Christopher Williams - Semyon Alexeyevich Barmotin: 20 Preludes, Op.12, Tema con variazioni, Op. 1

SEMYON ALEXEYEVICH BARMOTIN (1877�1939) was a student of Balakirev and Rimsky-Korsakov, and his fate under the Soviet regime in the 1930s remains a mystery, but what survives of his music is impressive in both scale and content. These world premi�re recordings are filled with colour and contrast: the Tema con variazioni transforms its material into a multitude of moods to conclude in a symphonic march, while the 20 Preludes are striking in their sophisticated harmonies and heightened emotional impact.