Chopin: Complete Nocturnes (2CD)

Frédéric Chopin's Nocturnes are among the most beautiful and popular works of piano music. For his new album, Canadian pianist Jan Lisiecki returns to Chopin's music and, following Chopin: Études (2013) and Works for Piano & Orchestra (2017), presents a recording of all the Nocturnes. The pianist is often celebrated for his masterfully sensitive and sophisticated readings. His latest release not only captures the spirit of Chopin's keyboard artistry, it is also a document of the time in which it was created: "I am the first to question why we record something that has already been recorded so many times," says Lisiecki. "But music only lives when it's played and it's always new when we hear it, even for a recording. I still had something to say with this album." Chopin filtered the essence of the song into his Nocturnes. He was inspired by the expressive power of Italian opera and the freedom of Polish folk music. As a child, Lisiecki was particularly enchanted by the yearning melody of Opus 9 No. 1. The piece - the first of 21 that the composer wrote between the late 1820s and 1847 - allowed a glimpse into a vast universe of emotions, musical gestures and timbres. It paved the way for the brilliant student to explore the lyrical side of his instrument. Lisiecki recently wowed audiences with his award-winning Beethoven Lieder album, which he released last year together with Matthias Goerne. In addition to his closeness to Chopin's music, this immersion in the world of song has certainly also shaped his interpretations of the lyrical, confessional Nocturnes, works that he believes are made for intimate listening and are probably best heard and appreciated alone at night. "These remarkable pieces invite you to think and feel whatever you want. There is no 'right' - only what they trigger in you," says the pianist.