For those not in the know, Anatol Ugorski is a classical pianist of Russian origin who lives in Germany.

Anatol Ugorski, born in a poor background, is the eldest of five children. As early as 1945, his parents moved to Leningrad. He was at first in a school where he sang and played the xylophone. From his six years, he succeeded the selection at the entrance to the school of music of Saint Petersburg Conservatory where he studied until 1960.

He was subsequently admitted to the Conservatory of Leningrad in the piano class of Najda Gouloubovskaia with whom he worked until 1965. He was a student and attracted attention through the interpretation of avant-garde pieces: abandoning the repertoire traditionally devoted to Russian pianists, he played in the USSR some of the works of controversial Western composers such as Arnold Schönberg (Pierrot Lunaire), Alban Berg, Olivier Messiaen and Pierre Boulez, assisted by his wife, musicologist Maja Elik.

In 1968, he won the third prize of the George Enescu International Piano Competition. During a tour of concerts in Leningrad by Pierre Boulez in autumn 1968, in a period of relative cultural openness (shortly after the Prague Spring, and the invasion of the Warsaw Pact troops), the enthusiastic applause of Ugorski were interpreted as a political manifestation - he worked with the conductor thirty years later.

He was summoned by the Rectorate and considered with suspicion as politically unreliable, because of his passion for Western contemporary music and his origins. His career was stopped for more than ten years. He was confined to an accompanying post of the Young Pioneers choir, which could only performed in the Soviet bloc and for remote provincial schoolchildren, or private concerts, but always with full attendance.

Irene Dische comments: "In this perfect artistic freedom, he played only for himself." His solo concerts became very popular. Ugorski confided that his best Scarlatti concert he performed for children in the industrial city of Asbest.

It was only in 1982, under the pressure of his artistic reputation, that he obtained a post of professor at the Leningrad Conservatory.

Until then, there was no question of emigrating, but in the spring of 1990, Dina Ugorskaja (de) (born 1973), then in her sixteenth year - and also a pianist and pupil of the Conservatory - suffered antisemitic harassment and felt threatened.

The Ugorski escaped without preparation, nor papers for East Berlin. The family lived in a refugee camp for several months. He recorded his first album in 1991 with the Diabelli Variations for Deutsche Grammophon, with which he signed an exclusive contract.

His international career was launched in 1992, he was fifty years old and soon to be naturalized. His first spectacular concerts took place in the Milan Conservatory and the Vienna Festival.

He performed as soloist or with orchestras such as the WDR Symphony Orchestra Cologne, the Czech Philharmonic, the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, the Orchestre de Paris and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, and regularly participates in the most important festivals in the world.

Until 2007, Ugorski was a piano teacher at the Hochschule für Musik Detmold, where he lived. He was also a member of the jury of the ARD International Music Competition in Munich.

Simply put, Anatol Ugorski is one of the very few pianists who experienced a meteoric rise in fame who also kept up and even refined his deep pianistic beliefs.

Deeply rooted in the often-cited “Russian tradition” he is also a highly individualistic virtuoso personality. His distinctive commitment to 20th century composers like Messiaen and Boulez is characterized in an anecdote from 1967 when he attended one of the few guest concerts of Pierre Boulez in the Soviet Union.

Ugorski was so enthusiastic in public about the Boulez program featuring Schoenberg, Berg and Webern that he experienced reprimands and threats from the official censorship authorities afterwards.

As aforementioned, technical perfection, musical intelligence and courage are the hallmarks of Anatol Ugorski’s personality. Since his meteoric rise to fame in the 90’s, Ugorski’s interpretations, informed by his personal beliefs have stimulated discussion around the performer’s relationship with the score.

Just released this past July 20th, 2018, his complete recordings on Deutsche Grammophon are presented together for the first time; including the first international release of his Scriabin Sonatas 2, 3, 5 & 9 as well as rare Chopin recordings.

Ugorski’s interpretations are informed by his personal beliefs. An intrinsic aspect of his artistic personality is that he challenges audiences and critics to discourse; for example, his reading of the Arietta from Beethoven’s op. 111 stimulated scholarly discussion over his intense Larghissimo taking more time for the movement than almost all other interpreters.

Some considered his tempo to be a wholehearted intellectual testing of the musical material, others were outraged by the freedom he took with his interpretation. Unaffected by such debates, Ugorski holds to the musico-philosophical mantra that there is no supreme interpretative rule or ‘definitive’ interpretation, only the “truth of the moment.”

