Incantation
Ekaterina Levental and Frank Peters discover 107 sublime songs by Nikolai Medtner.
His friend and soulmate Sergei Rachmaninoff called him “the greatest living composer of his time”. His until recently unknown piano works have been gaining prominence on concert stages in recent years. That he also wrote 107 songs is perhaps the best-kept secret in the world of classical music. Until today.
Mezzo-soprano Ekaterina Levental and pianist Frank Peters present Incantation, the first of a series of five CDs on which they will record all 107 songs by Russian composer and pianist Nikolai Medtner (1880-1951). “These otherworldly and very beautiful songs have never before been recorded in their entirety,” says Ekaterina Levental. “That is unimaginable. This music should be documented and available. We are making that our life’s work.”
The CD was released on Sunday 10 May 2020 in the Netherlands and in summer 2020 worldwide. The release concert took place Sunday afternoon 10 May at the Westvest90 church in Schiedam and can still be heard here.
