Classical Music

Yundi, one of the most celebrated and influential pianists of today, has returned to Warner Classics with the signature of a long-term agreement between him and the label. His first release under the new agreement is an album of Chopin's Piano Concertos Nos 1 and 2, on which he directs the Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra from the keyboard. This constitutes both his first recording as pianist-conductor and his first recording of the Piano Concerto No 2.

Leif Ove Andsnes is a leading pianist of his time, known for his exceptional musicianship and subtil touch, his considerable technical flair being unfailingly put at the service of his interpretations. He was a pioneer for being the first home-trained superstar pianist to have emerged from Norway. This box is the story of a 20-year partnership that has yielded a rich seam of recorded treasures, first for Virgin and then for EMI. Running through this cornucopia of 34 albums (36 CDs), we find recurring themes: Grieg (Andsnes even recorded some Lyric Pieces on the composer's own piano at Troldhaugen), Nordic music in general, Schumann, Rachmaninov, Schubert.

Thibaut Garcia pays tribute with El Bohemio to the Paraguayan guitar virtuoso and composer Agustín Barrios (1885-1944). As Garcia explains, "Barrios is an essential composer in the guitarist's repertoire. His music can be described as a skilful mix of South American popular music - inspired by the jungles of Paraguay - and the Romanticism of Chopin and Schumann, composers he idolised." El Bohemio duly complements 16 varied works by Barrios himself with three of his transcriptions of famous pieces by Chopin, Schumann, and Beethoven. In addition, the album includes readings of two of Barrios's poems: 'Bohemio', which lends the album it's name, portrays the composer as a wandering troubadour; 'Profesión de fé' (Profession of faith) honours the Guarani, the indigenous people of Paraquay.

His exceptional touch and sense of phrasing, his deep and personal understanding of the most varied repertoires, or even the legendary trio he formed together with Jacques Thibaud and Pablo Casals, made Alfred Cortot the greatest pianist of his time. Master of many disciples, notably the brilliant Dinu Lipatti, Samson François and Clara Haskil, Cortot also had a lasting influence on the Russian piano school through Samuil Feinberg and Heinrich Neuhaus, the latter himself being the revered teacher of Sviatoslav Richter.

All of the recordings in this set had undergone careful sound restoration in 2012, in order to respect as closely as possible the original sound. The remastering was carried out under the expert control of Mr. Guthrie Luke, a former disciple of Alfred Cortot who attended many recording sessions by Cortot. These recordings do not represent a "complete" edition: the many rolls engraved by the artist for Duo-Art, Aeolian and Pleyela labels have not been reproduced here, most of them doubling the 78-RPM repertoire. The first recordings are acoustic; and the ones with an electric microphone appeared as early as 1926.

The Schwetzingen Festival concerts were dedicated to Chopin in 1999 on the 150th anniversary of his death. Four pianists were invited to the event. Three of them-Lilya Zilberstein, Anatole Ugorski, and Andrei Gavrilov-were 'stars' of Deutsche Grammophon. The fourth was Idil Biret, who had not attained 'star' status as it was only available to those with contracts with the so-called "major" record labels. But she had been the first pianist ever to record the complete works of Chopin for solo piano and with piano and orchestra for Naxos, received a Grand Prix du Disque Fr�d�ric Chopin in Warsaw in 1995 for this, and was to be decorated with one of the highest orders of Poland by President Kaczynsky in 2007. Idil Biret did something no other pianist could do. Dr. Peter Stieber wrote: "Your own Chopin evening was then the breath-taking testimony of a great artist. We all could experience together how in your hands the wonderful music of Chopin begun truly to blossom."

