"I can only say I was bowled over by the playing of this Franco-Russian husband-and-wife duo"
Drawing their strength from a mutual love of taking risks and exploration, Ludmila Berlinskaya and Arthur Ancelle are inseparable; as a married couple who are pianists they enjoy a symbiotic relationship both on and off stage.
In only a short time, the duo managed to put together a repertoire featuring the ‘greatest hits’ for two pianos and four hands, as well as rare works featuring original compositions and new transcriptions, enriched by Arthur Ancelle's scores, such as: Francesca da Rimini, Romeo & Juliet, and After a reading of Dante.
They perform every year in the greatest halls in Russia and France, including the Philharmonic Halls of St-Petersburg and Moscow, Zaryadye Hall, the Moscow Conservatory, the Auditorium of Radio France and Salle Gaveau, and are invited by prestigious festivals, such as the Musical Summits in Gstaad, the Moscow December Nights Festival, the Tokyo Spring Festival, and the Pianofolies du Touquet in France.
Bolstered by intense recording activity as a duo, as soloists, or as chamber musicians, Ludmila Berlinskaya and Arthur Ancelle have released six albums together, all of which received considerable acclaim from the international press. Melodiya artists since 2014, Ludmila Berlinskaya and Arthur Ancelle have received multiple prizes and awards, such as the Editor’s Choice of Gramophone, the Choc of Classica, Album of the year by Le Monde and Album of the year by Libération, Pianiste Maestro.
The 21/22 season, celebrated by the release of several recordings, marks the duo’s 10th anniversary.
Their creativity and eagerness to contribute are reflected in the artistic directorship of two festivals: the La Clé des Portes festival, which has taken place within the magical surroundings of the Loire since 2012, and the Rungis Piano-Piano Festival, which is dedicated entirely to the universe of 2-pianos and 4-hands playing.
REVIEWS
Libération's favourite albums of the year:
"Year after year, from record to record, these two have become the most brilliant stars on the firmament of original and explosive piano duos. (...) B Like Britain, a compilation of pieces by 20th-century British composers whose surnames start with B (Arnold Bax, Benjamin Britten, York Bowen, Richard Rodney Bennett), is a CD that will leave you flabbergasted."
"The standard of pianism, from both of our intrepid protagonists, is very much of the highest echelon. (...) In this flawless performance, much of the more reflective writing emerges with a sort of amplified luminosity. The two pianists play as one, matching their tones expertly and with a unanimity of attack that borders on the supernatural; they have an equal aptitude for prestidigitation, too. (...) A most splendid disc, recorded at demonstration quality. Berlinskaya and Ancelle leave us wanting more. One for the Want List, methinks"
"The Franco-Russian duo never stops climbing musical summits. The proud honesty of tone, the rigour of inspiration, no less than the tireless ductility of the material that their two keyboards with four hands joined together model fantastically..."
Drawing their strength from a mutual love of taking risks and exploration, Ludmila Berlinskaya and Arthur Ancelle are inseparable; as a married couple who are pianists they enjoy a symbiotic relationship both on and off stage.
Reviews acclaiming the duo as “sensational pianists” (Fanfare) and “brilliant, cheerful” (Diapason), lauding their ability to “cultivate duality in a supernatural dimension” (Le Monde), their “superb technique” (Classica), their synchronised playing which gives “the impression of being only one player” (Musicweb-international) and their “truly dazzling playing” (Fonoforum) have placed them on the list of highest-ranking piano duos on the international stage.
Both coming from a long line of famous performers, and both accomplished soloists, Ludmila Berlinskaya and Arthur Ancelle have become a Franco-Russian piano duo characterised by an unfaltering mutual understanding of the music they play. They aspire, thanks to their similarities and shared cultural heritage, as well as their special energy on stage, original repertoire, unprecedented concert format, and ability to communicate with the audience, to give the piano duo a status equal to all other forms of chamber music.
In only a short time, the duo managed to put together a repertoire featuring the ‘greatest hits’ for two pianos and four hands, as well as rare works featuring original compositions and new transcriptions, enriched by Arthur Ancelle's scores, including Francesca da Rimini, Romeo & Juliet, After a reading of Dante, etc. Arthur Ancelle has transcribed a dozen scores for the duo; the first two of which were published by Jurgenson and Chant du Monde.
They perform every year in the greatest halls in Russia and France, including the Philharmonic Halls of St-Petersburg and Moscow, Zaryadye Hall, the Moscow Conservatory, the Auditorium of Radio France and Salle Gaveau, and are invited by prestigious festivals, such as the Musical Summits in Gstaad, the Moscow December Nights Festival, the Tokyo Spring Festival, the Rota das Artes in Lisbon, the Lisztomanias, the Solistes à Bagatelle, and the Pianofolies du Touquet in France.