CD 1: Beethoven: 33 Piano Variations In C Major, Op.120 On A Waltz By Anton Diabelli
Ludwig van Beethoven (1770 - 1827)
33 Piano Variations In C Major, Op.120 On A Waltz By Anton Diabell
1. Tema (Vivace) (0:55)
2. Variation 1 (Alla marcia maestoso) (2:47)
3. Variation 2 (Poco allegro) (0:53)
4. Variation 3 (L'istesso tempo) (1:36)
5. Variation 4 (Un poco più vivace) (1:09)
6. Variation 5 (Allegro vivace) (0:53)
7. Variation 6 (Allegro ma non troppo e serioso) (1:51)
8. Variation 7 (Un poco più allegro) (1:11)
9. Variation 8 (Poco vivace) (1:33)
10. Variation 9 (Allegro pesante e risoluto) (1:45)
11. Variation 10 (Presto) (0:37)
12. Variation 11 (Allegretto) (1:17)
13. Variation 12 (Un poco più moto) (1:12)
14. Variation 13 (Vivace) (1:15)
15. Variation 14 (Grave e maestoso) (5:07)
16. Variation 15 (Presto scherzando) (0:32)
17. Variation 16 (Allegro) (0:55)
18. Variation 17 (0:55)
19. Variation 18 (Poco moderato) (2:30)
20. Variation 19 (Presto) (0:49)
21. Variation 20 (Andante) (3:01)
22. Variation 21 (Allegro con brio - Meno allegro - Tempo I) (1:45)
23. Variation 22 (Allegro molto): Alla "Notte e giorno faticar" di Mozart (0:49)
24. Variation 23 (Allegro assai) (0:50)
25. Variation 24 Fughetta (Andante) (3:29)
26. Variation 25 (Allegro) (0:40)
27. Variation 26 (1:36)
28. Variation 27 (Vivace) (0:54)
29. Variation 28 (Allegro) (0:58)
30. Variation 29 (Adagio ma non troppo) (1:49)
31. Variation 30 (Andante, sempre cantabile) (1:41)
32. Variation 31 (Largo, molto espressivo) (6:02)
33. Variation 32 Fuga (Allegro - Poco adagio) (3:04)
34. Variation 33 (Tempo di minuetto moderato, ma non tirarsi dietro) (5:06)
Anatol Ugorski

Total Playing Time - 1:01:26

CD 2: Mussorgsky: Pictures At An Exhibition / Stravinsky: Petrouchka - Three Movements For Piano - 1921 Version
Modest Petrovich Mussorgsky (1839 - 1881)
Pictures at an Exhibition
for Piano
1. Promenade. Allegro giusto, nel modo rustico, senza allegrezza, ma poco sostenuto - attacca (1:41)
2. Gnomus.Sempre vivo (2:53)
3. Promenade.Moderato commodo assai e con delicatezza - attacca (1:02)
4. The Old Castle.Andantino molto cantabile e con dolore (5:21)
5. Promenade.Moderato non tanto, pesamente - attacca (0:32)
6. The Tuileries Gardens.Allegretto non troppo troppo, capriccioso (0:58)
7. Bydlo.Sempre moderato, pesante (2:23)
8. Promenade.Tranquillo - attacca (1:04)
9. Ballet of the Chickens in Their Shells (1:10)
10. Samuel Goldenberg and Schmuyle.Andante.Grave-energico - Andantino (2:19)
11. Promenade.Allegro giusto, nel modo russico, poco sostenuto - attacca (1:36)
12. The Market-place at Limoges.Allegretto vivo, sempre scherzando - attacca (1:21)
13. The Catacombs (Sepulchrum romanum).Largo - attacca (1:48)
14. Con mortuis in lingua mortua.Andante non troppo, con lamento (2:00)
15. The Hut on Fowl's Legs (Baba-Yaga).Allegro con brio, feroce - Andante mosso - Allegro molto - attacca (3:47)
16. The Great Gate of Kiev.Allegro alla breve.Maestoso.Con grandezza (6:22)

Igor Stravinsky (1882 - 1971)
Petrouchka
Three Movements For Piano - 1921 Version
Scene 1
17. Russian Dance (2:40)
Scene 2
18. Petrouchka's Room (5:17)
Scene 4
19. The Shrovetide Fair (9:28)
Anatol Ugorski

Total Playing Time - 53:42

CD 3: Beethoven: Piano Sonata No.32, Op.111; Bagatelles
Ludwig van Beethoven (1770 - 1827)
Piano Sonata No. 32 in C Minor, Op. 111
1. 1. Maestoso - Allegro con brio ed appassionato (11:12)
2. 2. Arietta (Adagio molto semplice e cantabile) (26:54)