Ronald Smith approached Nimbus at a turbulent time in the industry. His long-time recording partnership was in transition, and he would make six visits to the Nimbus studio, a peaceful space in the ballroom of the Victorian mansion at Wyastone Leys just outside Monmouth. His initial visits in February and August 1980 were concerned with core repertoire: Chopin's Etudes Op. 10 and Op. 25, his Sonata Op. 58, and the Liszt Sonata. He returned in 1983 to record Liszt's transcription of Beethoven's Seventh Symphony and Busoni's transcription of Bach's Chaconne. In 1985 there were two visits: in May to record an album of popular Beethoven Sonatas, then in September to deliver Balakirev's B-flat minor Sonata and Scriabin's 'Black Mass' Sonata No. 9. A final visit in June 1986 was devoted to Mussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition. The sessions in 1980 were both 'analogue', being made on reel-to-reel tape machines. We had little idea how quickly such industry-wide state-of-the-art technology would be brutally swept aside by the arrival of digital recording, and it's market counterpart, the Compact Disc. Ronald's Chopin Etudes were released on LP the following year. The LP sleeve went as far as announcing the catalogue number of the upcoming Chopin/Liszt Sonata pairing. The master was approved and ready to go. But all things 'digital' upended all sense: the record world, it's media, and followers clamoured for digital recordings of standard works. Labels rushed to satisfy the demand (Nimbus was no exception), and unreleased 'analogue' masters fell into a dark hole. Ronald Smith's later digital recordings enjoyed immediate release, but not so the Chopin/Liszt Sonatas-until now, 45 years on. � Adrian Farmer

For the pianist and opera conductor Boris Bloch, who hails from Odessa in present-day Ukraine, the works of Frederic Chopin represent the epitome of poetry in music. Chopin's primary means of expression-the language with which he expressed everything he wanted to say-was his melody: the most beautiful kind known to man. For Chopin, however, this melody was more than that; it was a reflection of reality, behind which lay a real image or event. Heinrich Neuhaus pointed out the autobiographical character of Chopin's oeuvre. And it is precisely this autobiographical character that has helped countless people find themselves in their own biographies. This explains the immense popularity and universal appeal of his works, which are cherished all over the world. On this double CD, Boris Bloch presents a selection of Mazurkas, etudes, Impromptus, the four Ballades, and the second Piano Sonata, Op. 35.

The Schwetzingen Festival concerts were dedicated to Chopin in 1999 on the 150th anniversary of his death. Four pianists were invited to the event. Three of them, Lilya Zilberstein, Anatole Ugorski and Andrei Gavrilov were 'stars' of Deutsche Grammophon. The fourth was Idil Biret who had not attained 'star' status as it was only available to those with contracts with the so-called "major" record labels. But, she had been the first pianist ever to record the complete works of Chopin for solo piano and with piano and orchestra for Naxos, received a Grand Prix du Disque Frederic Chopin in Warsaw in 1995 for this and was to be decorated with one of the highest orders of Poland by President Kaczynsky in 2007. Idil Biret did something no other pianist could do. Dr. Peter Stieber wrote: "Your own Chopin evening was then the breath-taking testimony of a great artist. We all could experience together how in your hands the wonderful music of Chopin begun truly to blossom."

Louis Lortie's programme for this eighth and final volume of Chopin spans the composer's entire career, from the teenage Rondo, Op. 1 through to his final published piece, the Cello Sonata, Op. 65. Inspired by a visit to the estate of Prince Antoni Radziwill in 1829, the Introduction and Polonaise brillante, Op. 3 was written for the prince (a keen cellist) and his pianist daughter Wanda, and was published in 1831 in Vienna, shortly before Chopin's move to Paris. Variations brillantes, Op. 12 was based on the theme 'Je vends des Scapulaires' from the (now long-forgotten) opera Ludovic. Single-handedly responsible for establishing the popularity of the mazurka, Chopin wrote almost sixty of these works in his lifetime. The two sets here date from 1842 (Op. 50) and 1844 (Op. 56) whilst the composer was at the height of his powers - and popularity in the salons of Paris. Chopin struggled with the composition of the Cello Sonata, taking two years, from 1845 to 1847, before finally premiering it at his last public concert, in Paris, on 16 February 1848. He was striving to find a 'new style' in his composition, whilst at the same time struggling under failing health and the breakdown of his long-standing relationship with the novelist George Sand. His perseverance paid off, and the sonata remains a cornerstone of the repertoire.

