I don’t have much recollection of it but I must have told Yury Martynov how much I liked his performance of the Pavane for a Dead Princess.

Because I just found a folder titled ‘Yury Martynov’ in one of my flash drives.

Inside, I found a track 7 with the title ‘Pavane for a Dead Princess.’

You can imagine my excitement.

Is this his performance of the piece?

Yes it is, apparently he had played it at the concert, special request from yours truly.

Thinking about it again, I probably did ask him to play it at the concert.

And it still sounds as exquisite as I heard it the first time.

Here is Maestro Martynov playing Pavane for a Dead Princess live in concert.

And here’s his absolutely incredible performance of Mozart’s D-minor Fantasia from the same recital.

Listen to the linear flow in his phrasing.

Try to conduct to his playing and you will notice that he almost never plays on the metrical beat.

He plays mostly in cut time, in a two feel, that is how he’s able to mold the line so freely without losing the pulse.

And most of all, listen to how he shapes the structure with great dynamic and timbral contrasts, and especially listen to the soft delicate parts that are so heartbreakingly beautiful.

Pure artistry, poetry, and sensitivity.

Posted on Saturday, March 21st, 2026 at 10:43 pm under HTBE. Follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.