Yundi, the performer on this album, was the youngest-ever winner of the International Chopin Competition in Warsaw in 2000 and later served on its jury in 2015.
Composition History
The term 'ballade' for Chopin's works may have been inspired by narrative operatic numbers, such as the minstrel's ballade in Meyerbeer's successful opera Robert le diable.
Compositional Technique
Chopin's wordless ballades are built on contrast and development, rather than repetition, reflecting a classical style.
Interpretation
Yundi believes that powerful piano playing comes from the fingers, not the feet, and primarily uses the sustaining pedal for refining color.
Composition History
The mazurka, a dance from the Mazovia region of Poland where Chopin spent his early years, served as a national calling card for the composer.
Compositional Technique
Chopin's Berceuse Op. 57, originally titled 'Variantes', is a set of variations built on simple harmonic foundations with an unchanging left-hand accompaniment that creates a hypnotic effect.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Chopin, despite writing in an age of literary and extra-musical references, resisted specific programs or allusions in his music.
