This album was recorded at La Ferme de Villefavard, a converted granary in the Limousin countryside, known for its exceptional acoustics designed by Albert Yaying Xu.
Performer Biography
Abdel Rahman El Bacha, the pianist on this album, won the Queen Elisabeth of Belgium Competition by unanimous decision at the age of nineteen.
Performer Biography
Abdel Rahman El Bacha received the Grand Prix de l'Académie Charles Cros in 1983 for his recording of early Prokofiev works, presented by Mme Sergey Prokofiev herself.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Chopin was the first composer to title instrumental pieces 'Ballades', drawing inspiration from epic or narrative poems often tinged with fantastical elements.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Chopin's Scherzos deviate from their Italian etymology ('joke') and their musical models by Haydn and Beethoven, instead possessing great refinement and 'diabolical virtuosity'.
Compositional Technique
Chopin's Ballades frequently use variation techniques, with sonata form serving only as a distant reference, and are predominantly in triple time.