6 Bagatelles, Op.126
3. 1. Andante con moto (3:57)
4. 2. Allegro (1:51)
5. 3. Andante (4:03)
6. 4. Presto (4:18)
7. 5. Quasi Allegretto (2:55)
8. 6. Presto - Andante amabile e con moto (5:21)

Bagatelle In A Minor, WoO 59 -"Für Elise"
9. Poco moto (3:58)
10. Rondo a Capriccio In G Major, Op.129 "Die Wut über den verlornen Groschen" (5:32)

Anatol Ugorski

Total Playing Time - 1:10:01

CD 4: Schumann: Davidsbündlertänze, Op.6 / Schubert: Wanderer-Fantasie
Robert Schumann (1810 - 1856)
Davidsbündlertänze, Op.6
1. 1. Lebhaft (1:29)
2. 2. Innig (2:02)
3. 3. Mit Humor (1:23)
4. 4. Ungeduldig (0:48)
5. 5. Einfach (2:55)
6. 6. Sehr rasch (1:43)
7. 7. Nicht schnell (4:57)
8. 8. Frisch (0:53)
9. 9. Lebhaft (1:34)
10. 10. Balladenmässig, sehr rasch (1:42)
11. 11. Einfach (2:32)
12. 12. Mit Humor (0:41)
13. 13. Wild und lustig (3:25)
14. 14. Zart und singend (2:25)
15. 15. Frisch (1:51)
16. 16. Mit gutem Humor (1:50)
17. 17. Wie aus der Ferne (4:52)
18. 18. Nicht schnell (2:56)
Franz Schubert (1797 - 1828)

Fantasia For Piano In C Major, Op.15, D. 760
19. 1. Allegro con fuoco, ma non troppo (7:01)
20. 2. Adagio (8:58)
21. 3. Presto (4:46)
22. 4. Allegro (4:09)
Anatol Ugorski

Total Playing Time - 1:04:52

CD 5: Messiaen: Catalogue d'oiseaux
Olivier Messiaen (1908 - 1992)
Catalogue d'oiseaux
Book 1
1. 1. Le Chocard des Alpes (8:41)
2. 2. Le Loriot (8:34)
3. 3. Le Merle bleu (13:44)
Book 2
4. 4. Le Traquet stapazin (15:03)
Book 3
5. 5. La chouette hulotte (7:40)
6. 6. L'Alouette Lulu (8:05)
Anatol Ugorski

Total Playing Time - 1:01:47

CD 6: Messiaen: Catalogue d'oiseaux
Olivier Messiaen (1908 - 1992)
Catalogue d'oiseaux
Book 4
1. 7. La Rousserolle effarvatte (29:13)
Book 5
2. 8. L'Alouette calandrelle (4:25)
3. 9. La Bouscarle (11:45)
Book 6
4. 10. Le Merle de roche (17:00)
Anatol Ugorski

Total Playing Time - 1:02:23

CD 7: Messiaen: Catalogue d'oiseaux; La Fauvette des jardins
Olivier Messiaen (1908 - 1992)
Catalogue d'oiseaux
Book 7
1. 11. La Buse variable (10:04)
2. 12. Le Traquet rieur (7:37)
3. 13. Le Courlis cendré (10:25)
4. La Fauvette des jardins (27:42)
Anatol Ugorski

Total Playing Time - 55:48

CD 8: Short Stories: Busoni, Liszt, Debussy etc.
Ferruccio Busoni (1866 - 1924)
An die Jugend, Kind. 254
1. 3. Giga, Bolero e Variazione. Studie nach Mozart (3:46)
Franz Liszt (1811 - 1886)

O lieb, so lang du lieben kannst, S.298
2. Liebestraum No. 3 (5:04)
Claude Debussy (1862 - 1918)

Suite bergamasque, L. 75
3. 3. Clair de lune (5:55)
Felix Mendelssohn (1809 - 1847)

3 Fantasies or caprices, Op.16
4. No. 2 Scherzo in E Minor, MWV U71 (2:22)
Robert Schumann (1810 - 1856)

Kinderszenen, Op. 15
5. 7. Träumerei (3:31)
Frédéric Chopin (1810 - 1849)

Impromptu No.4 In C Sharp Minor, Op.66 "Fantaisie-Impromptu"
6. Allegro agitato (5:33)
Alexander Scriabin (1872 - 1915)

2 Poèmes, Op. 32
7. 1. Poème in F sharp (3:36)
8. 2. Poème in D (1:48)
Sergey Vasil'yevich Rachmaninov (1873 - 1943)

5 Morceaux de Fantaisie, Op. 3
9. No. 2 Prelude In C-Sharp Minor (5:01)
Alexander Scriabin (1872 - 1915)

Prelude In C Sharp Minor, Op.9, No.1 For The Left Hand
10. 1. Prélude: Andante (4:12)

