Lugansky - Kreisler-Rachmaninoff, “Liebesleid” & “Liebesfreud”

Sergei Rachmaninoff (1873-1943)
Fritz Kreisler (1875-1962)
Kreisler-Rachmaninoff, “Liebesleid (Love’s Sorrow)” (1921) & “Liebesfreud (Love’s Joy)” (1925)
Nikolai Lugansky, 2010

[0:00] “Liebesleid”
[4:32] “Liebesfreud”


““The arrangements of F. Kreisler's waltzes “Liebesleid (Love’s Sorrow)" and "Liebesfreud (Love’s Joy)” were made by Rachmaninov in the 1920s (1921 and 1925, respectively), when there was a long break in his work due to his emigration. It was during this period that the composer turned to the genre of transcription, having transcribed his own romance "Marigolds" for the piano, Schubert's song "Wohin?" from the cycle "Die schöne Müllerin”, Prelude, Gavotte and Gigue from Partita in E major for solo violin by J. S. Bach, Scherzo from Mendelssohn's music to Shakespeare's comedy "A Midsummer Night's Dream", Minuet from Bizet's "L’Arlésienne", Hopak from Mussorgsky’s opera "Sorochinskaya Fair" and a number of other works.

Turning to the most popular pieces by Kreisler, Rachmaninov added to their melodic charm a brilliant virtuosic concert and an improvisational prelude. Since then, from Rachmaninoff’s “light hand”, these pieces have firmly taken their place in the pianistic repertoire.”

Mariinsky program notes (translated), 2010