Rena Rzayeva, the golden fingers
of Azerbaijan
Listening example (K. Karayev, "The Statue in Tsarskoe Selo")
Contact with Rena Rzayeva
Telephone 00994 51 8277254
email (1) renapianist@yahoo.com
email (2) rena.rzayeva@gmail.com
The CD-ROM's of the artist may be found here.
Rena Rzayeva, renowned artist
of Azerbaijan, laureate of many international competitions and
festivals, like World International Piano competition in USA,
Santa Fe 2007, Festival EPRIM, Holland, 1997, Festival Tibor
Varga, Switzerland, 1994, Festival in Salzburg, 2007 etc...
Her performance of "Seven Pieces" by Javanshir Guliyev was
selected by "Vienna Modern Masters"for CD released in
"Distinguished Performers Series V"(1998).
Graduated from Azerbaijan State Conservatory (nowadays - Baku
Music Academy). Soloist of the Azerbaijan State Philharmony,
Baku(1984-2012). Today she lives in France, close to Geneva
city.
Recitals and orchestral perfomances in Azerbaijan, Russia,
USA, Austria, Germany, Italy, France, UK, Switzerland,
Netherlands, Egypt, Spain, Turkey, etc...
The pianist`s repertoire
ranges from Bach to the latest works of outstanding complexity
of contemporary composers, from Schumann'`s "Kreisleriana" ,
"Variations on the theme of Paganini" by Brahms to the famous
"Petrouchka Suite" by Strawinsky, from piano concertos by
Mozart to concertos by Prokofiev and B.Britten, L.Bernstein
and P.Hindemith.
Rena Rzayeva performed
together with such honoured and well-known conductors as
Niyazi, Rauf Abdullayev (both - Azerbaijan), Kreshimir Shipush
(Norway), David Bukhin (Russia), Roland Freisitzer (Austria),
violinist Hans-Heinz Schneeberger (Switzerland), pianist
Daniel Grimwood (Great Britain). She took part in the
following festivals: "Music of XX-th century" (Baku 1986,
1988, 1990), "Alternative?" (Moscow, 1988), "Gaudeamus"
(Rotterdam, 1993), "Music in neuen Räumen" (towns in Ruhr
area, Germany, 1993), "Summer Seminar for New Music" (Vienna,
1991, 1992, 1995), "Zeitgenössischer Herbst" (towns of
Niederösterreich, Austria, 1994), Festival EPRIM (Maastricht,
Holland 1997), The Tudeley Festival (England 1996, 1998),
etc...
Various composers have dedicated their piano works to Rena (for example, Ulf-Diether Soyka, Roland Freisitzer, Helmut Neumann - Austria, James Clarke - Great Britain, Zaur Fakhradov, Rahilia Hassanova -Azerbaijan, etc.
Rena
recorded seven solo CDs - "Music in Verse" (1996) and "Kara
Karayev...Through Time" (2000), which have been released by
"Postern Park Digital", a British label , also "Robert
Schumann-From West to East" (2006) and "Kara Karayev's Circle"
(2006) by "Video Labs Corporation", USA, "Piano Music by Kara
Karayev (24 preludes, "Statue from Zarskoe Zelo", sonatina),
recorded at the "Classical Arts" Studio in Vienna, Austria in
2007. In 2015 she recorded 2 CDs in album "Metamodern
Geometry: Classical and New Piano Music Juxtaposed"in
Macedonia, Skopje.
The range of her interests is wide;
it relates not only to music, but also to poetry. She has
acquired a good command of English, German and Italian by
herself. She speaks and writes verses in these languages. She
also draws pictures, which are very interesting of combination
of colours and ideas. Some of her concerts are accompanied by
an exhibition of her paintings.
The book of Rena Rzayeva "It
is a Gust" about azerbaijan conductor Rauf Abdullayev, which
has been released in 2003 is interesting not only for
musicians, but also for wide circle of readers. It was
published in two languages, Azery and Russian.
The book of her poems in different languages has been
realeased in 2012 accompanied with her own paintings.
She likes to be the first performer of the pieces by both azerbaijanian and other composers, but she plays only pieces with which she has fallen in love.
