Stalin's Piano
SONYA LIFSCHITZ - piano/voice/theatre
ROBERT DAVIDSON - composer/video
★★★★ ½ “With Lifschitz at the piano, this is a recital for the modern day. She is virtuosic and precise, but Lifschitz is not simply a recitalist but a theatre actor, an orchestra and a soloist all at the same time”. – The Age
On March 5, 1953, Joseph Stalin died in his bed. Spinning on his record player was Mozart’s Piano Concerto No.23, performed by his pianist of choice, the formidable Maria Yudina.
An outspoken champion of new music and artistic freedom, Yudina was banned, suspended or exiled time after time. Yet, whilst so many of her fellow artists ‘disappeared’ or were purged by the KGB, Yudina outlasted Stalin and lived to tell her story.
Stalin’s Piano, conceived with and for the Ukranian-born and equally fearless virtuoso pianist Sonya Lifschitz, takes us into the heart of the ever-simmering conflict between state and individual, with contributions from people as diverse as Brecht, Goebbels, Ai Wei Wei, Sontag, Jackson Pollock, Whitlam and Yudina herself.
Weaving together virtuoso piano music, the recorded voices of iconic creative and political figures, video and Sonya’s speaking voice, this new composition is a devastating and captivating exploration of the big themes of modern history.
Winner of UNSW 2019 ‘Creative Work of the Year’ and finalist in the 2018 Australian Art Music Awards, Stalin’s Piano toured internationally at major festivals and venues, including the Barbican (London), De Doelen (Rotterdam), Bargemusic (New York); Adelaide, Brisbane, and Melbourne Festivals, Canberra International Music Festival, Four Winds, Ten Days on the Island, City Recital Hall and National Gallery of Australia.
★★★★ ½ “With Lifschitz at the piano, this is a recital for the modern day. She is virtuosic and precise, but Lifschitz is not simply a recitalist but a theatre actor, an orchestra and a soloist all at the same time”. – The Age
★★★★ ½ “A captivating interplay between piano and the voices of history.” – Limelight
“Lifschitz was a life force of extraordinary density and capacity.” – Gar Jones, words / music
“Davidson’s unfailingly expressive music and Lifschitz’s seemingly miraculous unanimity with the speech inflections…Stalin’s Piano invites speculation if you care to look deeper.” – The Adelaide Advertiser
LISTEN at Bandcamp Page HERE
★★★★ ½ “With Lifschitz at the piano, this is a recital for the modern day. She is virtuosic and precise, but Lifschitz is not simply a recitalist but a theatre actor, an orchestra and a soloist all at the same time”. – The Age
On March 5, 1953, Joseph Stalin died in his bed. Spinning on his record player was Mozart’s Piano Concerto No.23, performed by his pianist of choice, the formidable Maria Yudina.
An outspoken champion of new music and artistic freedom, Yudina was banned, suspended or exiled time after time. Yet, whilst so many of her fellow artists ‘disappeared’ or were purged by the KGB, Yudina outlasted Stalin and lived to tell her story.
Stalin’s Piano, conceived with and for the Ukranian-born and equally fearless virtuoso pianist Sonya Lifschitz, takes us into the heart of the ever-simmering conflict between state and individual, with contributions from people as diverse as Brecht, Goebbels, Ai Wei Wei, Sontag, Jackson Pollock, Whitlam and Yudina herself.
Weaving together virtuoso piano music, the recorded voices of iconic creative and political figures, video and Sonya’s speaking voice, this new composition is a devastating and captivating exploration of the big themes of modern history.
Winner of UNSW 2019 ‘Creative Work of the Year’ and finalist in the 2018 Australian Art Music Awards, Stalin’s Piano toured internationally at major festivals and venues, including the Barbican (London), De Doelen (Rotterdam), Bargemusic (New York); Adelaide, Brisbane, and Melbourne Festivals, Canberra International Music Festival, Four Winds, Ten Days on the Island, City Recital Hall and National Gallery of Australia.
★★★★ ½ “With Lifschitz at the piano, this is a recital for the modern day. She is virtuosic and precise, but Lifschitz is not simply a recitalist but a theatre actor, an orchestra and a soloist all at the same time”. – The Age
★★★★ ½ “A captivatingly interplay between piano and the voices of history.” – Limelight
“Lifschitz was a life force of extraordinary density and capacity.” – Gar Jones, words / music
“Davidson’s unfailingly expressive music and Lifschitz’s seemingly miraculous unanimity with the speech inflections…Stalin’s Piano invites speculation if you care to look deeper.” – The Adelaide Advertiser
