Louis Lortie plays Chopin Volume 4 [Waltzes / Nocturnes]

Louis Lortie plays Chopin Volume 4 [Waltzes / Nocturnes] cover $35.00 Out of Stock
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FREDERIC CHOPIN
Louis Lortie plays Chopin Volume 4 [Waltzes / Nocturnes]
Louis Lortie (piano)

[ Chandos / CD ]

Release Date: Wednesday 15 April 2015

This item is currently out of stock. It may take 6 or more weeks to obtain from when you place your order as this is a specialist product.

This is the fourth volume of Louis Lortie's highly successful series devoted to Chopin. The recording perfectly illustrates how Chopin elevated the waltz to a genre of musical art, from danses de salon - evocative of a genial milieu - to 'works' with proper opus numbers. Growing up in the 1820s, the composer at first viewed the waltz purely pragmatically, as a means to a social end in the dance salon. But after spending time in Vienna and Paris in the 1830s he decided that a waltz might be worthy of the deeper appreciation accorded a 'work'.

From moods of liveliness, in introductory calls to the dance, to more poetical or sentimental sections, the affective achievement in these works is great, whether the mood captured is plaintive (the B minor, A flat major, or F minor ones), evocative of the dance salon (the E major), lilting (the D flat major), reminiscent of a Ländler (the A flat major, the only waltz Chopin composed in 3 / 8 meter), dramatic (the E minor), or brilliant (the G flat major).

The nocturnes also trace their origins to the salon. The genre derives from a type of vocal music, akin to the solo romance, but highly popular among amateurs as an opportunity for singing duets.

With this series, Louis Lortie has made his reputation as a 'model Chopinist' (BBC Music).

"Louis Lortie's Chopin series reaches a new height with this utterly charming, idiomatic recital of the complete waltzes. Plus, he adds a handful of nocturnes, and the result is a jam-packed 83-minute CD. So, with the Chandos booklet and sound at their usual very high standard, this kicks Lortie's Chopin series up to a higher level. About the sound: this was recorded over three entire years, but there's no way you'd be able to tell it wasn't one seamless session. It's testimony to producer/engineer/Chandos label boss Ralph Couzens. I'm going to be listening with keen interest from now on, and in hindsight maybe the earlier discs were better than I thought. This disc is terrific fun." (MusicWeb May 2015)

Tracks:

Nocturne No. 1 in B flat minor, Op. 9 No. 1
Nocturne No. 9 in B major, Op. 32 No. 1
Nocturne No. 11 in G minor, Op. 37 No. 1
Nocturne No. 12 in G major, Op. 37 No. 2
Nocturne No. 20 in C sharp minor, Op. post.
Waltz No. 11 in G flat major, Op. 70 No. 1
Waltz No. 12 in F minor, Op. 70 No. 2
Waltz No. 13 in D flat major, Op. 70 No. 3
Waltz No. 9 in A flat major, Op. 69 No. 1 'Farewell Waltz'
Waltz No. 10 in B minor, Op. 69 No. 2
Waltz No. 6 in D flat major, Op. 64 No. 1 'Minute Waltz'
Waltz No. 7 in C sharp minor, Op. 64 No. 2
Waltz No. 8 in A flat major, Op. 64 No. 3
Waltz No. 5 in A flat major, Op. 42
Waltz No. 2 in A flat major 'Grande Valse Brillante', Op. 34 No. 1
Waltz No. 3 in A minor 'Grande Valse Brillante', Op. 34 No. 2
Waltz No. 4 in F major 'Grande Valse Brillante', Op. 34 No. 3
Waltz No. 1 in E flat major 'Grande Valse Brillante', Op. 18
Waltz No. 16 in A flat major, Op. post., KKIVa:13, B 21
Waltz No. 18 in E flat major 'Sostenuto', Op. post., KKIVb:10, B 133
Waltz No. 17 in E flat major, Op. post., KKIVa:14, B 46
Waltz No. 15 in E major, Op. post., KKIVa:12, B 44
Waltz No. 14 in E minor, Op. post., KKIVa:15, B 56
Waltz No. 19 in A minor, Op. post., KKIVb:11, B 150