Schumann, Poulenc & Others: Piano Works (Live in Japan, 2022)

Featuring

Pavel Nersessian
Robert Schumann
Francis Poulenc
Jean-François Dandrieu
Jean-Philippe Rameau
Louis-Claude Daquin

François Couperin

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Compositional Technique

The program includes several Baroque harpsichord pieces by Dandrieu, Rameau, Daquin, and Couperin that imitate bird calls or other descriptive elements, such as 'The Cuckoo' or 'The Butterflies'.

Recording & Production

For this recording, Masayuki Matsunaga, the piano tuner, brought his own Steinway D model piano, equipped with his original action, to realize his ideal sound.

Composer's Artistic Vision

Poulenc's 'Soirées de Nazelles' and Schumann's 'Carnaval' share a common spirit in their programs, both depicting 'friends' through music.

Performer Biography

Pavel Nersessian, the pianist on this album, won first prize at the 1991 GPA Dublin International Piano Competition and is considered one of the most notable pianists of his generation.

Recording & Production

The album features the unique 'time-lag tuning' by Masayuki Matsunaga, a piano tuner from Yamaguchi Prefecture, which creates a three-dimensional sound quality.

Performer Biography

Pavel Nersessian is a prestigious artist of the Russian Federation, a winner of international competitions, and a professor at both the Moscow State Tchaikovsky Conservatory and Boston University.

Compositional Technique

Schumann's 'Carnaval' Op. 9 is built around the musical motive 'ASCH' (A-flat, C, B-natural in German notation), which refers to the hometown of Ernestine von Fricken, whom Schumann was romantically involved with.