Rena Rzayeva was the first in Azerbaijan to set up solo programmes, tried to the principle of creative continuity and a spiritual relationship: "Kara Karayev's Circle"(1993), "Robert Schumann-From West to East"(1993), "Music inVerse"(1996), "Music from Vienna"(1996), "Kara Karayev...Through Time"(1998), "Contrasts" (2002) etc...
The pianist is always on the listener's side, hence she outgrows her desire to create more programmes united by interesting and extraordinary conceptions.
"She is a fine pianist. As a soloist she plays absolutely everything, but I was overwhelmed, how organically she mingled with orchestra",- Niyazi ( conductor).
"Rena Rzayeva is an exceptional talented pianist, who made a great impression on everyone who heard her in Sion, whether by playing Schumann or some Azerbaijan music",-
Prof. Peter Feuchtwanger, vice-president EPTA (European Piano Teachers Association).
"Rena Rzayeva is an extraordinary pianist. She is certainly a wonderful ambassador of her country's music, culture and creative spirit",-
Prof. Avi Schoenfeld, director of EPRIM (European Institute of Pianistic Research)
Programme Proposals
"Robert Schumann - From West to East"
R. Schumann. 6 Intermezzi op. 4
R. Schumann. "Kreisleriana" op. 16
Zaur Fahradov. "Closed Space" - variations on Robert Schumann
Reminiscences
J.-S. Bach-K.Tausig: Toccata and Fugue d-moll
M. Clementi: Sonate C dur op. 36 N 4
I. Hadjibeyov: Variations on the theme of Paganini
O. Messiaen: From "Vingt regards sur l'enfant Jesus"
Music from Vienna
Works by Mozart, Schubert, Strauss, Schoenberg, Berg, Webern, Hauer, Welles
Music in Verse
Works by composers of XX century:
O. Messiaen, G. Crumb, H. Holliger,
L. Berio, T. Loevendie etc.
"Kara Karayev's Circle"
Works by modern Azerbaijan composers:
K. Karayev, A. Melikov, F. Karayev, J. Kuliyev, R. Hassanova, A. Babayev, Z. Fahradov.
"Kara Karayev ... Through Time"
Works by K.Karayev, Shostakovich, Prokofiev, Stravinsky etc.
"Stranger"
Works by american and azerbaijan composers
"The East is a Subtle Thing"
Works by K. Shimanovsky, K. Karayev , I. Hadjibeyov.
Repertoire
| Johann Sebastian Bach |
Das Wohltemperierte Klavier I - C, c, Cis, a, B II - cis, Es, gis |
| Johann Sebastian Bach- F. Busoni |
10 Organ Choral Preludes |
| Josef Haydn |
Sonate Es-dur (Krit Gesamtausgabe N 52 op. 82) Sonate C-dur (Krit Gesamtausgabe N 35 op. 30 N 1) Sonate C-dur (Krit Gesamtausgabe N 50 op. 79) |
| Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart |
Sonate D-dur K 311 Sonate C-dur K 330 Fantasie d-moll K-397 Sonate A-dur K-331 Varations on "Lison dormait" K-264 |
| Muzio Clementi | Sonate C-dur op. 36 N 4 |
| Ludwig van Beethoven |
Sonate N 17 d-moll op. 31 N 2 Sonate N 32 c-moll op. 111 |
| Franz Schubert | Impromptus |
| Robert Schumann |
6 Intermezzi op. 4 "Kreisleriana" op. 16 |
| Johannes Brahms |
Intermezzi Rhapsodien Variations on the theme of Paganini op. 35 Sonata N. 2 fis-moll op.2 |
| Felix Mendelssohn |
Rondo capriccioso op. 14 Songs without words |
|
Karl Maria von Weber Johann Strauss-Eduard Schutt |
Sonate N 1 C-dur op. 24 Concert-Paraphrase "Geschichten aus dem Wiener Wald" |
| Edvard Grieg | "Procession of Gnomes" |