The final volume of this groundbreaking Thomas Jensen series encapsulates the series as a whole. New remasterings of rare studio recordings from the 1940s complement first-ever releases for live broadcasts from the 1950s and 60s. The repertoire demonstrates Jensen's excellence as a sympathetic concerto partner; an insightful interpreter of Sibelius; and a devoted advocate for the composers of his native Denmark

The extreme delicacy and finesse of Chopin's pianistic style was unusual in an era when star pianists such as Liszt and Anton Rubinstein were developing more virtuosic and experimental effects. It led some performers of the day to adapt Chopin's works to suit the context of their time. Goran Filipec has traced the practices of these pianists to fashion a programme of Chopin's works performed in the spirit of the 'grand style'. A digital EP featuring four bonus tracks is also available to stream and download (9.70383).

What better way to introduce Alfred Cortot to APR's French Piano School series than by focussing on the few recordings he actually made in France. There's a good case for claiming Cortot as the greatest of twentieth century French pianists and he was certainly the most prolific one to record in the 78-rpm era. He began recording as a soloist in 1919 and continued through to the 1950s, but nearly all his discs were made in the USA and the UK. It was only during World War 2 that he recorded solo repertoire in France and these recordings, originally only released locally, are much less well-known than his London HMVs from the 1930s. Cortot seems to have planned these Paris sessions to be a substantial survey of Chopin's works, including the complete Polonaises and Scherzi which he had not previously recorded, but in the end only the Etudes, Preludes and Waltzes were released. Cortot here is still on top form, the post war decline in his playing not yet evident, and these performances are very much complimentary to his earlier ones. Anyone, knowing of Cortot's 'wrong notes' and doubting his technique only has to listen to these Etudes (all first takes!) to hear virtuoso playing of the highest order, and of course Cortot's unique poetry is never in doubt. Perhaps the Preludes best reveal the soul of our pianist, and this set finds him at his finest. As an appendix we have included another rarity, Cortot's first recording of Chopin's B minor Piano Sonata, made in London in 1931. He was to remake the work in the then new Abbey Road studios in 1933, and it is this later version which has been continuously reissued, but this earlier version is in no way inferior and could be argued to be better in parts than the 1933 version. It is also in very good sound for it's time and we are happy to give it some well-deserved attention.

Australian pianist Rob Hao makes a striking debut with an album that explores how music from different times and styles can interact and inspire new ideas. At the heart of the recording is the premiere of Palimpsest 571, Hao's original work completing Franz Schubert's unfinished Piano Sonata in F-sharp minor, D. 571. Rather than trying to imitate Schubert's style exactly, Hao embraces the gap between past and present, creating a continuation that respects the mood and mystery of the original fragment while adding a fresh, modern voice. The album also features a set of piano etudes by British composer Alison Kay, whose minimalist and atmospheric pieces invite listeners to experience sound and silence in new ways. Alongside these contemporary works are carefully chosen pieces by Chopin, Schubert, Schubert-Liszt, and Michael Finnissy's challenging English country-tunes. Chopin's final nocturnes showcase his gift for blending long, flowing melodies with delicate harmonies, revealing the emotional depth he reached late in life. Schubert's impromptu and Liszt's piano transcription of Der Muller und der Bach bring vocal storytelling to the piano, highlighting the instrument's expressive power. Finnissy's English country-tunes is a powerful and intense piece that explores English folk traditions with virtuosic energy, moving between moments of lyricism and dramatic intensity. This mix of works demonstrates how composers and performers continue to build on musical traditions, layering new ideas over old, and keeping classical music vibrant and alive. This album offers a rich listening experience that invites reflection on how music evolves -shaped by both history and the creative present.

