Text from the sleeve of Nikolai Lugansky's first solo recording:
On May 7, 1986, at the New Hall of the Moscow Conservatoire there took place the first recital of pianist Nikolai Lugansky, a Central Music School pupil. Shortly before that the young musician marked his 14th birthday (he was born on April 26, 1972).
The large, complex programme of the concert, technically perfect, full of youthful exuberance and inspiration, demonstrated the pianist's mature sense of style and deep insight into each work performed. His success enabled him, in the opinion of many listeners, to occupy an important place among the already well-known young performers - E. Kissin, V. Repin and M. Vengerov.
Lugansky's teacher, Professor Tatiana Petrovna Nikolaeva, USSR People's Artist, thus spoke of her pupil: "My close friend, T.E. Kestner, RSFSR Merited Teacher, said once that she wanted me to hear a boy. The next day took place my first acquaintance with Kolya Lugansky. He was only 8 then. He impressed my greatly. I believe that teaching such gifted children is a great happiness. However, they must be very carefully protected.
"Kolya is richly endowed by nature, but what appeals to me most of all is his remarkable sense of responsibility and self-criticism which is a rare feature at his age. Kolya is an excellent pupil, popular among his peers, with wide-ranging interests who is developing into a harmonious, versatile personality. And it is these features that make a good musician (small detail - Kolya is an excellent chess player, and the Sovetskaya Kultura paper presented him with a ticket to the Karpov-Kasparov match for his brilliant solutions of chess tasks).
"Until January 1985 Kolya studied with T.E. Kestner and after her death became my pupil. He appears much and willingly. His appearance with me, pianist Eliso Virsaladze and the Lithuanian Chamber Orchestra under Saulius Sondeckis became an important milestone of his artistic career. At the Grand Hall of the Moscow Conservatoire we appeared with the programme of Mozart's music, in which Kolya played the third piano in the Triple Concerto. Though small, this part is difficult to play well. Kolya performed it perfectly.
This disc features the programme of N. Lugansky's recital on May 7, 1986.
Disc One: Melodia, C10 25787 002
J.S. Bach. English Suite n.3 g-moll BWV808
D. Shostakovich. Prelude and Fugue a-moll op.87 n.2
A. Scriabin. Etudes op.8 nn.2,4,7,11,12
S. Rachmaninov. 2 Etudes-tableaux (a-moll op.39 n.2, es-moll op.33 n.3)
Disc Two: Melodia, C10 25789 009
L. van Beethoven. Sonata n.7 D-dur op.10 n.3
R. Schumann. ABEGG Variations op.1
R. Schumann. Intermezzo op.26 n.4
F. Chopin. 3 Mazurkas op.50
