Pianist Serg van Gennip may be only 22 years old but he has a surprisingly mature sound. His playing is full of warmth and forethought that you would expect from a much older pianist. The fact that he is a distant relative of Felix Mendelssohn probably doesn’t hurt. To my delight, he is also web savvy enough to offer a very generous amount of MP3 on his web site. You will find excellent renditions of compositions by Bach, Beethoven, Chopin, and many others. I was able to discover seven works that fits the Free Albums Galore requirement that the piece be over 15 minutes in length in order to be featured.

Modest Mussorgsky’s Pictures of an Exhibition is my favorite of the six. It is a suite of ten pieces depicting paintings by Viktor Hartmann from an exhibition in St. Petersburg. Most people are more familar with the work from the orchestral transcription by Ravel. However, I think the original work carries a stronger air of majesty and mystery.

Gennip performs fine interpretations of three piano sonatas by Beethoven. The Passionata Sonata (Op.57 No.23) is one of the most popular of the composer’s piano pieces. It was known to be Bethoven’s favorite of his many sonatas. The Piano Sonata in F Minor Op. 2 no. 1 was his first sonata. This is a composition firmly set in the Classical era with only a hint of the romanticism to come. The Sonata no. 17 in D minor op. 31 no. 2 is more popularly know as the “Tempest”. The nickname comes from the rumor that it was inspired by the Shakespearean play although this is widely disputed. Nonetheless, it is a brooding and sometimes turbulent work.

Franz Schubert’s Wanderer Fantasie D. 760 in C is a technical demanding work but it is so lyrical and natural the average listener may fail to detect its difficulties. It is in four continual movements loosely based on theme and variations. Put this one down as my second favorite performance on Serg’s web site.

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart is represented by two superb pieces. The Sonata in F KV280 was the composer’s second piano sonata. It is a relatively light and breezy affair even from Mozart. The Piano Concerto no. 17 in G major is performed with the La Primavera Chamber Orchestra. Its first movement is especially full of energy and a joy to hear.

The works are available in 160kbps MP3s. If you enjoy his music, you can support the artist by purchasing his CDs from his web page (no longer available)

No longer available