The pianist Anna Zassimova offers us a musical journey through most of Chopin’s creative periods, bringing together miniatures and some larger scaled, highly structured works. We can thus follow the composer’s stylistic evolution: slightly whimsical at first, then works that are often tragic and violent, evolving in his final years towards great luminosity and relative calm.\nHighlights of this recital include the Ballades Nos 2 and 4, the Mazurkas, Op. 41 and Op. 50 and the Scherzo No. 4 in E major. The mazurkas can be seen as a kind of diary that Chopin kept throughout his life as an artist, reflecting his deep-rooted attachment to Poland. In them, folklore was entirely recreated and stylized. Considered the finest of Chopin’s creation and among the most representative of romantic music, the Ballads are pure music in its finest form. Without any specific programme, they are said to have been inspired by the poetic ideas of one of his friends, the poet Adam Mickiewicz. Finally, the Scherzo has an almost fairy-tale, luminous atmosphere, although there are more passionate and intense moments, and it thus appears close to the character of the scherzo as it was once conceived.
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Reviews
“… All are masterfully performed, and the entire program is one of the most enjoyable Chopin recitals in my library… This CD is an easy one to give my highest recommendation.”
James Harrington – Fanfare – January/February 2024
Performance **** Recording ****
“… This album repays careful listening and enriches our picture of Chopin’s conception of these elusive, tender dances.”
Natasha Loges – BBC Music magazine – September 2023
"… Anna Zassimova bringa imagination, marmoreal sound and searching intellect to her music-making … an inviting Chopin narrative …"
Ates Orga – International Piano magazine – September 2023
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