Chopin Op.22

Ningxu is the newest piano solo release of the Dutch-Chinese classical pianist Mengjie Han on 7 Mountain Records. It features the monumental Variations on a theme of Chopin (Op. 22) by Sergei Rachmaninov; the very first major work he composed for piano solo. It’s paired with major solo works by Frédéric Chopin: Andante spianato et Grande polonaise brillante (Op. 22), Barcarolle (Op. 60) and the Fantaisie in F minor (Op. 49).

This CD has been released in memory of Tatiana Shebanova, who died not long after these recordings were made. It shows the exceptional relationship which she had with the historic Erard piano heard here. She fell in love with the instrument the very first time she played it.

Chopin pieces enjoyed a prominent place in the early concerts of this French pianist-and when he began his recording career, Chopin once again dominated his attention. A longtime lover of jazz, Francois lent an almost improvisational quality to his interpretations; his performances, in particular, of the ballades and nocturnes are not quite like any other on record.

The Tunisian-born French pianist Jean-Marc Luisada, a prize-winner at the 1985 Warsaw Chopin Competition, has earned an international reputation as a distinctive Chopin interpreter. In the late 1990s and early 2000s, Luisada made a series of recordings for RCA: the complete Mazurkas, Waltzes and Ballades, the B minor Sonata and a chamber arrangement of the First Concerto (joined by the Talich Quartet), among numerous other works. MusicWeb International wrote that “the most stunning aspect of his artistry is his exploratory approach to Chopin. He uses every phrase to probe into Chopin’s sound-world and psyche, also displaying a total command of the keyboard’s resources.” As ClassicsToday wrote about Luisada’s Chopin: “The pianist compels you to listen.” All his RCA Chopin recordings are now reissued in a 6-album Sony Classical box.

While Sergey Rachmaninov is justly celebrated for his piano concertos and symphonies, his sets of variations shouldn't be overlooked, for they are among his most inventive and satisfying works. Russian pianist Danil Trifonov plays the Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, the Variations on a Theme of Chopin, and the Variations on a Theme of Corelli on this 2015 Deutsche Grammophon release, and he offers his own special tribute to the composer in his solo piano suite, Rachmaniana. For the Rhapsody, Trifonov is joined by Yannick Nézet-Séguin and the Philadelphia Orchestra, an ensemble that counts historic performances with Rachmaninov as part of its heritage, and plays with its characteristic lush sound and passionate expression…

This CD has been released in memory of Tatiana Shebanova, who died not long after these recordings were made. It shows the exceptional relationship which she had with the historic Erard piano heard here. She fell in love with the instrument the very first time she played it.

In celebration of Chopin’s 200th anniversary in 2010, here is the ultimate, complete, in particular priced 17-CD edition of the composer’s works, combining the very best recordings from the Deutsche Grammophon and Decca catalogs. Featured are some of the great Chopin interpreters of our time–Argerich, Pires, Pollini, Zimerman–with substantial contributions from particular pianists of the younger generation such as Rafał Blechacz and Yundi Li.

Maria João Pires “shapes and colours every phrase, and with immaculate taste, and she makes sure the phrases end as eloquently as they begin,” wrote Gramophone in 1974. “She conveys not just the details but the relevance of every note to the whole … Best of all, she communicates everything she has discovered about the music, and it is worth having.” This Portuguese pupil of Wilhelm Kempff, Pires was one of the artists who defined the Erato label in the 1970s and 1980s. This 5-CD box gathers together the recordings she made over the period from 1976 to 1985 and it reflects the consistent focus of her repertoire, with its special emphasis on Austro-German composers of the Classical and early-Romantic periods. Embracing solo works, piano duets and concertos, it contains works by Mozart, Schumann, Beethoven, but also by Bach and Chopin.