Felix Draeseke - Piano Works (Vladimir Aćimović)

Information

Composer: Felix Draeseke

• Sonata quasi fantasia in C-Sharp Minor, Op. 6
• Grande fantaisie sur "La dame blanche", opéra de Boieldieu, Op. 8
• 2 Fantasiestücke in Walzerform, Op. 3
• Petite histoire, Op. 9
• 2 Piano Pieces, Op. 5

Vladimir Aćimović, piano

Date: 2026

Label: Naxos

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Felix Draeseke’s early artistic immersion in the music of Franz Liszt and Richard Wagner deeply informed his compositions, particularly the Sonata quasi fantasia in C-sharp minor. This pivotal piece masterfully balances opulent Wagnerian expression with an almost balletic lightness, signaling Draeseke's stylistic transition from a revolutionary idiom toward a more conservative, classical structure. The work's profound musical depth prompted Liszt to declare it the most significant sonata of its genre since Robert Schumann’s Op. 11. This recorded program additionally features Draeseke's virtuosic Grande Fantaisie, two evocative Fantasiestücke, and the distinctly Chopin-esque textures of the Valse-Nocturne.

Born in Coburg in 1835, German composer and pedagogue Felix Draeseke trained at the Leipzig Conservatory before aligning himself with Franz Liszt, Richard Wagner, and the progressive New German School. Following a transitional twelve-year period of teaching and composition in Switzerland—where he deeply studied J.S. Bach and Mediterranean architecture—he returned to Germany, settling in Dresden. He was appointed Professor of Composition at the Dresden Conservatory in 1892, later receiving the prestigious title of Hofrat. Though his innovative yet structurally refined output suffered post-WWI neglect and a complex mid-century biographical legacy, his reputation has seen sustained revival through the international Draeseke societies established in the late 1980s.

Pianist Vladimir Aćimović (b. 2002) is recognized as one of Serbia's most exceptional young musical talents, having been named "most promising young artist" by the ArtLink Foundation. He has achieved top prizes at prestigious international events, including the Robert Schumann and Arthur Rubinstein in memoriam piano competitions, and was a finalist in both the Ferruccio Busoni and New York International Piano Competitions. Aćimović has performed at elite global venues such as the Wiener Staatsoper, Konzerthaus Dortmund, and Harris Concert Hall in Aspen, supported by fellowships from institutions like the Mozart Gesellschaft Dortmund. He studied under Lidija Stanković and Milana Chernyavska, and continues to balance an international performance career with doctoral research at the Faculty of Music in Belgrade.