Virtuoso Voices™ -  Olli Mustonen (Degree of Difficulty)  0:26
January 2010 CD 


[Use this clip to enhance your introduction of pianist Olli Mustonen playing the Rachmaninoff Piano Sonata No. 1. (Ondine 1082)]


SUGGESTED HOST INTRO

Olli Mustonen (Moose-toe-nen) is one of the few pianists who plays Rachmaninoff’s massive Piano Sonata No. 1.  It’s typical Rachmaninoff:  technically challenging, and composed on a grand scale.


CLIP TRANSCRIPT

“It is as difficult as anything could get, but it is not more difficult than necessary; it’s all written in such a wonderful way, and I think it’s one of his most important works in general.  It is certainly, I think, also one of the most important sonatas for piano from the 20th century and it’s like a symphony for piano and I think it’s fascinating and it is just a great, great masterpiece.”


SUGGESTED HOST OUTRO

Rachmaninoff brings out the orchestral side of the piano in his Piano Sonata No. 1, according to pianist Olli Mustonen (Moose-toe-nen).  (Rachmaninoff originally based the work on themes from the Faust legend, but he abandoned that idea.)  It was written in 1908 in Dresden, but it’s a very Russian sounding work.  Olli Mustonen plays the Piano Sonata No. 1 by Rachmaninoff.



For more information, visit our website at www.virtuosovoices.org.