Blechacz, Rafal: Piano Recital

Featuring

Rafał Blechacz
Robert Schumann
Franz Liszt
Claude Debussy
Karol Szymanowski
Frédéric Chopin

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Composition History

Claude Debussy's Suite Bergamasque, completed in 1905, was inspired by the poetry of Paul Verlaine, specifically his poem "Clair de lune."

Composition History

Robert Schumann's Sonata in G minor took six years to complete (1833-38), and its final form was influenced by his future wife, Clara Wieck.

Performer Biography

Rafał Blechacz has won numerous awards, including 1st prize and all special mentions at the 5th All-Polish Chopin Competition in Warsaw in 2005.

Composition History

Clara Wieck, the pianist and future wife of Robert Schumann, suggested that the original finale of his Sonata in G minor was too heavy, leading him to compose a new, shorter one.

Performer Biography

Rafał Blechacz, the pianist on this album, began playing piano at the age of five and studied at the State Rubinstein Music School in Bydgoszcz, Poland.

Compositional Technique

Karol Szymanowski's Variations Op. 3, composed in 1901-1903, freely treats the variation form, often using only parts of the theme and introducing mazurka and waltz rhythms.

Composer's Artistic Vision

Robert Schumann's Sonata in G minor reflects a conflict of two opposing personalities, Eusebius and Florestan, which he often transposed into his music.