“Masterpieces are irreplaceable with their timelessness. I still clearly remember when, for the first time, I heard a couple of bars in the last movement...

“Masterpieces are irreplaceable with their timelessness. I still clearly remember when, for the first time, I heard a couple of bars in the last movement of Beethoven’s Opus 109 – it was about 20 years ago and I felt deeply touched and captured at that moment... It was something truly indescribable to me. I have always believed that I should only record pieces of music to which I feel strongly attached. I felt that this composition would grow as if it were an extension of my own musical language. It is now very clear to me that Opus 109 will always be the music to accompany me through all the ups and downs of life, and the same is also true for Opus 111. It has to be admitted that I totally fell in love with the variations to be found in Opus 111. I desperately wanted to be part of that particular world encompassed by the fragile and sublime colors which are to be found between the “pp” and “ppp” (“very quiet” and “extremely quiet”) parts of the work, which permeate the whole special atmosphere. It seems as if one is being driven towards infinity – somehow it might even take one to a sublime place without conflicts, pain and evil.“ (Haiou Zhang)