Nocturne In D Flat, Op.9, No.2 For The Left Hand
11. 2. Nocturne: Andante (6:54)
Carl Maria von Weber (1786 - 1826)

Aufforderung zum Tanze, Op.65, J.260
12. Moderato - Allegro vivace (10:07)

Piano Sonata No.1 in C Major, Op.24, J.138
13. 4. Rondo (presto). "Perpetuum mobile" (3:59)
Frédéric Chopin (1810 - 1849)

Feuille D'Album In E, Op.posth.
14. Moderato (1:20)
15. Cantabile in B Flat, B.84 (1:05)
16. Fugue in A minor (3:06)
17. Largo in E flat, Op.posth. (2:12)

Anatol Ugorski

Total Playing Time - 1:09:31

CD 9: Brahms: Piano Sonata No.1 In C, Op.1; Piano Sonata No.2 In F Sharp Minor, Op.2

Johannes Brahms (1833 - 1897)

Piano Sonata No.1 in C, Op.1
1. 1. Allegro (11:42)
2. 2. Andante (6:11)
3. 3. Scherzo (Allegro molto e con fuoco) (5:37)
4. 4. Finale (Allegro con fuoco) (7:16)

Piano Sonata No.2 in F sharp minor, Op.2
5. 1. Allegro non troppo, ma energico (6:58)
6. 2. Andante con espressione (7:38)
7. 3. Scherzo. Allegro (4:56)
8. 4. Finale (Introduzione. Sostenuto - Allegro non troppo e rubato) (11:37)
Johann Sebastian Bach (1685 - 1750)

Partita for Violin Solo No. 2 in D Minor, BWV 1004
9. Chaconne (transcribed for piano for the left hand by Johannes Brahms) (17:27)
Anatol Ugorski

Total Playing Time - 1:19:22

CD 10: Brahms: Piano Sonata 3, Händel-Variationen

Johannes Brahms (1833 - 1897)
Piano Sonata No.3 In F Minor, Op.5
1. 1. Allegro maestoso (13:00)
2. 2. Andante espressivo (15:16)
3. 3. Scherzo (6:00)
4. 4. Intermezzo (Andante molto) (4:15)
5. 5. Finale (Allegro moderato ma rubato) (8:41)

Variations and Fugue on a Theme by Handel, Op. 24
6. Aria (1:07)
7. Variation I (0:57)
8. Variation II (0:50)
9. Variation III (1:03)
10. Variation IV (0:47)
11. Variation V (1:08)
12. Variation VI (1:06)
13. Variation VII (0:35)
14. Variation VIII (0:36)
15. Variation IX (1:49)
16. Variation X (0:38)
17. Variation XI (1:02)
18. Variation XII (1:03)
19. Variation XIII (2:15)
20. Variation XIV (0:37)
21. Variation XV (0:44)
22. Variation XVI (0:38)
23. Variation XVII (0:40)
24. Variation XVIII (0:56)
25. Variation XIX (0:51)
26. Variation XX (1:48)
27. Variation XXI (0:57)
28. Variation XXII (0:45)
29. Variation XXIII (0:32)
30. Variation XXIV (0:34)
31. Variation XXV (0:40)
32. Fuga (5:56)

Anatol Ugorski

Total Playing Time - 1:17:46

CD 11: Chopin
Frédéric Chopin (1810 - 1849)
Polonaise No.8 In D Minor, Op.71 No.1
1. Allegro maestoso (5:47)

Polonaise No.9 In B Flat, Op.71 No.2
2. Allegro ma non troppo (7:58)
3. Polonaise No.10 in F minor, Op.71 No.3 (6:26)
4. Polonaise in B flat minor, Op.posth. (6:44)
5. Polonaise in G flat, Op.posth. (8:15)
6. Polonaise in G minor, Op.posth. (3:31)
7. Polonaise in B flat, Op.posth. (3:17)
8. Polonaise in A flat, Op.posth. (3:57)

Polonaise In G Sharp Minor, Op.posth.
9. Moderato (7:06)

Bolero In C/A, Op.19
10. Introduzione. Allegro molto - Allegro vivace (8:07)

Tarantelle In A Flat, Op.43
11. Presto (3:20)
12. Marche funèbre in C minor, Op.72, 2 (6:10)
13. Etude in F minor, Op.posth. " Méthode des méthodes " (1:17)
14. Etude in A flat, Op.posth. " Méthode des méthodes " (1:28)
15. Etude in D flat, Op.posth. " Méthode des méthodes " (1:30)

