<i>Melodiya </i>presents a disc recorded by young Russian pianist Dmitry Masleev.<br>
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The musician’s name became widely known after his convincing victory at the latest International Tchaikovsky Competition in 2015 when he received the first prize and a special prize for his performance of a Mozart concerto. Dmitry Masleev was born in Ulan-Ude and graduated from the Moscow Conservatory where he studied under Professor Mikhail Petukhov. He was awarded his first prize when he was 13 years old. Now a soloist of the Moscow Philharmonic Society, he can boast a vast repertoire performing with some of the best Russian and foreign orchestras to rave reviews from reputable music critics. In early 2017, Dmitry debuted at Carnegie Hall, the Paris Philharmonie and the Konzerthaus Berlin.<br>
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This disc is focused on Russian music of the 20th century. Shostakovich’s Piano Concerto No. 2 dedicated to the composer’s son Maxim was recorded by Dmitry Masleev as part of the project comprising Shostakovich complete concertos recorded by the Tatarstan State Orchestra and conductor Alexander Sladkovsky. The pianist also performs Prokofiev’s Piano Sonata No. 2, a virtuosic and “rebellious” piece written when the composer was young (his Piano Concerto No. 3 was one of the key numbers of the pianist’s competition programme). On the face of it, Domenico Scarlatti’s piano sonata next to Prokofiev’s piece may seem odd, but the transparent clarity of the Italian composer’s early classicism seamlessly blends with the nature of the selected works.<br>
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The programme comes with an encore – Shostakovich’s Elegy from Ballet Suite No. 3 arranged by Dmitry Masleev.<br>
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