When I learnt about Protopopov a few years ago, I wished I had gotten to know it sooner. However, he was not well-known at all; a lot of his music was never even recorded. I wanted to change that. Once I got to know his heart-breaking life story, marred by oppression and sabotage, I was even more convinced that someone had to do something about it. That’s why I decided to dedicate the third and final album in the Eclipse series to the music of Protopopov.
Mattias Spee
Eclipse, Vol. 3: Sergei Protopopov
About the album
For some reason, I have always had a bit of nostalgia for the Soviet Union, which is strange, because I was born after it had already fallen. Still, when I read books like Doctor Zhivago or The Master & Margarita, when I see films like Stalker or Cherry Town, when I listen to composers like Mieczysław Weinberg, Alfred Schnittke, Sofia Gubaidulina and Dmitri Shostakovich, it somehow seems familiar to me. When I discovered Sergei Protopopov’s music, I felt the same sense of acquaintance and familiarity. Even though his compositions are dark and brooding, I find a strange kind of comfort in them. As is the case with all great composers, it is almost impossible to categorize Protopopov. People still try and describe his style as “Russian modernism”, “Soviet avant-garde”, or “Scriabinism”. Ultimately, his music is a category on its own.
When I learnt about Protopopov a few years ago, I wished I had gotten to know it sooner. However, he was not well-known at all; a lot of his music was never even recorded. I wanted to change that. Once I got to know his heart-breaking life story, marred by oppression and sabotage, I was even more convinced that someone had to do something about it. That’s why I decided to dedicate the third and final album in the Eclipse series to the music of Protopopov.
Tracklist click to play/pause
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Sergei Protopopov
Sonata for piano, Op. 1
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Rapido con attività
4:25
4:25
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Lento
3:33
3:33
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Lugubre tempestoso
6:40
6:40
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Mattias Spee
Intermezzo 1
2:02
2:02
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Sergei Protopopov
Sonata for piano, Op. 5
16:16
16:16
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Mattias Spee
Intermezzo 2
1:12
1:12
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Sergei Protopopov
Sonata for piano, Op. 6
33:03
33:03
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Mattias Spee
Intermezzo 3
2:04
2:04
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Sergei Protopopov
Sun-Kissed Clouds
3:46
3:46
More information
| Weight | 100 g |
|---|---|
| Dimensions | 142 × 125 × 10 mm |
| Label | TRPTK |
| Genre(s) | Classical – Contemporary (> 1920) |
| Artist(s) | Mattias Spee |
| Composer(s) | Protopopov, Sergei Spee, Mattias |
| Recording location(s) | Westvestkerk, Schiedam (NL) |
| Recording date(s) | October 2024 |
| Cat. No. | TTK 0128 |
|---|---|
| Release date |
January 24th, 2025 |
Tech specs
| Microphones | Josephson C617 w/ Gefell MK221 capsules (main & height) |
|---|---|
| Microphone preamps | Grace Design m801mk2 |
| AD/DA conversion | Merging Technologies Hapi MkII |
| Recording resolution | DSD 11.2MHz 1bit |
| Mastering resolution | PCM 352.8kHz 64bit |
| Monitoring (recording) | Audeze LCD-X |
| Monitoring (mastering) | Grimm Audio LS1be |
| Cabling | Purecable Optimus Link Microphone Edition |
