Kabalevsky: Music for Children - Şahan Arzruni, piano

30 Pieces for Children, Op. 27

1 1. Waltz Time 00:28
2 2. Ditty 00:36
3 3. Etude 00:24
4 4. At Night on The River 00:26
5 5. Playing Ball 00:43
6 6. Sad Story 00:47
7 7. Old Dance 00:22
8 8. Cradle Song 00:47
9 9. Little Fable 00:19
10 10. Clowning 00:29
11 11. Rondo 00:47
12 12. Toccatina 00:31
13 13. A Little Prank 00:39
14 14. Scherzo 00:35
15 15. March 00:48
16 16. Lyric Piece 01:18
17 17. Meadow Dance 00:52
18 18. Sonatina 00:57
19 19. War Dance 00:42
20 20. Fairy Tale 01:16
21 21. The Chase 00:44
22 22. The Tale 01:50
23 23. Snow Storm 00:38
24 24. Etude 00:56
25 25. Novelette 02:34
26 26. Etude 01:11
27 27. Dance 00:39
28 28. Caprice 00:50
29 29. Song of the Cavalry 00:43
30 30. Dramatic Episode 02:35

24 Pieces for Children, Op. 39

31 1. Melody 00:12
32 2. Polka 00:07
33 3. Rambling 00:08
34 4. Cradle Song 00:10
35 5. Playing 00:13
36: 6. A Little Joke 00:13
37 7. Funny Event 00:22
38 8. Song 00:19
39 9. A Little Dance 00:10
40 10. March 00:14
41 11. Song of Autumn 00:24
42 12. Scherzo 00:12
43 13. Waltz 00:28
44 14. A Fable 00:11
45 15. Jumping 00:17
46 16. A Sad Story 00:24
47 17. Folk Dance 00:23
48 18. Galop 00:20
49 19. Prelude 00:33
50 20. Clowns 00:21
51 21. Improvisation 00:53
52 22. A Short Story 00:37
53 23. Slow Waltz 01:08
54 24. A Happy Outing 00:33

Contemporary Soviet composer Dmitri Kabalevsky is well-known outside of his native country, chiefly for his contribution to the piano repertoire of the young keyboard student. Born in Petersburg in 1904, Kabalevsky studied composition with Myaskowsky at the Moscow Conservatory. His works among others include operas, symphonies, incidental music, piano works and songs. In his output for the young, he has shown an extraordinary flair for meeting the problems of the beginner­student and has achieved this without his pieces sounding "easy" or pedantic. These works certainly rank with the very best of that tradition and are equal in inspiration to the works of Schumann or Bartok. Kabalevsky projects such freshness of color, vividness of intention and simplicity in deliverance making the tiny vignettes engage the interest of a youngster who can then identify himself with the music. Kabalevsky's harmonic language remains throughout rather conventional mostly based on triadic patterns assuming tonal functions not too different from the Nineteenth century language. His melodic structure is orthodox with a swift flowing line, studded at times with a swift flowing line, studded at times with unexpected turns giving spiciness and charm. His rhythms are solid, mostly uncomplicated, providing the basic pulse.