Since 2006, Masumi Arai has been studying with Janusz Olejniczak, the pianist who played in the film The Pianist.
Recording & Production
This album is Masumi Arai's first CD recording, featuring works by Mozart and Schumann on the sonorité label, recorded in March 2022.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Schumann was inspired by E.T.A. Hoffmann's character Kreisler, and projected himself onto Kreisler in his music.
Cultural Impact
The title of Schumann's Kreisleriana was inspired by a book of music criticisms by the writer and musician E.T.A. Hoffmann.
Performer Biography
Pianist Masumi Arai studied in Europe on scholarship in 1961, after graduating from the inaugural class of the Tokyo University of the Arts Affiliated High School.
Performer Biography
Masumi Arai taught piano at the University of the Arts Berlin from 1981 to 2004 and has performed chamber music with members of the Berliner Philharmoniker.
Interpretation
Pianist Masumi Arai approaches Schumann's music by focusing on what the composer wanted to "say" in a passage, rather than just tempo markings, interpreting it as "speaking with the heart."
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