Stéphan Elmas - Piano Music (Heghine Rapyan)

Information

Composer: Stéphan Elmas

1. Mazurka No. 4 in E Major
2. Berceuse No. 1 in E-Flat Major
3. Berceuse No. 2 in A Major
4. Valse No. 1 in E-Flat Major
5. Valse No. 8 in D-Flat Major
6. Nocturne No. 3 in G-Sharp Minor
7. Nocturne No. 5 in G-Flat Major
8. Nocturne No. 7 in F-Sharp Minor
9. 6 Preludes: No. 1, Moderato
10. 6 Preludes: No. 2, Andante
11. 6 Preludes: No. 3, Allegro
12. 6 Preludes: No. 4, Moderato
13. 6 Preludes: No. 5, Agitato
14. 6 Preludes: No. 6, Lento
15. Scherzo No. 1 in C Minor
16. Fantasie-polonaise in D-Flat Major

Heghine Rapyan, piano

Date: 2026

Label: Solo Musica

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Description

In 2023, I released my debut album featuring the complete piano sonatas of Stephan Elmas, presented as a world premiere. The international press and critics quickly showed immense interest in this beautiful and long-overlooked music. Stephan Elmas has often been referred to as the “Chopin of Armenia.”

With the second CD I now present, I continue this mission with a deep sense of responsibility—bringing to light Elmas’s legacy as a true Romantic composer in the spirit of Chopin. This album includes musical genres cherished by Frédéric Chopin, such as mazurkas, waltzes, scherzos, preludes, nocturnes, and a polonaise. These works reflect the poetic breath of Chopin, yet are infused with the individuality and emotional depth of Stephan Elmas.

Several of the pieces on this recording are being performed and recorded for the very first time. It was a moment of great joy for me to work on this hidden jewel of musical literature—truly a journey of discovery, in which I felt the thrill of unveiling a forgotten voice from the Romantic era.

— Heghine Rapyan

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Stéphan Elmas (1862 – August 11, 1937) was an Armenian composer, pianist and teacher. A prodigy, he studied piano and composition in Vienna following encouragement from Franz Liszt, to whom he later dedicated several works. Elmas enjoyed a successful international concert career across Europe, performing both his own compositions and works by major Romantic composers. He settled permanently in Geneva in 1912, where he taught and composed despite declining health and increasing isolation. His music, particularly refined salon pieces, reflects a Romantic style rooted in earlier traditions.

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Heghine Rapyan (born 24 April 1985) is an Armenian-born pianist. She began piano studies at age three in Armenia and trained with leading pedagogues, including Armen Babakhanian, before studying at the Yerevan State Conservatory. After graduating in 2007, she continued advanced concert piano studies at the University Mozarteum Salzburg, where she earned a Master of Arts degree cum laude in 2017. Influenced notably by her close encounter with Ingrid Haebler, Rapyan has won prizes at international competitions and has performed as a soloist with major orchestras. She also teaches at Musikum Salzburg.

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