Rena Rzayeva, the golden fingers of Azerbaijan
Listening example (K. Karayev, first prelude; file size 58 Mb; please do not use with slow internet connection)
Contact address:
Rena Rzaeyeva, Bakihanov Street 7/5, BAKU AZ 1065, AZERBAIDJAN
Telephone 0099 412 4948849 email: Use rena with the name of this website
The CD-ROM's of the artist may be found here.
Graduated from Azerbaijan State Conservatory (nowadays - Baku Music Academy). Soloist of the Azerbaijan State Philharmony, Baku. Recitals and orchestral perfomances in Azerbaijan, Russia, USA, Austria, Germany, UK, Switzerland, Netherland, Egypt, Spain, Turkey, etc...
The pianist`s repertoire ranges from Bach to the latest works of outstanding complexity from Schumann'`s "Kreisleriana" , "Variations on the theme of Paganini" by Brahms to the famous "Petrouchka Suite" by Strawinsky.
Rena Rzayeva performed together with such honoured and well-known conductors as Niyazi, Rauf Abdullayev (both - Azerbaijan), Kreshimir Shipush (Norway), David Bukhin (Russia), Roland Freisitzer(Austria), violinist Hans-Heinz Schneeberger (Switzerland), pianist Daniel Grimwood (Great Britain). She took part in the following festivals: "Music of XX-th century" (Baku 1986, 1988, 1990), "Alternative?" (Moscow, 1988), "Gaudeamus" (Rotterdam, 1993), "Music in neuen Raeumen" (towns in Ruhr area, Germany, 1993), "Summer Seminar for New Music" (Vienna, 1991, 1992, 1995), "Zeitgenoessischer Herbst" (towns of Niederoesterreich, Austria, 1994), Festival EPRIM (Maastricht, Holland 1997), The Tudeley Festival (England 1996, 1998).
Various composers have dedicated their piano works to Rena (for example, Ulf-Diether Soyka, Roland Freisitzer, Helmut Neumann - Austria, James Clarke - Great Britain, Zaur Fakhradov, Rahilia Hassanova -Azerbaijan, etc.
Rena recorded five solo CDs - "Music in Verse" (1996) and "Kara Karayev...Through Time" (2000), which have been released by "Postern Park Digital", a British label , also "Robert Schumann-From West to East" (2006) and "Kara Karayev's Circle" (2006) by "Video Labs Corporation", USA, and finally "Piano Music by Kara Karayev (24 preludes, "Statue from Zarskoe Zelo", sonatina), recorded at the "Classical Arts" Studio in Vienna, Austria.
Her performance of "Seven Pieces" by Javanshir Kuliyev was selected by "Vienna Modern Masters" for CD released in "Distinguished Performers Series V" (1998).
The range of her interests is wide; it relates not only to music, but also to poetry. She has acquired a good command of English, Germany and Italian by herself. She speaks and writes verses in these languages.
The book of Rena Rzayeva "It is a Gust" about azerbaijan conductor Rauf Abdullayev, which has been released in 2003 is interesting not only for musicians, but also for wide circle of readers. It was published in two languages, Azery and Russian.
She likes to be the first performer of the pieces by both azerbaijanian and other composers, but she plays only pieces with which she has fallen in love.
Rena Rzayeva was the first in Azerbaijan to set up solo programmes, tried to the principle of creative continuity and a spiritual relationship: "Kara Karayev's Circle"(1993), "Robert Schumann-From West to East"(1993), "Music inVerse"(1996), "Music from Vienna"(1996), "Kara Karayev...Through Time"(1998), "Contrasts" (2002) etc...
The pianist is always on the listener's side, hence she outgrows her desire to create more programmes united by interesting and extraordinary conceptions.
"She is a fine pianist. As a soloist she plays absolutely everything, but I was overwhelmed, how organically she mingled with orchestra",- Niyazi ( conductor).
"Rena Rzayeva is an exceptional talented pianist, who made a great impression on everyone who heard her in Sion, whether by playing Schumann or some Azerbaijan music",-
Prof. Peter Feuchtwanger, vice-president EPTA (European Piano Teachers Association).
"Rena Rzayeva is an extraordinary pianist. She is certainly a wonderful ambassador of her country's music, culture and creative spirit",-
Prof. Avi Schoenfeld, director of EPRIM (European Institute of Pianistic Research)
Programme Proposals
"Robert Schumann - From West to East"
R. Schumann. 6 Intermezzi op. 4
R. Schumann. "Kreisleriana" op. 16
Zaur Fahradov. "Closed Space" - variations on Robert Schumann
Reminiscences
I.S. Bach-K.Tausig: Toccata and Fugue d-moll
M. Clementi: Sonate C dur op. 36 N 4
I. Hadjibeyov: Variations on the theme of Paganini
O. Messiaen: From "Vingt regards sur l'enfant Jesus"
Music from Vienna
Works by Mozart, Schubert, Strauss, Schoenberg, Berg, Webern, Hauer, Welles
Music in Verse
Works by composers of XX century:
O. Messiaen, G. Crumb, H. Holliger,
L. Berio, T. Loevendie etc.
"Kara Karayev's Circle"
Works by modern Azerbaijan composers:
K. Karayev, A. Melikov, F. Karayev, J. Kuliyev, R. Hassanova, A. Babayev, Z. Fahradov.
"Kara Karayev ... Through Time"
Works by K.Karayev, Shostakovich, Prokofiev, Stravinsky etc.
