Jean-Nicolas Diatkine worked as a coach at a singing school in Paris for ten years, following Chopin's advice to his students to listen to singers.
Composer Biography
At the time of composing his Sonata No. 21, Op. 53 "Waldstein", Beethoven was intensely struggling with his deafness and had recently overcome suicidal thoughts, as documented in the "Heiligenstadt Testament".
Compositional Technique
Schumann's Carnaval, Op. 9, is mischievously subtitled "Scènes mignonnes sur quatre notes" (delightful scenes on four notes), referring to the letters A, S, C, H, which form the name of his beloved Ernestine von Fricken's birthplace.
Performer Biography
Jean-Nicolas Diatkine, the pianist on this album, began his music studies at age six and was influenced by teachers Ruth Nye (a student of Claudio Arrau) and Narcis Bonet (a student of Nadia Boulanger).
Composer's Artistic Vision
Beethoven declared his intention to take a "new path" in his compositions, leading to works like the Sonata Op. 53 "Waldstein", the "Eroica" Symphony, and the "Appassionata" Sonata.
Instruments
The piano used for this recording is a Steinway, tuned by Helmut Klemm.
Recording & Production
This album was recorded in Paris, France, at Salle Colonne, in February 2012.
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