Chopin Nocturnes

Were we committed to tracing Chopin’s melodic evolution, it is in the nocturnes that we find a possible answer. From the operatic archetypes found in the early Op. 9 to the narcotic orientalism in the first of Op. 62, the last set that Chopin published, bel canto had a fundamental role in shaping the composer’s melodic consciousness. It is often said that it is in the intimate nature of the salon that Chopin’s nocturnes should be placed; it was mostly women who performed them in public in the 19th century, precisely because of their purported feminine qualities. But we also witness devastating outbursts in the middle sections of Op. 9 No. 3, Op. 15 Nos. 1 and 3, or in the operatic climax to which the heart of the Op. 55 No. 1 gives rise.

From the forward-thinking pianism and sublime originality displayed by the early Op. 9 (1830-31) to the filigreed arabesques that grace the middle-register melodies in the more imposing structures of Op. 62 (1846), it is the nocturnes that allow us to trace Chopin’s aesthetic evolution. Indeed, his intention to create a new era in art is here in full display, not only in the magical sonorities he managed to evoke from the instrument, but also in his revolutionary lyricism, present from the onset, in which operatic archetypes unite with completely new pianistic intuitions. Chopin’s nocturnes were the works of an inspired soul; in turn, they inspired future generations of composers.A prize winner in the XVI International Chopin Piano Competition in Warsaw, French pianist François Dumont presents a double album featuring Chopin’s complete nocturnes. Dumont brings years of life experience in this performance, playing with refinement and inspiration. In addition to the nocturnes that Chopin published during his lifetime, the present recording includes the Nocturne in E Minor, possibly written in Warsaw in 1827 and published posthumously in 1855 as part of Op. 72; the Nocturne in C Minor, B. 108, written in 1837 but published only in 1938; and a piece inscribed “Largo con gran espressione,” a work Chopin composed for his sister in 1830 as she studied his Second Piano Concerto (thematic material from the Concerto in F Minor is recognizable throughout the piece). The latter is perhaps one of Chopin’s most celebrated works, and was titled “nocturne” only upon its publication in 1875.Mr. Dumont’s recording of Chopin’s complete nocturnes took place on February 2017 and is recorded with 3 microphones stereo pair.

Sophisticated colourist and cerebral virtuoso though he is, Nelson Goerner nevertheless brings out the moments of weakness, the hesitations, the lightning passions in the labyrinth of Chopin’, wrote Diapason on the release of the Preludes in 2015 (Diapason d’Or, Choc de Classica). ‘Serenity’, ‘balance’, ‘clarity’, ‘phrasing’ are the key words that recur in reviews of the discs and concerts of the Argentine pianist, whose fifth solo release on Alpha this is.

Sophisticated colourist and cerebral virtuoso though he is, Nelson Goerner nevertheless brings out the moments of weakness, the hesitations, the lightning passions in the labyrinth of Chopin’, wrote Diapason on the release of the Preludes in 2015 (Diapason d’Or, Choc de Classica). ‘Serenity’, ‘balance’, ‘clarity’, ‘phrasing’ are the key words that recur in reviews of the discs and concerts of the Argentine pianist, whose fifth solo release on Alpha this is.

A graceful and charismatic performer, Fliter is known for her effortless technique and thoughtful, sensitive music-making; every performance is deeply personal and full of freshness and poetry, perfect for exploring Chopin’s masterful Nocturnes.

‘Some of the finest operatic arias ever written’ is Stephen Hough’s brilliant characterization of the Nocturnes, one which holds the key to his intensely lyrical interpretations of these most perfect of bel canto masterworks.