Pianist Alexandre Kantorow concludes his Brahms cycle on BIS records
Alexandre Kantorow is one of the most distinguished pianists of his generation. Now in demand at the highest level, Kantorow has become known for his profound artistry and virtuosic flare. The youngest recipient of the prestigious Gilmore Artist Award (2024), Gramophone called him 'the real deal, a fire-breathing virtuoso with a poetic charm' and Fanfare referred to the young pianist as 'Liszt reincarnate'. In 2019, at the age of 22, Kantorow made history as the first French pianist to win the Gold Medal at the Tchaikovsky Competition as well as the Grand Prix, awarded only three times before in the competition's history.
With this new album, Kantorow concludes his cycle dedicated to Brahms's piano sonatas, the previous instalments of which garnered the highest praise from music critics and audiences worldwide. By no means Brahms's first composition, the Sonata in C major bears the number 'Op. 1' and is undoubtedly one of the most brilliant débuts in musical history. The work is paired with Franz Schubert's Wanderer Fantasy, the most virtuosic composition in his output and one that seemingly anticipates the expressive possibilities of Franz Liszt, a composer also featured on the album with his masterly transcriptions of Schubert lieder. Schubert composed over 600 Lieder during his short life, making him the greatest exponent of this genre - five of these are presented here in Franz Liszt's transcriptions for solo piano. Schubert's skilful musical imagery is transformed into poetry by an arranger who makes full use of the technical innovation of the piano – relished in these performances by Alexandre Kantorow.
Release date: 1 NOVEMBER 2024 - BIS2660
