Resemblances Catalin Serban

• Alexander Scriabin (1872 - 1915): Piano Sonata No. 3 in F-Sharp Minor, Op. 23:
• 1 Scriabin: Piano Sonata No. 3 in F-Sharp Minor, Op. 23: I. Dramatico 05:37
• 2 Scriabin: Piano Sonata No. 3 in F-Sharp Minor, Op. 23: II. Allegretto 02:19
• 3 Scriabin: Piano Sonata No. 3 in F-Sharp Minor, Op. 23: III. Andante 04:10
• 4 Scriabin: Piano Sonata No. 3 in F-Sharp Minor, Op. 23: IV. Presto con fuoco 05:30
• Frédéric Chopin (1810 - 1849): Piano Sonata No. 3 in B Minor, Op. 58, B. 155:
• 5 Chopin: Piano Sonata No. 3 in B Minor, Op. 58, B. 155: I. Allegro maestoso 08:33
• 6 Chopin: Piano Sonata No. 3 in B Minor, Op. 58, B. 155: II. Scherzo. Molto vivace 02:44
• 7 Chopin: Piano Sonata No. 3 in B Minor, Op. 58, B. 155: III. Largo 09:47
• 8 Chopin: Piano Sonata No. 3 in B Minor, Op. 58, B. 155: IV. Finale. Presto ma non tanto 05:17
• Alexander Scriabin: 2 Nocturnes, Op. 5:
• 9 Scriabin: 2 Nocturnes, Op. 5: No. 1 in F-Sharp Minor, Andante 03:40
• 10 Scriabin: 2 Nocturnes, Op. 5: No. 2 in A Major, Allegretto 02:51
• Frédéric Chopin: 2 Nocturnes, Op. 27, B. 91:
• 11 Chopin: 2 Nocturnes, Op. 27, B. 91: No. 1 in C-Sharp Minor, Larghetto 05:37
• 12 Chopin: 2 Nocturnes, Op. 27, B. 96: No. 2 in D-Flat Major, Lento sostenuto 06:00
• Alexander Scriabin:
• 13 Scriabin: Fantasie in B Minor, Op. 28 08:43
• Frédéric Chopin:
• 14 Chopin: Fantasie in F Minor, Op. 49, B. 137 12:43
• Total Runtime 01:23:31

Info for Resemblances

The composers Frédéric Chopin and Alexander Scriabin sought other worlds – to float, to ascend to heaven. Pianist Catalin Serban juxtaposes their piano works on his new GENUIN album, made possible by Konzertleben e.V. and C. Bechstein grand piano. A multiple first prize winner at piano competitions in Germany, Italy, and Romania, Catalin Serban has established himself as a soloist and chamber musician. His work has focused intensively on the Romantic and early modern piano repertoire and chamber music literature.

In this production, Catalin Serban presents sonatas, nocturnes, and fantasias by the two composers, who are vastly different and yet, in some respects, bear similarities. Serban's highly virtuosic and sensitive piano playing shows the paths of the two, away from compartmentalization and narrowness, towards new spaces and the greatest possible freedom of movement.

Catalin Serban, piano

Catalin Serban
began his musical training at the age of six at the George Enescu Music High School in Bucharest. He later studied at the Berlin University of the Arts and completed his concert exam at the University of Music Lübeck with Konrad Elser. He participated in master classes with Claude Frank, Pascal Devoyon, and Elena Lapitskaja, among other artists.

In addition to several awards at international piano competitions, including the European Piano Contest Bremen, Serban received a scholarship from the Berlin University of the Arts, the Paul Hindemith Society also in Berlin, and the Marie-Luise Imbusch Foundation in Lübeck. As a soloist and dedicated chamber musician, Serban has performed in the Berlin Philharmonie, Konzerthaus Berlin, Bucharest Athenaeum, Die Glocke Bremen, and other well-known halls as well as at a number of international festivals.

His recordings to date include performances for Radio Romania and Radio Bremen as well as a solo CD featuring works by Enescu, Scriabin, and Schubert (Des cloches sonores). He has taught at the University of Music Lübeck since 2007, and since 2018 he has also served as a piano lecturer at the Hanns Eisler School of Music in Berlin. Catalin Serban resides and works in Berlin.

Booklet for Resemblances