in his solo recitals and when performing as a soloist with orchestras. He has appeared in acclaimed concert performances on major international stages in Israel, Germany, Holland, Italy, Spain, France, Japan, Brazil and Canada. Recent highlights include a video-recorded performance of the Rachmaninov Piano Concerto no. 2 under the direction of Michail Jurowski at Genova’s Teatro Carlo Felice. Equally important, appearances under Lászlo Kovács at the much heralded festival “Le dieci giornate di Brecia”, performances of the Beethoven Piano Concerto No. 5 with the Saarländisches Staatsorchester under Constantin Trinks in Saarbrücken and at the Auditorio Nacional de Música, Madrid, with the North Hungarian Symphony Orchestra under Lászlo Kovács. There have also been acclaimed guest appearances at the Zeister Music Days in the Netherlands, the "Gaia Festival" in Switzerland as well as at the "Klara Festival" in Belgium. Roman Zaslavsky has performed in solo recitals and in duo appearances with Cellist Gavriel Lipkind in the Netherlands, Israel, Germany and Japan.

In 2010 Roman Zaslavsky played solo concertos not only in Europe, Israel and Japan, but also in Latin America: At the 16th International Piano Festival in Monterrey and the 60th International Piano Festival Teatro Isauro Martínez” in Torreón, Mexico, the XVIII. “Semana Musical” in Llao Llao, Argentina, and in Colombia, where he was part of the jury of the 15th Piano Competition at the Bucaramanga Festival.

In 2011 Roman Zaslavsky returned to Brazil to perform Beethoven’s piano concerto no. 5 op. 73 at the Sala Sao Paulo with the State Symphony Orchestra of Sao Paulo under Ligia Amadio.

In July 2012 Roman Zaslavsky's Blu-Ray Audio “Ingenious Opposites Vol.1” has been released with EuroArts Music International presenting works by Robert Schumann and Franz Liszt, which show the oppositeness of these two composers.

Booklet for Schumann / Liszt: Ingenious Opposites