They also receive regular invitations from orchestras such as the St-Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra, the Philharmonic Orchestra of Freiburg, the Ulsan Philharmonic Orchestra, the Orchestre National d’Ile de France and the Orchestre de Caen.
Bolstered by intense recording activity as a duo, as soloists, or as chamber musicians, Ludmila Berlinskaya and Arthur Ancelle have released six albums together, all of which received considerable acclaim from the international press. Melodiya artists since 2014, Ludmila Berlinskaya and Arthur Ancelle have received multiple prizes and awards, such as the Editor’s Choice of Gramophone, the Choc of Classica, Album of the year by Le Monde and Album of the year by Libération, Pianiste Maestro.
The 21/22 season, celebrated by the release of several recordings, marks the duo’s 10th anniversary.
Their creativity and eagerness to contribute are reflected in the artistic directorship of two festivals: the La Clé des Portes festival, which has taken place within the magical surroundings of the Loire since 2012, and the Rungis Piano-Piano Festival, which is dedicated entirely to the universe of 2-pianos and 4-hands playing.
The first part is entirely Russian, in which the common thread is the only person to ever have transcribed these famous pages: Victor Babin, who together with Vitya Vronksy comprised one of the most famous piano duos of the 20th century. The second part is devoted to the programme of the CD celebrating the duo's 10th anniversary with works by Gershwin and Alexander Tsfasman, often referred to as the "Russian Gershwin".
| Borodin | Polovtsian Dances |
| Rachmaninoff | It's Lovely Here |
| Floods of Springs | |
| Vocalise | |
| Rimsky-Korsakov | Cradle Song |
| Dance of the Tumblers | |
| Khachaturyan | Lezginka, from the ‘Gayane’ ballet |
| Gershwin | The Man I love (paraphrased by Gregory Stone) |
| I Got Rhythm | |
| Tsfasman | Fantasy on themes by Gershwin (transcription Igor Tsygankov) |
| Jazz Suite (transcription Igor Tsygankov) |
Programme based on the CD to be released in January 2022.
| George Gershwin | Three Preludes (transcription Gregory Stone) |
| The Man I Love (paraphrased by Gregory Stone) | |
| Four Songs (arranged by Paul Posnak): ’S Wonderful / Funny Face But Not For Me Someone to Watch Over Me It Ain’t Necessarily So Variations on I Got Rhythm (transcription George Gershwin) |
|
| Alexander Tsfasman | Fantasy on themes by Gershwin (transcription Igor Tsygankov) |
|
Four Songs (arranged by Arthur Ancelle): |
|
| Jazz Suite (transcription Igor Tsygankov) |
| Tchaikovsky | The Sleeping Beauty (transcription Sergei Rachmaninoff) |
| Ravel | Ma mère l’Oye |
| Prokofiev | Suite from Cinderella (transcription Michail Pletnev) |
"Salon Français à 4 mains"
| Debussy | Petite Suite |
| Bizet | Jeux d’enfants |
| Fauré | Dolly Suite |
| Aubert | Feuilles d’Images |
| Ravel | Ma mère l’Oye |
Other repertoire, including works for two pianos, piano 4-hands or piano concertos, are available on request
LISTEN"For ten years, the Franco-Russian duo has been reaching the summits of the repertoire for two pianos. (...) The two of them are a model of accomplishment. (...) Between jazz and classical music, as virtuoso as they are inventive, Ludmila Berlinskaya and Arthur Ancelle create magnificent orchestral atmospheres, audacious worlds alternately adorned with elegance or fantasy, in a saving bulimia of dreams, joy and music."
Alexander Tsfasman - From Jazz Suite: Snowflakes
Alexander Tsfasman - From Jazz Suite: Fast movements
Arnold Bax - Hardanger
Richard Rodney Bennett - Divertimento - I. Samba triste
Alexander Glazunov - Fantasy in F minor, Op. 104 - II. Scherzo
Sergei Rachmaninoff - Suite No. 2, Op. 17 - II. Waltz
Reynaldo Hahn - Le ruban dénoué (12 waltzes for two pianos)
I. Décrets indolents du hasard
Claude Debussy - En blanc et noir - I. Avec emportement
Camille Saint-Saëns - Dance macabre - original version
Cinderella - Spring Fairy
Romeo and Juliet - The Montagues and the Capulets
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky - The Nutcracker, Suite Op. 71a - March
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