Forgotten Russian Piano Music: The Sonatas of Anatoly Aleksandrov

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‘Forgotten Russian Piano Music’ is a historical and analytical study that focuses on the piano sonatas of Anatoly Aleksandrov (1888-1982), the longest-living Russian and Soviet composer-pianist of the twentieth century. The fourteen piano sonatas, written between 1922 and 1971, reflect not only the composer’s evolution of style, but also reveal the vast array of influences which characterize the music of the twentieth century. Strong melodic lyricism that threads these epic compositions, rich writing for piano, combined with modern chromaticism and hints of Russian folklore all contribute to the composer’s original style, which synthesizes Aleksandrov’s four main figures of influence, namely Rachmaninov, Scriabin, Medtner, and Feinberg. Additionally, the study explores the measure of Aleksandrov’s professional success as he was working contemporaneously with such highly established composers as Prokofiev and Shostakovich.