A second Arbiter volume includes Beethoven sonatas, No. 4 (1961), No. 11 (1960) and
No. 30 (1953) (C CR-076). Volume 3 contains Bach transcriptions: Toccata, BWV912;
Chromatic Fantasia and Fugue, BWV903; Aria in the Italian style, BWV989; Fantasia
and Fugue, BWV904; the Bach/Feinberg Largo, BWV529; the Chorales BWV662,
BWV647, BWV663, BWV711 and the Prelude and Fugue, BWV548 (CR-088).
An edition from Arlecchino’s edition devotes Volume 2 to Scriabin, with Sonatas Nos. 2
and 4; four Mazurkas from Op. 25; four Pieces Op. 51; and the Piano Concerto with
Gauk and Moscow Radio Symphony Orchestra (ARL50). Volume 3 includes Schumann’s
Humoresque, Allegro, and Waldszenen Op. 82 (ARL125). Harmonia Mundi includes
Tchaikovsky’s Sonata, Chopin’s Three Mazurkas Op. 59, Tarantella Op. 43 and Liszt’s
Mephisto Waltz (HMC 5175). Feinberg’s performance of the Mazurkas Op. 3 Nos. 1–7
(1952) are in a commemorative Scriabin release on Chant du Monde (CDM 788032).
Melodiya’s “Russian Piano School” series has several stereo recordings made days before
Feinberg’s death on 22 October 1962 including the Bach/Feinberg Largo from Trio
Sonata No. 5, BWV529; Chorale Preludes BWV662, BWV647 and BWV663
(13/10/1962), the Chorale Preludes BWV711, BWV662 (2/6/1952); Mozart’s Sonata No.
4, K282 (1/10/1953); Sonata No. 17, K576 (26/7/1952); Prelude and Fugue, K394
(17/5/1951) and 12 Variations, K500 (17/5/1951) (BMG MELCD 74231 25175).
Feinberg’s Schumann is on Tri-M (DMCC-24032). Jimmy Classics issued an almost
identical collection of Bach transcriptions (DMCC-24031).
Melodiya have released a CD devoted to Scriabin mazurkas (MELCD1002912).
Feinberg’s 1939 recording of his Second Suite, together with a 1960 reading of
Beethoven’s Sonata No. 11 and his Second Piano Concerto with the USSR SSO under
Anosov, are on MEL CD 10 01005.
An intriguing release from the Moscow Conservatoire contains post-war recordings: five
preludes and fugues from Book II (October 1950); Bach/Feinberg Chorale BWV662
(22/9/1950); Chopin’s Ballade No. 4 (22/9/1950) and Nocturne, Op. 3 No.1; and
Alexandrov’s Waltz, Op. 3 No. 2 (8/9/1952). From his 70th birthday concert in June 1960
there are excerpts from Feinberg’s Piano Concerto No. 2 with the Moscow Philharmonic
under Silantyev (SMC CD 0026). The same source issued Feinberg’s Well-Tempered
Clavier and 1929 Bach recordings in newly enhanced transfers. They claim these are
from Feinberg’s “personal archive”, previously unreleased; they are, however, fresh
transfers of previous issues.
Feinberg recorded five of the Beethoven sonatas: No. 19, (78 Aprelevka 14118); No. 20
(DO2810); No. 30 (MONO 020); No. 4 (D 06321) (C10 16859-64); and No. 11,
(MONO020). “The Art of Feinberg” series issued by Melodiya in the 1970s launched a
six-volume collection: Volumes 1–3 are devoted to Bach and include Aria and Variations
in Italian Style, BWV 989; Chromatic Fantasia and Fugue, BWV 903; Bach/Feinberg
Largo from Organ Sonata, BWV529; Chorale Preludes BWV663 and 647; Prelude and
Fugue, BWV548; also Schumann’s Humoresque, 6 Pieces from Waldszenen, and Allegro
(C10 16859-64). Volume 4 includes Chopin’s Mazurkas Nos. 36, 37 and 38, and
Tarantella; Liszt’s Mephisto Waltz, and Tchaikovsky’s Sonata Op. 80 (D 2900), (C10
20431). Volume 5 is devoted to Scriabin’s Mazurkas Op. 3, Fantasia Op. 28, and Sonatas
Nos. 2 and 4 (C10 20433). Volume 6 includes Feinberg’s own compositions, with the
Second Piano Concerto (M10 45519).