| Camille Saint-Saëns | "Dance de la Gipsy" |
| Maurice Ravel | "Tombeau de Couperin" |
| Claude Debussy |
Etudes Preludes |
| Sergey Rachmaninov |
Preludes "Polishinelle" |
| Samuel Barber | Sonate op. 26 |
| Igor Stravinsky | Trois Mouvements de "Petrouchka" |
| Sergey Prokofiev |
Prelude op. 12 N 7 "Delusion" |
| Dmitriy Shostakovich | Preludes and Fugues |
| Arnold Schoenberg |
3 pieces op.11 Piece op.33a |
| Alban Berg | 12 Variations on an Original Theme |
| Anton Webern | Variations op.27 |
| Josef Matthias Hauer |
"Nomos"op.2 Fantasie op.17 |
| Herbert Lauermann | "Verbum I" |
| Egon Wellesz | 4 Impressions |
| Helmut Neumann | *Sonate N3 op.90 |
| Thomas Heinisch | Cinq Apres-Ludes |
| Ulf-Diether Soyka |
Septimen-Toccata
op.9/6 |
| Roland Freisitzer |
* "Nocturne IV"
a la recherche d'une melodie oubliee |
| Isaak Albeniz | Chants d'Espagne |
|
Rodion Shchedrin Edison Denisov |
"A la Albeniz" "Reflections" |
| George Gershwin | Preludes |
| Theo Loevendie |
"Strides" "On The Train" |
| Louis Andriessen | "Registers" |
| George Crumb | "Processional" |
| Morton Feldman | "Triadic Memories" |
| Alberto Ginastera | 6 American Preludes |
| Frederic Rzewski | "Stop The War!" from "The Road", part VIII |
| Olivier Messiaen |
"Neumes rythmiques" From "Catalogue d'oiseaux" "Vingt regards sur I`'enfant Jesus" |
| Heinz Holliger | "Elis" |
| Max E. Keller | "Achuappa/Nicaragua" |
| W. Bartschi, M Keller, M. Sigrist | "Three Lines" |
| Briyan Ferneyhough | "Lemma-Icon-Epigram" |
| James Dillon | "Spleen" |
| Peter Feuchtwanger | "Tariga" - instrumental prelude on Arabic music |
| Georgy Ligeti | Etudes |
| Luciano Berio |
"Wasserklavier" "Erdenklavier" "Leaf" |
| Iannis Xenakis | "Herma" |
| James Clarke |
"Red Skies" Etude "Island" |
| Niyazi | Miracle |
| Kara Karayev |
Preludes Sonatina "The Statue in Tsarskoe Selo" Fugues |
| Arif Melikov | "Fleetings" |
| Akshin Alizadeh |
"Dastan" "Ancient Games" |
| Ismayil Hadjibeyov | "Variations on the theme of Paganini" |
| Faraj Karayev |
Postlude Sonate N 2 "Monsieur Bee Line - eccentric" |
| Javanshir Kuliyev |
7 pieces with interludes in mugams for prepared piano Sonatina |
| Firangiz Alizadeh |
Sonate Music for piano |
| Rahila Hassanova |
* Sonate * Fantasie a la Meikhana |
| Arif Babayev | Sonate N 2 |
| Salman Kambarov | Varialudes |
| Zaur Fahradov |
Prelude "Nirvana" * "Closed Space" - variations on Robert Schumann for a keyboards player (piano, prepared piano, cembalo) "Stranger" |
| Concerts for piano and orchestra | |
| J. S. Bach | Concert N 5 f-moll |
| L. Bernstein | Symphony N 2 "The Age of Anxiety" |
| W. A. Mozart |
Concert N 21 C-dur KV. 467 Concert N 24 c-moll KV. 491 |
| L. v. Beethoven | Concert N 3 c-moll |
| J. Brahms | Concert N 2 B-dur |
| G. Gershvin | Rhapsody in Blue |
| S. Prokofiev |
Concert N 1 Des-dur op. 10 Concert N 2 g-moll op. 16 Concert N 3 C-dur op. 26 |
| D. Shostakovich | Concert N 1 c-moll |
| Richard Strauss | Burleske d-moll op.AV85 |
| P. Hindemith | "The Four Temperaments" |
| U-D. Soyka | * Concert N 2 op. 5 N 5 |
| B. Britten | Concert op. 13 |
| H. Ebenhoeh | Concert op.69 |
| R. Freisitzer | * "RED II" |
| * - work specially dedicated to Rena Rzayeva | |