3 Ecossaises, Op.72 No.3
16. No.1 in D Major (0:58)
17. No.2 in G Major (0:35)
18. No.3 in D flat Major (0:45)

Anatol Ugorski

Total Playing Time - 1:17:11

CD 12: Scriabin: Piano Concerto, Le Poème de l'Extase, Prométhée
Alexander Scriabin (1872 - 1915)
1. Le Poème de l'Extase, Op .54 (21:59)
Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Pierre Boulez

Piano Concerto In F Sharp Minor, Op.20
2. 1. Allegro (7:45)
3. 2. Andante (8:42)
4. 3. Allegro (10:45)
Anatol Ugorski, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Pierre Boulez
5. Promethée - Le Poème du Feu, Op. 60 (22:44)
Anatol Ugorski, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Pierre Boulez, Chicago Symphony Chorus, Duain Wolfe

Total Playing Time - 1:11:55

CD 13: Scriabin: Piano Sonatas 2, 3, 5, 9
Alexander Scriabin (1872 - 1915)

Piano Sonata No. 2 in G-Sharp Minor, Op. 19 "Sonata Fantasy"
1. 1. Andante (7:55)
2. 2. Presto (4:14)
3. Piano Sonata No.5 in F sharp major, Op.53 (13:41)
4. Piano Sonata No.9, Op.68 "Black Mass" (10:09)

Piano Sonata No.3 In F Sharp Minor, Op.23
5. 1. Drammatico (7:17)
6. 2. Allegretto (2:24)
7. 3. Andante (5:11)
8. 4. Presto con fuoco (6:31)

Anatol Ugorski

Total Playing Time - 57:22

As always, and especially here on The Complete Recordings On Deutsche Grammophon, Ugorski’s interpretations are informed by his personal beliefs.

An intrinsic aspect of his artistic personality is that he challenges audiences and critics to discourse; for example, his reading of the Arietta from Beethoven’s op. 111 stimulated scholarly discussion over his intense Larghissimo taking more time for the movement than almost all other interpreters.

Some considered his tempo to be a wholehearted intellectual testing of the musical material, others were outraged by the freedom he took with his interpretation.

Unaffected by such debates, Ugorski holds to the musico-philosophical mantra that there is no supreme interpretative rule or ‘definitive’ interpretation, only the “truth of the moment.”

However, and playing fororites here, as I have a definite stand out set here in this 13CD box-set, it's the opening CD, Beethoven: Diabelli Variations that always has me astounded by Ugorski's love for the maestro.

As we know, Beethoven composed very serious music, such as the late piano sonatas from no.28 to no.32, and then suddenly he composed very humorous music - these variations found here.

The humor is of a high satire level, sure, and Ugorski's performance expresses that very same humor note for note. For example, Pollini's performance of these works is also good, no question, but Ugorski manages to grasp the essence required to not take these works too seriously; but still retain an expression of irony and satire within.

Another great work here is Messiaen: Catalogue D'oiseaux, where the works contained within on this CD consist of piano sounds which imitate 13 different species of birds.

Some of which are the Alpine Chough, the Golden Oriole, and the Blue Rock Thrush. Indeed, most of the birds are from the French countryside. They are heard in their natural habitat, often along with other birds living in their same surroundings.

The 14 pieces were conceived and written for the piano, and what Ugorski does with his fingertips here is nobdoy's business, trust me! In fact, through my listenings, the birds are becoming more and more appealing-they've got personality!

Sometimes as I listen I find myself smiling and almost laughing in amusement even though I don't really know what these avian critters are doing most of the time.

I mean, is one bird scolding its mate? Declaring territory? Evading another avian predator? Could it be that we're listening to a cluster of hungry mouths in a nest soiled with downy feathers and cloacal emissions? I really have no idea, but maybe you will after your own listening experience.

The last one that I'll highlight is Brahms: Piano Sonatas 1 & 2etc, where Ugorski, straight from the off, makes the opening of the First Sonata, with its famous echoes of Beethoven’s Hammerklavier, immeasureably convincing. The variation movement is well sculpted also and the finale has a certain punch that only this man can bring to the table, believe me on that.

This is the first-ever collection of Anatol Ugorski’s complete recordings on Deutsche Grammophon and includes the first international release of his Scriabin Sonatas 2, 3, 5 & 9 as well as rare Chopin recordings.

The beautiful full color booklet inside this wondrous 13CD box-set includes an essay by Eleonore Büning, renowned music critic of the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung.

Official 'Anatol Ugorski: Complete Recordings on Deutsche Grammophon' Purchase Link