Les compositions de FIELD sont consacrées au piano et préfigure 30 ans après le choix ultérieur de CHOPIN de se consacrer à cet instrument. Les oeuvres de l'Irlandais reflètent fidèlement les principales caractéristiques de son jeu, Spohr, Hummel, Glinka et Liszt témoignèrent de sa délicatesse et de sa vitesse perlée, de son jeu langoureux et apaisant qui remplaçait la vacuité d'une virtuosité à la mode.
The Nocturnes and Barcarolles demonstrate Fauré’s art at its most personal, progressing from early lyricism to the elusive, rarefied style of the later works. Marc-André Hamelin’s performances are predictably fine, and combine exceptional subtlety with magisterial keyboard authority.
Jacques Loussier has made a career out of playing classical themes in a jazz setting. Born in France in 1934, he came to fame in the late 1950s with his Play Bach Trio, a group that stayed together 20 years, transforming the themes of Bach into creative and melodic jazz. Since then he has put together another trio in which he interprets not just the music of Bach but Beethoven, Debussy, Ravel, Satie and other classical giants. This set (which is subtitled Impressions on Chopin's Nocturnes) is a bit of a departure in that Loussier performs Frédéric Chopin's 21 nocturnes as unaccompanied piano solos. Nocturne No. 2 in E-Flat Major, Op, 9., No. 2 is the most famous of these melodies although a few of the other nocturnes may be familiar even to non-classical listeners…
Tzadik is proud to present the first CD of classical chamber music by Downtown powerhouse Trevor Dunn. Bassist, composer, bandleader and arranger, Dunn has been a mainstay of dozens of high-profile ensembles for over thirty years. Nocturnes is a moody and brooding program of compositions featuring his first string quartet performed by The Secret Quartet, Six Nocturnes for piano, an early piece from 1989 for bass and string quartet, and a dynamic trio for piano, violin and bass featuring the remarkable Carla Kihlstedt and Vicky Chow. A stunning program of modern chamber music at its best by one of the most consistent and musical figures in the Downtown scene.
Jenny Lin is one of the most respected young pianists today, admired for her adventurous programming and charismatic stage presence. She has been acclaimed for her “remarkable technical command” and “a gift for melodic flow” by The New York Times. The Washington Post praises “Lin’s confident fingers… spectacular technique… “, “…surely one of the most interesting pianists in America right now…” and Gramophone Magazine has hailed her as “an exceptionally sensitive pianist”. On this Steinway and Sons release, Lin lends her sensitivity and virtuosity to the Nocturnes of Chopin. They are generally considered among the finest short solo works for the piano and hold an important place in contemporary concert repertoire. Although Chopin did not invent the nocturne, he popularized and expanded on it, building on the form developed by Irish composer John Field.