Classical Music

Classical Music

The two-compositions featured here, the Trio, op. 8 and the Sonata, op. 65, rank among the very few chamber music pieces Chopin left behind. Whilst predominantly piano-focused, those few occasions when Chopin did explore other idioms always prominently featured the cello, so naturally this disc is a feast of musical riches for young cellist Johannes Moser. The needed ability to draw out every emotion and nuance from these works, from the noble to the pathetic, from soaring lyricism to sober solemnity, are known and admired characteristics of Mr. Moser and his esteemed ensemble partners.

Frederic Chopin counts among Johann Strauss Sr. and Joseph Lanner as one of the significant cofounders of the modern form of the waltz during the first half of the 19th century. In contrast to the orchestral variants, the contributions by Chopin – composed like most of his works for his own instrument, the piano – are suited rather for the concert than the dancing hall. With his debut album the young Bulgarian pianist Martin Ivanov, who already at an early age was critically acclaimed in numerous international competitions, presents the waltzes by Chopin. Although most of the waltzes are written in different major keys and therefore tend to convey a cheerful, bright and entertaining impression, a few are set in minor keys which allow a glimpse of that certain melancholy that is characteristic of Chopin’s oeuvre as a whole. Martin Ivnov was born in 1990 in Plovdiv, Bulgaria into a family of musicians and started to study piano at the age of just four. In the period between 2001 and 2009 he took part in 50 piano competitions in Bulgaria and abroad, always with great success, in particular at the following competitions: Young Virtuosos 2004, International Competition for Young Pianists Ettlingen 2004, Franz Schubert 2005, and LISMA Competition 2013.

Classical Music

Chopin turned the Scherzo into a new form of piano composition: an independent virtuoso work which he laced with drama, Polish folk song, tranquility and nuance. With their rhythmic lilt and filigree ornamentation the Impromptus are infused with Romantic freedom, while the Allegro de concert, Op. 46 was originally conceived as a movement for a projected piano concerto but was instead revised for solo piano. Mao Fujita was awarded Second Prize at the 16th International Tchaikovsky Competition in 2019. A laureate of numerous national and international competitions such as the World Classic in Taiwan (2010, first prize in the junior section), the Rosario Marciano International Piano Competition in Vienna (Austria, 2013), the Zhuhai International Mozart Competition for Young Musicians (2015), the Gina Bachauer International Young Artists Piano Competition in (USA, 2016) and many others. In 2017 he won the first prize as well as three special prizes at the Concours International de Piano Clara Haskil in Switzerland. In October 2019, Fujita made his UK debut with the Mariinsky Orchestra conducted by Valery Gergiev, which was critically acclaimed by The Times. Immediately following this success, he made his debut in Seoul and Moscow. Mao Fujita has recorded several albums under the Naxos Japan label, which include woks by Beethoven, Chopin, Mozart, Liszt and Prokofiev, among others.

Classical Music

In this compilation are some of the best-known works of Chopin, including "Revolutionary Etude", the Barcarolle op. 60, the Second Sonata and the Fantaisie-Impromptu. These works offer a good overview of the genius of Chopin.

Chopin's four Ballades are among the greatest of his works, as is the Fantasia in F minor also included on this disk. The Ballades were composed between 1835 and 1843 and are generally believed to be based upon works by the Polish poet Adam Mickiewicz. This is music in the style of the medieval troubador, with singing lyrical sections alternating with music of wild passions, big chords, chromatic passages, and virtuosic runs. The first and fourth ballades, in G minor and F minor, tend to be more stormy and passionate while the second and third, in F major and A flat major are more reflective and lyrical. Biret gives a beautiful rendition of this music with beautiful, free rhythm, attention to dynamics and phrasing, and a full use of the resources of the piano. She captures magnificently the wild, virtuosic concluding passages in the first and fourth ballades.

�tude Op. 25, No. 10 features many unique aspects not present in most Chopin's �tudes, including a significant and distinctive ternary form. The first theme is presented as a series of eighth note-tuplets in cut time, played at a very fast tempo of Allegro. The second theme is in B minor's parallel major, B major, and in triple metre. The second theme is repeated four times, and develops into a variation of the first theme, returning to cut time and B minor. Copious pedal point notes and phrase markings are present in the second theme, but the entire �tude lacks any pedal indications. Similar to the Op. 10, No. 4 �tude, Chopin emphasizes legato playing through the phrasing and (lack of) pedal marking. Throughout the entire work, Chopin marks only five dynamic markings; the entire first theme is to be played forte to fortissimo, and the whole second theme is piano.

With this first album, Islam Manafov connects with his listeners through the works of the Romantic genius, Chopin, with whom he has felt a close emotional tie since his childhood. Using his immense palette of nuances, he takes his listeners on a journey beyond time wtih Chopin's works that may be considered his most difficult, both technically and musically, with their differing moods, at times wild, at times childish, at times rebellious and at times, full of longing... Islam Manafov was born in Baku, the capital city of Azerbaijan, he studied at the Baku Music School and won 1st place prize in the Azerbaijan Young Pianists Competition, attracting international acclaim. As a "People's Artist" of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Manafov continues his artistic life as apianist, conductor and composer, while working as a Professor at Baku Music Academy and Yeditepe University in Istanbul.

Classical Music

German pianist Wolfram Schmitt-Leonardy is one of the leading pianists of his generation. His concert activities and recordings mark him as an extremely intelligent musician with immense technical powers. His recordings of Brahms, Schumann and Rachmaninoff have won him rave reviews all over the world. His Chopin interpretations on this new recording breathe an air of improvisation, vision and imagination. Listening to his interpretation of the Preludes evokes a synesthetic experience: The sounds, views and smells of Mallorca (where they were composed) merge into one feeling of beauty, bliss and melancholy.

Classical Music

Classical Music