Russian Disk’s commemorative issue for Scriabin’s 120th anniversary includes the
Second Sonata (R10 01071-4). One of the most neglected yet outstanding composers for
piano was Anatoly Alexandrov and almost all his piano works were premiered by
Feinberg; a Melodiya release devoted to Alexandrov contains the Nocturne Op. 3 No. 1,
and Waltz Op. 3 No. 2 (D 012201).
Interestingly, Melodiya issued in 1981 an LP of Feinberg piano pieces played by his
pupils; Yevgeniya Polina plays Sonata No. 5, Zinaida Ignatyeva plays Sonata No. 12,
Vladimir Bunin plays Sonata No. 11, and Viktor Bunin plays four preludes (C10-15223).
One CD of particular importance are two issues from Arbiter: “The first recordings 1929–
1948” has Feinberg’s Second Suite in recordings made in Germany in 1929 for Deutsche
Grammophon. Soviet recordings from 1939 includes selections from Bach’s 48: No. 15,
BWV 884; No. 19, BWV 888; No. 20, BWV 889; also Beethoven’s Appassionata;
“Vogel als Prophet” and “Jagdlied” from Schumann’s Waldszenen; and Liszt’s
Consolations Nos. 5 and 6. Later recordings from 1947 and 1948 are Chromatic Fantasia
and Fugue, BWV 903; Lyadov’s Idyll, Op. 25; and Scriabin’s Mazurka No. 7, Op. 25
(Arbiter 118).
The second issue from Arbiter, “In sound and thought: Moscow 1948–1962”, includes
Bach’s Fantasia and Fugue, BWV904 and Scriabin’s Sonata No. 5 (22/1/1948 live);
Rachmaninov’s Preludes Nos. 1, 3, 7 and 8 from Op.23 and Etude Tableau No. 9 from
Op. 39; Liszt Consolations Nos. 1 and 2; Chopin’s Ballade No. 4, Bach/Liszt Fantasia
and Fugue, BWV 542 and Sinfonia, BWV798; the Bach/Feinberg Prelude and Fugue,
BWV548 and Toccata BWV912 (Arbiter 146). Volume 2 includes Beethoven sonatas No.
4 (1961), No. 11 (1960) and No. 30 (1953) (CR-076). Volume 3 contains Bach
transcriptions: Toccata, BWV912; Chromatic Fantasia and Fugue, BWV903; Aria in the
Italian style, BWV989; and Fantasia and Fugue, BWV 904; Bach/Feinberg Largo
BWV529; the Chorales BWV662, BWV647, BWV663 and BWV 711; and Prelude and
Fugue, BWV 548 (CR-088). Arlecchino’s edition includes Scriabin’s Sonatas Nos. 2 and
4; four Mazurkas from Op. 25; four Pieces Op. 51; and the Piano Concerto with Gauk
and the Moscow Radio Symphony Orchestra (ARL50). Another Arlecchino release is of
Schumann’s Humoresque, Allegro, and Waldszenen Op. 82 (ARL125). Harmonia Mundi
includes Tchaikovsky’s Sonata, Chopin’s Three Mazurkas Op. 59 and Tarantella, Op. 43;
and Liszt’s Mephisto Waltz (HMC 5175). Feinberg’s performance of the Mazurkas Op. 3
Nos. 1–7 (1952) are in a commemorative Scriabin release on Chant du Monde (CDM
788032). A solitary CD in Melodiya’s “Russian Piano School” series devoted to Feinberg has
several stereo recordings made days before Feinberg’s death on 22 October 1962,
including the Bach/Feinberg Largo from the Trio Sonata No. 5, BWV529; and Chorale
Preludes, BWV662, BWV647 and BWV663 (13/10/1962); the Chorale Preludes,
BWV711, BWV662 (2/6/1952); Mozart’s Sonata No. 4, K282 (1/10/1953), Sonata No.
