Violetta Fialko – Ciccolini Prizewinner Recital
Violetta Fialko is an exceptionally talented Ukrainian pianist, who has been signed by Divine Art for her commercial recording debut, as winner of the 2021 Ciccolini Prize for Pianists, a new international competition which had to be held ‘virtually’ due to the Covid pandemic. At the time of writing this, Violetta is living in a part of Ukraine which has so far not been desecrated, having been evacuated from her home town. The audio masters arrived from the studio in Kyiv only days before the Russian attack, for which we are thankful, and we do not yet know if the studio still exists. Leaving the war aside, we have a brilliantly talented pianist who has chosen a varied and highly virtuosic program of Russian Romantic classics (though Prokofiev, to give him his due, was born in Ukraine).
Violetta was born in 1997 into a family of musicians. She began to attend music school at the age of 5, and at 9 entered the Lysenko Specialized Music School in Kyiv, graduating with top honors in 2016 and entering the Kyiv Conservatory. She won many prizes, culminating in the 2021 Ciccolini Prize which has led to this album being made. She worked (until the current war began) as a teacher of piano performance and music theory, and is also a volunteer and program host on the Evangelical Radio station ‘Emmanuel’.
We commend this album as the debut of a fantastic pianist and also in support of her home country and peace and freedom everywhere.
Track Listing
- I. Presto (0:56)
- II. Allegro (0:30)
- III. Allegretto (1:10)
- IV. Allegro con fuoco (1:11)
- V. Vivace (0:57)
- VI. Allegro (0:32)
- VII. Moderato (0:38)
- VIII. Allegro moderato (0:51)
- IX. Allegretto tranquillo (1:31)
- X. Allegro (0:56)
- XI. Tempo di valse (0:55)
- XII. Prestissimo (0:46)
- XIII. Vivace (0:43)
- XIV. Presto (1:26)
- 3 Morceaux, Op. 11 - No. 1, Prelude in B minor (2:59)
- Piano Sonata 'Reminscenza', Op. 38 No. 1 (13:03)
- I. Folk Dance (4:06)
- II. Scena: The Street Awakens (1:25)
- III. Minuet: Arrival of the Guests (2:43)
- IV. Juliet as a Young Girl (3:31)
- V. Masks (2:29)
- VI. Montagues and Capulets (3:51)
- VII. Friar Laurence (2:45)
- VIII. Mercutio (2:13)
- IX. Dance of the Girls with Lilies (2:39)
- X. Romeo and Juliet before Parting (7:03)
- I. Andante (3:00)
- II. Prestissimo volando (4:59)
Anatoly Lyadov (1855-1914):
Biryul'ki, Op. 2
Nikolai Medtner (1880-1951):
Sergei Prokofiev (1891-1953):
10 Pieces from Romeo and Juliet, Op. 75 (
Alexander Scriabin (1872-1915):
Piano Sonata No. 4 in F sharp minor, Op. 30
Reviews
“A most auspicious debut recital, this. [Violetta Fialko] selects here a colorful array of solo keyboard works that illuminate her capacity for realizing distinct, musical personalities within a defined idiom.
” —Gary Lemco
“Her realization of the [Medtner] dazzles, though the same could as easily be said about her handling of the other pieces too. Fialko play[s] with an emotional maturity befitting someone looking back upon an entire lifetime of memories as opposed to a person whose adult years have just begun. After listening to Fialko’s accomplished execution of the album material, it’s easy to visualize the release as the first of many in a potentially distinguished career. A future of immense promise lies ahead of her.
” —Ron Schepper
“The debut disc suggests a very promising future for the young Ciccolini prize winner. The way she plays Liadov’s pieces shows a real love for these tiny gems, and so does her rendition of Medtner’s Sonata. The latter is as fine a performance as I have heard. She is a considerable talent, and I hope to hear more from her soon.
” —Steve Arloff
“An excellent CD. Ms Fialko is a talented Ukrainian pianist. Her playing is – she’s got the air of someone who is really on top of the instrument and the music.
” —Jeremy Condliffe
“A remarkably talented young Ukrainian pianist. Very illuminating performances… beautifully detailed without being fussy. Fialko reconciles all of the diverse elements unflappably in the course of a very satisfying performance.
” —Phil Muse
“Gripping musicianship. Violetta Fialko plays the music with great freshness and genuine charm. She approaches music with a feminine sensibility. Violetta Fialko’s playing is varied and sensitive, controlling the architecture as well as the musical flow. The tonal quality of her playing, the dynamics, the art of lighting and shading allow her a wide range of expression. (4 stars)
” —Remy Franck
“Everything on this disc has a feeling of being warm and sensitively interpreted, displaying Fialko’s considerable talents to very good effect in music that produces very considerable feelings of pleasurable enjoyment.
” —Mark J Estren
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