The works of the outstanding composer César Cui (1835–1918), whose name will forever be remembered in music history, are yet to be rediscovered and fully appreciated. Cui was a rare type, one of those universal prodigies who throughout his career combined seemingly irreconcilable talents as an artist and military academic. Cui’s life was shaped by an astonishingly unique outlook that was predisposed to an organic synthesis of various cultural traditions and styles. He was a member of The Five, the group of Russian composers led by Mily Balakirev dedicated to the production of a specifically Russian type of music. This album contains piano transcriptions of three of his finest works- his Suite No. 2 op. 38, his Miniatures op. 20, and his Miniatures op. 39. Performing these pieces are fine pianists Maria Ivanova and Alexander Zagarinskiy.
