This album is shaped as a musical journey. It begins with restraint, builds towards its most powerful moments in the middle, and gradually moves towards a clearer, more direct form of expression in its final stages.

Two works by Zolotaryov open the album in a contemplative mood. Winter Morning is sparse in its movement, yet carries a constant undercurrent of tension. Monastery of Ferapont intensifies this tension, drawing the music towards a denser, more concentrated expression.

Johann Sebastian Bach’s Ich ruf zu dir serves as a point of transition. I perform it with a powerful, resonant dynamic approach, while remaining faithful to its formal structure. The work is so direct in its expression that it can sustain this intensity without losing its balance.

Johann Pachelbel’s Chaconne in F minor forms the album’s central climax. Its structure unfolds through several peaks of intensity, while the overall musical arc continues to build towards a final, dramatic release.

Domenico Scarlatti’s Sonata in D minor brings greater agility and clarity to the musical texture. Its distinctly Spanish rhythmic character, with sharp accents and dance-like tension, gives the performance a sense of immediacy and responsiveness.

Bogdan Precz’s Toccata opens the door to a more modern musical language, driven by virtuosic rhythms and direct, uncompromising drama.

As a contrast, Ivan Panitsky’s arrangement of the traditional folk melody Oy da ty, Kalinushka introduces warmth, lyricism and a touch of Slavic melancholy.

The album concludes with Astor Piazzolla’s S.V.P., in which tango nuevo takes on an elegant, subtly playful character – almost as if offering a gentle nod to the album’s title: S’il vous plaît.