"Stranger"
Works by american and azerbaijan composers
"The East is a Subtle Thing"
Works by K. Shimanovsky, K. Karayev , I. Hadjibeyov.
Repertoire
| Johann Sebastian Bach | Das Wohltemperierte Klavier I - C, c, Cis, a, B II - cis, Es, gis |
| Josef Haydn | Sonate Es-dur (Krit Gesamtausgabe N 52 op. 82) Sonate C-dur (Krit Gesamtausgabe N 35 op. 30 N 1) Sonate C-dur (Krit Gesamtausgabe N 50 op. 79) |
| Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart | Sonate D-dur K 311 Sonate C-dur K 330 Fantasie d-moll K-397 Sonate A-dur K 331 |
| Muzio Clementi | Sonate C-dur op. 36 N 4 |
| Ludwig van Beethoven | Sonate N 17 d-moll op. 31 N 2 Sonate N 32 c-moll op. 111 |
| Franz Schubert | Impromptus |
| Robert Schumann | 6 Intermezzi op. 4 "Kreisleriana" op. 16 |
| Johannes Brahms | Intermezzi Rhapsodien Variations on the theme of Paganini op. 35 |
| Felix Mendelssohn | Rondo capriccioso op. 14 Songs without words |
Karl Maria von Weber Johann Strauss-Eduard Schutt |
Sonate N 1 C-dur op. 24 Concert-Paraphrase "Geschichten aus dem Wiener Wald" |
| Edvard Grieg | "Procession of Gnomes" |
| Camille Saint-Saens | "Dance de la Gipsy" |
| Maurice Ravel | "Tombeau de Couperin" |
| Claude Debussy | Etudes Preludes |
| Sergey Rachmaninov | Preludes "Polishinelle" |
| Samuel Barber | Sonate op. 26 |
| Igor Stravinsky | Trois Mouvements de "Petrouchka" |
| Sergey Prokofiev | Prelude op. 12 N 7 "Delusion" |
| Dmitriy Shostakovich | Preludes and Fugues |
| Arnold Schoenberg | 3 pieces op.11 Piece op.33a |
| Alban Berg | 12 Variations on an Original Theme |
| Anton Webern | Variations op.27 |
| Josef Matthias Hauer | "Nomos"op.2 Fantasie op.17 |
| Herbert Lauermann | "Verbum I" |
| Egon Welles | 4 Impressions |
| Helmut Neumann | *Sonate N3 op.90 |
| Thomas Heinisch | Cinq Apres-Ludes |
| Isaak Albeniz | Chants d'Espagne |
Rodion Shchedrin Edison Denisov |
"A la Albeniz" "Reflections" |
| George Gershwin | Preludes |
| Theo Loevendie | "Strides" "On The Train" |
| Louis Andriessen | "Registers" |
| George Crumb | "Processional" |
| Morton Feldman | "Triadic Memories" |
| Alberto Ginastera | 6 American Preludes |
| Frederic Rzewski | "Stop The War!" from "The Road", part VIII |
| Olivier Messiaen | "Neumes rythmiques" From "Catalogue d'oiseaux" "Vingt regards sur I`'enfant Jesus" |
| Heinz Holliger | "Elis" |
| Max E. Keller | "Achuappa/Nicaragua" |
| W. Bartschi, M Keller, M. Sigrist | "Three Lines" |
| Briyan Ferneyhough | "Lemma-Icon-Epigram" |
| James Dillon | "Spleen" |
| Georgy Ligeti | Etudes |
| Luciano Berio | "Wasserklavier" "Erdenklavier" "Leaf" |
| Iannis Xenakis | "Herma" |
| James Clarke | "Red Skies" Etude "Island" |
| Niyazi | Miracle |
| Kara Karayev | Preludes Sonatina "The Statue in Tsarskoe Selo" Fugues |
| Arif Melikov | "Fleetings" |
| Akshin Alizadeh | "Dastan" "Ancient Games" |
| Ismayil Hadjibeyov | "Variations on the theme of Paganini" |
| Faraj Karayev | Postlude Sonate N 2 "Monsieur Bee Line - eccentric" |
| Javanshir Kuliyev | 7 pieces with interludes in mugams for prepared piano Sonatina |
| Firangiz Alizadeh | Sonate Music for piano |
| Rahila Hassanova | * Sonate * Fantasie a la Meikhana |
| Arif Babayev | Sonate N 2 |
| Salman Kambarov | Varialudes |
| Zaur Fahradov | Prelude "Nirvana" * "Closed Space" - variations on Robert Schumann for a keyboards player (piano, prepared piano, cembalo) "Stranger" |
| Concerts for piano and orchestra | |
| J. S. Bach | Concert N 5 f-moll |
| W. A. Mozart | Concert N 21 C-dur K. 467 Concert N 24 c-moll K. 491 |
| L. v. Beethoven | Concert N 3 c-moll |
| J. Brahms | Concert N 2 B-dur |
| G. Gershvin | Rhapsody in Blue |
| S. Prokofiev | Concert N 1 Des-dur op. 10 Concert N 2 g-moll op. 16 Concert N 3 C-dur op. 26 |
| D. Shostakovich | Concert N 1 c-moll |
| Richard Strauss | Burleske d-moll op.AV85 |
| P. Hindemith | "The Four Temperaments" |
| U-D. Soyka | * Concert N 2 op. 5 N 5 |
| B.Britten | Concert op. 13 |
| H. Ebenhoeh | Concert op.69 |
| R. Freisitzer | * "RED II" |
| * - work specially dedicated to Rena Rzayeva | |