In Balakirev’s piano compositions, the most famous is Islamey-“Oriental Fantasy”. The technique of this piece is so difficult that Balakirev himself couldn’t play it. “Islamey” was finished in 1869, and dedicated to Nikolay Rubinstein, who gave its premiere performance in St Petersburg in December.

The creative inspiration of “Islamey” is from his traveling to Caucasus. He felt the beauty of the inhabitants and nature, and heard a kind of dance music which was Circassian played. One of them, called Islamey, is a folk-dance, a variety of the Lesginska. It is often written down in 6/8, and expanded 12/16 latter. Balakirev was fond of this tune, he had in mind on symphonic poem-”Tamara”, and began to arrange it for the piano compositions.

The motives of researching this piano piece- “Islamey” is as follows: This piece is often thought a good opportunity of showing finger technique by pianist. There are not too many materials for researching performing technique of this piece. The writer researches the using and source of main theme, concludes the feature of Russian music through form analyzing, and researches deeply about performing at last.

§Nai-Chia Wang Graduation Piano Recital§

Bach/Busoni: Chaconne in D minor, BWV 1004

Beethoven: Sonata No. 31 in A flat major, op.110

Stravinsky: “Russian Dance” from Petrouchka

Schumann: Fantasie, op. 17

Balakirev: Islamey