Search - Louis Lortie :: Louis Lortie plays Chopin, Vol. 1 - Nocturnes , Scherzos, Sonata No. 2

Louis Lortie
Louis Lortie plays Chopin, Vol. 1 - Nocturnes , Scherzos, Sonata No. 2
Genres: New Age, Classical

Track Listings (12) - Disc #1
1. Nocturne for piano No. 19 in E minor, Op. 72/1, CT. 126
2. Scherzo for piano No. 1 in B minor, Op. 20, CT. 197
3. Nocturne for piano No. 16 in E flat major, Op. 55/2, CT. 123
4. Scherzo for piano No. 2 in B flat minor, Op. 31, CT. 198
5. Nocturne for piano No. 18 in E major, Op. 62/2, CT. 125
6. Scherzo for piano No. 3 in C sharp minor, Op. 39, CT. 199
7. Nocturne for piano No. 17 in B major, Op. 62/1, CT. 124
8. Scherzo for piano No. 4 in E major, Op. 54, CT. 200
9. Piano Sonata No. 2 in B flat minor, Op. 35, CT. 202: Grave - Doppio movimento - Agitato
10. Piano Sonata No. 2 in B flat minor, Op. 35, CT. 202: Scherzo - Più lento - Tempo 1
11. Piano Sonata No. 2 in B flat minor, Op. 35, CT. 202: Marche funèbre. Lento
12. Piano Sonata No. 2 in B flat minor, Op. 35, CT. 202: Presto

CD Details

All Artists: Louis Lortie
Title: Louis Lortie plays Chopin, Vol. 1 - Nocturnes , Scherzos, Sonata No. 2
Members Wishing: 0
Total Copies: 0
Label: CHANDOS CHACONNE
Original Release Date: 1/1/2010
Re-Release Date: 5/25/2010
Genres: New Age, Classical
Styles: Instrumental, Historical Periods, Classical (c.1770-1830)
Number of Discs: 1
SwapaCD Credits: 1
UPC: 095115158821

Synopsis

Product Description

'In the era of the great romantic pianists, it used to be the fashion at piano recitals to offer an improvisation in the same key as that of the piece that was scheduled to follow, in order to get the audience 'in the mood'. To compensate for this lost art, I have thought of always playing one of the nocturnes before a major piano composition by Chopin. It makes these nocturnes appear more like an improvisation, to serve as counterweight to the very dense content of the Ballades, Scherzos, and Sonatas. This practice transfers smoothly the logic of a piano recital to a CD and makes more sense by allowing the listener to enjoy the contents in one stretch' writes Louis Lortie on his concept for the album.

The immensely respected French-Canadian virtuoso Louis Lortie celebrates the Chopin anniversary with an album of Nocturnes and Scherzos for solo piano, concluded with the famous Sonata in B flat minor, often referred to as the Funeral March. These works stretch the pianist's technique in every possible way.

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CD Reviews

Heartfelt Chopin, Impeccable Musicianship, and a Marvelous S

J Scott Morrison | Middlebury VT, USA | 07/20/2010

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I have little to add to the earlier reviews except to say that Lortie is an impressive Chopin player. The first of the Nocturnes was so marvelous I immediately played it again. The monstrously difficult final pages of the B flat minor Scherzo come off as music, not gymnastics. The B flat minor sonata (the one with the funeral march) is superb. Lortie's voicings of its handfuls of chords are worth extra attention; how does he DO that? But best of all is the sound of the Fazioli piano. It is both mellow and brilliant. Bravo to Fazioli and to whoever the piano technician was."

Louis Lortie on Chopin

Bruce A. Mcdonald | Ft. Worth, TX USA | 07/11/2010

(5 out of 5 stars)

"We are being deluged with Chopin recordings in this, the bicentennial year of the composer's birth. This one is outstanding among them-in every way! Canadian pianist Louis Lortie has been called "the best pianist no one ever heard of," but that will change, hopefully. I have long been acquainted with his fine recordings of Ravel's piano music, and this Chopin disc is equally good.

His program is a fine one, and his playing shows both taste and splendid technique. His Chopin is wonderfully "natural," by which I mean unmannered; one can actually forget Lortie and pay attention to what the composer is doing musically. The Chandos recording, too, is superb. All Chopin lovers should put this fine recording on their "wish list" for the next holiday--birthday, Christ-mas, or whatever. Bravo!"