Chopin's nocturnes are widely regarded as some of the finest works for solo piano and continue to hold a prominent place in today's concert repertoire. He composed 21 of them between 1827 and 1846, and they have become a cen- tral part of the repertoire. Many of his compositions began as improvisations - musical ideas discovered at the piano and later carefully crafted into written works. There is so much more to say about it - but for me, it was partially through studying and playing it over time that I have come to understand it better. From the beginning, the goal was never to just record these nocturnes. �I wanted to learn and grow as a pianist and mostly as a musician. I wanted to understand how to shape storytelling at the instrument, to create a musical narrative through phrasing, colour, timing, and silence. And there is no better repertoire to explore that with, than with these nocturnes. - Marie Francois

Cellist Louise Dubin's new collection of French cello works include pieces by masters Debussy, Faure and Koechlin, side by side with rarities by the lesser known Auguste Franchomme (1808-1884), and contemporary composer Philippe Hersant (b. 1948). Ms. Dubin's last award-winning album was devoted to the compositions of Franchomme. This new recording features both Franchomme's arrangements and original compositions.

Chopin's 21 Nocturnes, often described as 'songs of the night', are among the most well-known and beautiful of Chopin's short solo piano works. Divine Art is thrilled to present pianist Tom Hicks' insightful new recording of these works which synthesizes his research into Chopin's performance and composition practices with modern listeners' expectations via a 'stunning technical agility' (American Record Guide). Dr Kim Sauberlich's excellent liner notes delve deeper into this often-forgotten performance, teaching, and historical recording practice and, together with the 21 pieces on this album, pose fascinating questions about authenticity and interpretation. Chopin's practice of sending manuscripts to publishers in multiple countries, while continuing to edit, led to multiple, authentic first editions which are not often heard in performance today, and even less in recordings.� In this recording, Tom has tastefully incorporated some of these variants, alongside historically informed choices about tempo rubato and pedaling, to create a version of the Nocturnes that feels fresh, individual, and truly authentic. He has even included minor and occasional improvisations, paying homage to the composer's multifaceted creative process, in which improvisation was central. Tom Hicks has said "All of this led me to see Chopin as a highly creative and spontaneous musician for whom the score is one representation of the work and for whom the score is only the starting point of an interpretation, not the end." The album was recorded at night and the engineers have captured an intimacy of sound. The recording process relied upon minimal editing and longer 'live' takes to recreate the intimate feel of the salon where these pieces were most often heard. Guernsey-born pianist Tom Hicks has an expansive repertoire and has been praised for his "brilliantly evocative"(International Piano) and "gorgeously creative playing" (Fanfare). He has won many awards and competitions and has appeared at the Wigmore Hall in London, Bridgewater Hall in Manchester and many other venues throughout Europe and the United States. This new album follows his March 2022 albums centered around the Liszt and Ireland Piano Sonatas and Camden Reeves' 'Blue Sounds'.

Reflections Op. 28: Mallorca preludes marks the debut album of classical concert pianist Egle Andrejevaite. In 2016, the Chopin Festival of Valldemossa commissioned 24 esteemed contemporary Spanish composers to create responses to Chopin's 24 preludes. The strength of this recording project lies in reconnecting the essence of �these "sublime" and intense inspirations within the contemporary context.�The goal was to foster a�rigorous comparison between historical inspiration and modern creativity.? ?

Freire approaches the music (CHOPIN: PIANO CONCERTO NO 2) with elegance and his innate sense of melody. The recording cements Nelson Freire's reputation as not only one of the finest Chopin interpreters but one of the greatest pianists working today.

101 CHOPIN

PIANO CONCERTOS NO. 1 & 2

CELLO SONATAS

Chopin: Waltzes

Fittingly titled With Affection, Nina Kotova's latest album for Delos is a glorious showcase of some superlative cello works that are close to her heart. Starting with Shostakovich's Cello Sonata, a work blending classical form with simplicity and clarity, the program moves on to Debussy's evergreen Cello Sonata, which in contrast is elusive and whimsical, and Nina's inspired rendition of a rarity, Shostakovich's Adagio from The Limpid Stream. Martinu's Variations on a Slovakian Theme and Variations on a Theme of Rossini are both virtuosic and playful, showcasing his distinct rhythmic and lyrical style. The recital concludes with Chopin's Introduction and Polonaise Brillante in an arrangement that blends expressive cello lines with brilliant piano passages - played by Nina's partner on this album Fabio Bidini - creating an exuberant and captivating work.

Chinese pianist Nariga Nogi, in live recordings of piano works by Haydn, Liszt, Debussy, and Chopin.