Gramophone Classical Music Podcast Pianist Alexander Malofeev on his debut solo album, 'Forgotten Melodies'
Feb 26, 2026
Alexander Malofeev, a Russian concert pianist and Sony Classical recording artist, discusses his debut solo album Forgotten Melodies. He talks about choosing Medtner’s cycle, the nostalgic thread linking Glinka, Rachmaninoff and Glazunov, recording in an intimate church acoustic, stepping in for Martha Argerich with the Rotterdam Philharmonic, and crafting an experimental European recital programme.
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Nostalgia Unifies The Program
- Alexander Malofeev built the album around a theme of nostalgia linking Glinka, Medtner, Rachmaninoff and Glazunov.
- He chose pieces that express Russian solitude and wistful intimacy, creating a continuous mood across composers and centuries.
Forgotten Melodies As One Large Sonata
- Malofeev regards Medtner's Forgotten Melodies as a single multi-movement sonata rather than discrete miniatures.
- He emphasizes seamless thematic links where one piece flows into the next, obscuring clear movement boundaries.
Why The Revised Rachmaninoff Fits
- Malofeev prefers Rachmaninoff's 1931 revised Second Sonata because its pared-down, less bombastic shape fits the album's mood.
- He hears the revision as more 'patchy' and narratively open, which parallels Medtner's cycle and the record's introspective thread.