Ravel, Schumann, Debussy & Chopin: Waltzes

Featuring

Peter Donohoe
Robert Schumann
Frédéric Chopin
Maurice Ravel
Claude Debussy

Did you know?

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Composer Biography

Frédéric Chopin, a noted Polish patriot, lived in Paris from 1831 and never returned to his native land, where he met and befriended Hector Berlioz and Franz Liszt.

Composer's Artistic Vision

Chopin, who wrote almost exclusively for the piano, extended the structure and technique of composing for the instrument to an unprecedented degree, seeing no technical barriers to his inspiration.

Historical Context

The waltz, a three-in-a-bar dance, rose to prominence in the late 18th century, particularly in Vienna, and was considered daring due to the closer intimacy of the dancers.

Critical Reception

Robert Schumann, a German composer, famously endorsed Chopin's Variations Op.2 on 'Là ci darem la mano' by writing: 'Hats off, gentlemen, a genius'.

Compositional Technique

Robert Schumann's 'Abegg' Variations, his first published work, is an astonishingly original composition based on an original theme using the notes A-B(flat)-E-G-G.

Performer Biography

Peter Donohoe, born in Manchester in 1953, is an honorary doctor of music at seven UK universities and was awarded a CBE for services to classical music in 2010.

Interpretation

Peter Donohoe, the performer on this album, plays Chopin's Waltzes in his own preferred order, mixing virtuoso pieces with more intimate ones to create a satisfying collection.