Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Pianist Corner Members Recordings - Pianist Corner Kosenko, Poem Legend, Op. 12, No. 1 in Em

Viktor Kosenko (1896-1938) was a Ukrainian composer, but also a virtuoso pianist and piano pedagogue. In his earlier years his principal influences were Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninoff, Scriabin and Lysenco. A graduate of the Warsaw Conservatory, he studied piano with Aleksander Michalowski and Iryna Miklashovskaya, and composition and music theory with Mikhail Sokolovsky. Kosenko composed about 250 works in all—about 100 of those for solo piano--and the other works being orchestral works, concertos, chamber music, chorus works, and songs. During his short life, Kosenko also held important positions in academia, music circles, and was often a juror at important piano competitions.

I hope you'll enjoy hearing this piece.

LINK: http://www.pianostreet.com/smf/index.php?topic=60692.0

Piano: Baldwin Model L Artist Grand (6’3”) with lid fully opened.
Recorder: Roland R-44
Mics: Matched pair of Earthworks TC-20 small diaphragm, omni-directional condenser mics in A-B configuration.

Very dramatic and expressive playing, RachFan. I always enjoy your "no holds barred" approach, and there is so much emotional energy coming through your connection with this piece. Wearing your heart on your sleeve, here, I think, David! It all fits together so well.

Thank you for bringing another lesser-known to the fore.

--Andy

Hi Andy

It was great to hear from you! I'm glad you enjoyed this piece. And yes, I think this one is probably the most intense one yet. The Late Romantics could depict these urges to an outer limit and beyond. Thanks for commenting.

David

Nicely done. I like the pacing. It allows the drama to unfold and be understood by the listener, especially given the flow of the melody and the rhythm throughout. (And I like the bass on the Baldwin!). Keep 'em coming!

Hi Chris,

So good to hear from you! Thanks for the compliment on my playing. Yes, this one certainly contains a lot of tension and drama. I have to say I worked longer on this piece than most. Kosenko was a very demanding composer.

On the last tuner's visit he did the first voicing of the Ronsen Wurzen hammers. They were getting a bit shrill, and the voicing made it all a bit darker which helped.

Have you posted any recordings lately? Has your Baldwin settled in to your satisfaction? You know, Baldwins are not "medium grands". To the contrary they are considered to be "full grands". The only larger models are the concert grands.

Good to chat with you.

David

Hello David. Unfortunately I couldn't listen to your recording. The play button on pianostreet doesn't work for me, and after I downloaded the file, all my computer could do with it was say Buffering...
Is there another way you can post it?
Would love to listen.
cheers, Heather

Heather, I had the same issue. It took about 5 - 10 mins. for the file to download and play. Seemed like an eternity in "computer seconds."

Hi Heather,

I apologize for the problem. It likely occurred in the wav to mp3 conversion, resulting in a file size unexpectedly large. I've not been successful in finding a guaranteed work-around.

David

Thanks for asking. Yes, the Baldwin has settled in very nicely, including the action. I'm very pleased with the complete rebuild my tech has accomplished. I've not had opportunity to post any recordings since the initial ones post-rebuild. It doesn't help that the recent weather has messed around the tuning, making for a very grumpy piano. And I've been working on a very long piece, Brahms' Variations on a Theme by Handel, Op 24. Not an easy piece to play or record. I'm going to need to work on a shorter piece like the one you posted here, just so I canrecord it!

Hi Chris,

Once the strings tighten up all their slack, you have it made -- and your piano is there now. Groan... tell me about the weather effect! So far we've have a better winter this year than last, but the worst is to come here soon. I think that one thing that helps here is that the piano is within indoor walls, not near an exterior wall. The other thing is that come night time, I lower the heat setting from 70 to 68. That's not much of a fluctuation and helps the piano to retain its tune.

Yeah, I recall my teacher suggesting that I do those Brahms Variations. I did look at the difficulty and length and decided against it. For this composer (who often thinks orchestral rather than pianistic)is not easy to play as you know. I learned six or seven of his short pieces and let it go at that.

I agree that if people are awaiting a recording, there's a bit of pressure there. I always plan around recordings. I probably shouldn't think that way, but it is, after all, a practical concern.

Today I was able to add my Kosenko "Poem Legend" from the one I posted at "Good Quality" to "Standard Quality" for mp3. I was trying to do good, but as a result some people couldn't download the "Good Quality", as it bloated the size of the music file such that some couldn't download it, plus the instant play didn't work. Live and learn!

I'll look forward to your recording once you release it.

David

Hi Heather,

Today I traced back the outtake I used for Kosenko and found it. I treated it with "Standard Quality" mp3 rather than the "Good Quality" that bloated the size of the music file. Once you've done the link to Piano Street, go all the way down the thread and you'll find it there. Both the quick play and the download work down there, but not up at the beginning of the tread.

Enjoy!

David

Thanks for uploading the new recording David. I did get to listen. What an exciting and lush piece. Your way of playing it definitely emphasizes the rhythm which I thought was fun. I also wondered what might happen with a slower more wandering tempo. But this is my first introduction to the piece so that's just an idle wonder. thanks for sharing this less well known Russian composer's music with us!

Hi Heather,

I'm glad you were able to hear this piece. An early playing of the work appears on an old record (at YouTube I think), probably 1940ish, and was even faster than my tempo. There are a lot of ornaments in there too. If the tempo were to be slower, I think the ornaments might take on too much prominence. Overall it's supposed to be sorrowful. My tempo might have bordered on more on hysterics ha-ha, but I think it worked well. Thanks for taking time to listen and comment!

David

Just a moment to thank everyone here for listening. I appreciate it! The three Kosenko pieces I've recorded and listed here recently are:

Etude,Op. 8, No. 8 in F#m
Consolation, Op. 9, No.1 in B
Poem Legend, Op. 12, No.1 in Em

This group of three forms a good sampling of Kosenko's Late Romantic style.

I'll leave it there, as I'm already exploring the works of another lesser-known Russian composer. Hopefully this will lead to some new recordings.

It's been a pleasure.

David

Hi David!

Unfortunately I'm not able to listen to your Kosenko, the button on "Piano Street" doesn't work for me, and when I download it, nothing audible happens Maybe there is another, more direct access to this certainly very worthy recording? Thanks for helping and best regards

Felix

Hi Felix,

Here's the URL:

http://www.pianostreet.com/smf/index.php?topic=60692.msg651472#msg651472

When you arrive there, scan down the the thread to the one saying "GOOD NEWS!!!"

For Kosenko's "Poem Le Legend", you can click either the quick play or the download there.

The file conversion and upload settings are all standard mp3 there. I tested it just now and it worked fine.

I appreciate your interest in Kosenko's music.

David

Hi David!

Good news, indeed It finally worked also for me! Thanks a lot for providing me with the right track to your recording!

It was worth listening! What a powerful and heartfelt interpretation of this highly emotional, noble music! Kosenko sounds like a witness from another time living on the wrong planet – how touching to imagine the mental situation around this "musical painting"!

Thanks a lot for sharing and best regards again

Felix

Hi Felix,

Thank you so much for all your kind kudos for my recording!

I believe that Kosenko endured a lot during his short lifespan and dying at age 38. During the Stalin years, he and his wife at first had a small apartment. The USSR government later insisted that two more families should occupy the space. Sanitation become difficult and as a result Kosenko contracted a serious infection which invaded a kidney leading to cancer and ultimately his death. It's so needless and sad! But I do all I can to put the high emotions across to the listener.

I'm glad I was able to guide you to the recording.

David