17, K576 (26/7/1952), Prelude and Fugue, K394 (17/5/1951), and 12 Variations, K500
(17/5/1951) (BMG MELCD 74231 25175). Melodiya has released a CD devoted to
Scriabin mazurkas (MELCD1002912). Feinberg’s 1939 recording of his Second Suite,
together with a 1960 reading of Beethoven’s Sonata No. 11, and he plays his Second
Piano Concerto with the USSR SSO under Anosov (MEL CD 10 01005).
An intriguing release from the Moscow Conservatoire contains post-war recordings; five
preludes and fugues from the Well-Tempered Clavier Book II (October 1950); Bach/
Feinberg Chorale BWV662 (22/9/1950); Chopin’s Ballade No. 4 (22/9/1950) and the
Nocturne, Op.3 No.1; and Alexandrov’s Waltz, Op. 3 No. 2 (8/9/1952). From his 70th
birthday concert in June 1960 there are excerpts from Feinberg’s Piano Concerto No. 2
with the Moscow Philharmonic under Silantyev (SMC CD 0026). The same source
issued Feinberg’s Well-Tempered Clavier and 1929 Bach recordings in newly enhanced
transfers. They claim these are from Feinberg’s “personal archive”, previously
unreleased; they are, however, just fresh transfers of previous issues.
Feinberg recorded little of his own compositions and one of his pupils, Viktor Bunin, has
made a noteworthy contribution with the Four Preludes, Sonata No. 6 and Concerto No. 3
with the Large SO of Moscow Radio under Nikolay Cherkassov (CR-075). Danacord
issued the Sonata No. 2 performed by Nina Tichman at the 2009 Schloss vor Husum
Festival (DACOCD699). The Concerto No. 1 (1931) was deemed lost until its
rediscovery by Christophe Sirodeau in 1998. Sirodeau is accompanied by Leif Segerstam
and the Helsinki Philharmonic, coupled with études, preludes, the second Fantasia, and
the Album for Children (AIR CD-9034).
Altarus also issued Feinberg’s settings from Pushkin, Lermontov and Rimbaud performed
by Rita Ahonen (mezzo) and Sami Luttinen (bass) accompanied by Sirodeau in premiere
performances (AIR CD-9038). All 12 sonatas by Sirodeau and Nikolaus Samaltanos are
on BIS CD-1413-14. Martin Roscoe plays Feinberg’s Bach transcriptions on Hyperion
(CDA67468). Feinberg’s Violin Sonata is recorded by Ilona Then-Bergh and Michael
Schäfer (Genuin GEN11203). Feinberg’s transcriptions of songs by Tchaikovsky are
performed by Petronel Malan (Hänssler 098.640.000). Arcadi Volodos includes
Feinberg’s transcriptions of the Scherzo from Tchaikovsky’s Pathétique, and the Largo
from BWV529 (COLSK62691). Lazar Berman plays the Tchaikovsky/Feinberg Scherzo
transcription (1952) in a collection by Brilliant (93006). A third recording of the
Tchaikovsky/Feinberg Scherzo, by Vladimir Leyetchkiss, is on Centaur (CRC2161).
Jenny Lin plays the four Preludes on Hänssler (HAEN98480). Yuri Favorin plays the
Sonata No. 5 on MELCD1001965; and particularly fascinating are Feinberg’s
arrangements of Frescobaldi’s Canzone and Capriccio pastorale by Sandro Ivo Bartoli on
Brilliant (9417).