Miniatures Russes

Rarities for Piano by Anatoly Lyadov and Anton Arensky

Swetlana Meermann-Muret, Piano

Pianist Swetlana Meermann-Muret takes us on a journey through the heights and depths of the Russian soul in her new GENUIN CD. The prizewinner of international competitions devotes herself to gems of piano literature—the rarely recorded miniatures by Anatoly Lyadov and Anton Arensky. Lyadov's Préludes, in particular, are more than just precursors of well-known works by Rachmaninoff and Scriabin! Swetlana Meermann-Muret, a native Russian pianist, devotes herself to these treasures with an attention to detail and a warm sound. Moving testimonies of a lost culture!




FNAC
"A défaut de posséder le génie souvent révolutionnaire de Chopin, la musique de Liadov possède un charme inouï au point que l’on a l’impression, parfois, d’entendre la voix humaine comme c’est le cas dans le Prélude op.11 n°1. Les dix morceaux sélectionnés du catalogue d’Arenski l’ont été habilement. Ce sont ici des partitions de salon, au sens le plus noble du terme, qui tout en étant pudiques, cherchent le regard féminin. Certaines pressentent Rachmaninov et Swetlana Meermann-Muret joue parfaitement de l’évolution des styles, l’opus 53 de 1901 étant l’un des cycles les plus remarquables du compositeur." Review by Jean Dandrésy, March 10 2021

Music Web International
"I have to say that this recital is a delight from the first note. All of these pieces are played with style and elegance, a real sense of melody and a versatile and responsive technique. The music is show in its best light and Swetlana Meermann-Muret is easily the match of Marco Rapetti who recorded the complete Lyadov piano music on 5 discs from Brilliant Classics (94155 Review) and the sound is better. If you are not after the complete piano works and want the attractive Arensky to boot this is a well constructed, representative and lovingly played collection. Review by Rob Challinor on the website of MusicWeb international.

BBC Music Magazine
"Near-contemporaries Arensky and Lyadov were both influenced by Chopin, as this wonderful recital proves. I could listen all day to Meermann-Muret’s phrasing and singing melodic line." April 2021 review

Piano News
"Meermann-Muret spielt einfühlsam und gibt den Zuhörern eine Stunde angenehmer Klaviermusik."
Review by Carsten Dürer (May 2021)

MDR Kultur
CD of the week from 03.05.2021

Fono Forum
"Eine pianistisch, musikalisch und aufnahmetechnisch erfreulich makellos gelungene Produktion."
Review by Ingo Harden (May 2021)

Klassik.com
"Ferner fällt vor allem ihr meist sehr sanfter und weicher Ton auf, der oft mit Zurückhaltung im Forte einhergeht. (...) In diesem Programm trifft sie damit (...) ins Schwarze."
Read the entire review by Jan Kampmeier here.

SWR2
Music critic Jan Brachmann introduces the pianist's new CD: Russian miniatures that she has "arranged into a jewel to be marveled at". Here you can listen to the entire program "New classical music CDs presented by Jan Brachmann" from March 12, 2021.

Staccatofy
"Meermann-Muret’s Miniatures Russes is a collection of profound and refined interpretations of deeply moving music performed with excellence and careful attention to detail."
Read the entire review by Adorjan Horvát here.