Romantic Discoveries Recordings

The Little Russians
John Kersey, piano
RDR CD97

Total time: 78 minutes

Alexander Alexandrovich Kopylov (1854-1911)
1. Feuille d’album in G (2’06”)
Gennari Ossipovich Karganov (1858-90)
2. Serenade, from “Album lyrique”, op 20 no 4 (3’44”)
3. Menuet all’antico, op 20 no 5 (3’29”)
4. Dans le gondole, op 20 no 6 (5’05”)
5. Kopylov: Polka de salon on the theme B-la-F, op 16 (4’06”)
6. Karganov: Reverie du soir, op 20 no 7 (3’38”)
7. Scherzino, op 20 no 8 (3’12”)
8. Berceuse, op 20 no 11 (4’03”)
9. Kopylov: Album leaf in C minor, from “3 Album Leaves”, op 26 no 3 (2’27”)
10. Karganov: Romance, op 20 no 9 (3’56”)
11. Nocturne, op 18 no 1 (5’13”)
12. Kopylov: Chanson sans paroles (2’42”)
13. Karganov: Valse-caprice, op 16 (7’11”)
14. Kopylov: A drop of rain, op 13 no 4 (1’06”)
15. Mazurka (2’05”)
16. Karganov: Capriccietto, op 20 no 10 (3’10”)
17. Mazurka, op 20 no 12 (5’07”)
18. Nocturne, op 18 no 2 (7’46”)
19. Kopylov: Feuille d’album in C (1’52”)
20. Karganov: Berceuse, from “Aquarelles”, op 22 no 3 (3’35”)
21. Polka, from “For the Youth”, op 21 no 7 (2’12”)

Our thanks to Peter Cook for supplying scores of these rare works.

Gennari Ossipovich Karganov was born in Kvarely in Georgia in 1858 (or possibly 1852). He was of Armenian nationality but subsequently became a naturalized Russian. He was professor of piano at the conservatoire in Georgia and composed mainly for the piano, including many miniatures and some instructional works. He died at Rostov-on-Don in 1890, aged just 31.

Alexander Alexandrovich Kopylov studied privately with Rimsky-Korsakov and Liadov. Principally a singer and violinist, he taught at the Imperial Court Choir where he had formerly been a chorister. Composer of symphonies and string quartets, he also composed a number of miniatures for piano.