ALEXANDER MOSOLOV (1900-1973): Iron Fountry, Op. 19, The Arrival of the Tractor at the Kolkhoz, Piano Concerto No. 1, Op. 14, Legend for Cello and Piano, Op. 5 (Ringela Riemke [cello]), Piano Sonata No. 1, Op. 3, 4 Newspaper Announcements for Soprano and Piano, Op. 21 (Natalia Pshenichnikova [soprano]).

Description: Did you know that an archival Russian recording of this piano concerto came out 22 years ago on a German CD that had no U.S. distribution? Neither did I. So I was able to find out that the concerto dates from the same year as Iron Foundry (1927) and is to Iron Foundry kind of like what a complete film is to an initial “treatment”. So if you love the Foundry, put your seat belts on for the concerto - it’s going to be a great ride. And tractors at a collective farm? The notes are poor and no date is given for it but this four-minute scene appears to also be from the ballet “Steel” which gave us Iron Foundry - and sounds like it. The instrumental pieces have appeared before and all are from 1924 or 1928, so it’s a full hour’s worth of Mosolov, pre-Stalinist emasculation. English texts. Steffen Schleiermacher (piano), RSO Berlin; Johannes Kalitzke.