New recordings from Rudolf Buchbinder, Hélène Grimaud, Jan Lisiecki, and Víkingur Olafsson
You might find our roundup of newly released piano recordings valuable for your listening pleasure. At times it might be hard to sift through the many new recordings released — digital or physical — and pleasantly consume it. In the spirit of focused curation, here are four discs that should put a smile on your dial.
RUDOLF BUCHBINDER
THE COMPLETE PIANO SONATAS OF BEETHOVEN
Featuring a live recording from the 2014 Salzburg Festival, Rudolf Buchbinder’s monumental feat was the first of its kind at this formidable festival. He took many years of touring and performing the 32 sonatas and distilled them into this definitive 9-disc work for posterity.
HÉLÈNE GRIMAUD
THE MESSENGER (EXTENDED VERSION)
The French pianist known for highly creative and immersive artistic projects, Hélène Grimaud released a slate of new and familiar music with Camerata Salzburg. Her ethereal interpretation of Valentin Silvestrov’s The Messenger is just breathtaking.
JAN LISIECKI
COMPLETE CHOPIN NOCTURNES
Recently interviewed in The New York Times for his new album of Chopin’s complete nocturnes, Jan Lisiecki brings a vivid intensity to this staple of the repertoire. He recorded these works for Deutsche Grammophon and positioned them as “pieces I play for myself.”
VÍKINGUR ÓLAFSSON
MOZART & CONTEMPORARIES
While Mozart might overshadow many other composers of his time, Vikingur Ólafsson’s portrayal of him is poignantly updated to showcase that many other musicians of the day were intellectually and artistically astute. This recording highlights Mozart’s contemporaries such as Galuppi and Cimarosa who aren’t well known, but also underscores his connection to household names like Haydn and C.P.E. Bach.