New recordings from Igor Levit, Jan Lisiecki, Daniel Barenboim
Let's kick off the year with new recordings you might have missed from late last year. We've found Igor Levit's new album, Jan Lisiecki's single released ahead of the full album coming February 18, and lastly Daniel Barenboim's new single track added to Deutsche Grammophon's ever-growing playlist "Musical Moments.”
IGOR LEVIT
ON DSCH
On DSCH is a discographic tour de force of a kind that not even Igor Levit has attempted before. That the self-styled “maximalist” enjoys pushing himself to his limits – intellectually and physically – is well known, but the present project puts all others in the shade. Completed in 1951, Shostakovich’s 24 Preludes and Fugues – a summary of all the major and minor tonalities – lasts some two and a half hours in total, while Ronald Stevenson’s Passacaglia on DSCH, which the Scottish composer completed in 1963, is an unbroken set of variations lasting nearly an hour and a half. The letters DSCH spell out Shostakovich’s musical monogram using their German note names: D–Es–C–H = D–E♭–b–C–B.
JAN LISIECKI
NIGHT MUSIC
Following Jan Lisiecki’s release Chopin: Complete Nocturnes, the prolific pianist returns with Night Music – an exploration of the universe of night music with works by Mozart, Ravel, and Schumann. This eAlbum consists of selected tracks from Lisiecki’s Würzburg recital in 2018.
DANIEL BARENBOIM
DVOŘÁK - 8 HUMORESQUES OP. 101, B. 187: NO. 7 POCO LENTO E GRAZIOSO
This maestro hardly needs an introduction. And, it appears this work was just released as a standalone piece without a larger album forthcoming. However, there will be a very special Encores recording featuring Barenboim in March 2022. For now, check this out.