Nino Gvetadze: “Chopin looked back and evoked for us the story of his life in his 24 Preludes. Through the medium of these works he revealed his deepest fears and sorrows, but also the beauty and integrity of his heart. The story of these ghosts culminates in tolling bells which are, in Cortot’s words, “of blood, of earthly pleasure, of death...” But what follows? A pause: silence, timeless solitude, in the Etude Op.10, No.6. Then, suddenly, the soul wakes up and waltzes into space. The album ends with the Scherzo No.2, “like a charnel house”, or house of the dead, as Chopin apparently described the opening – yet the finale sounds like a celebration of life. And so our ghostly journey ends with fireworks, with smiling and shining, looking far into the future...”
Tracks
Disc 1
1. Preludes Op. 28 Agitato In C Major, C.166
2. Preludes Op. 28 Lento In A Minor, C.167
3. Preludes Op. 28 Vivace In G Major, C.168
4. Preludes Op. 28 Largo In E Minor, C.169
5. Preludes Op. 28 Molto Allegro In D Major, C.170
6. Preludes Op. 28 Lento Assai In B Minor, C.171
7. Preludes Op. 28 Andantino In A Major, C.172
8. Preludes Op. 28 Molto Agitato In F# Minor, C.173
9. Preludes Op. 28 Largo In E Major, C.174
10. Preludes Op. 28 Molto Allegro In C# Minor, C.175
11. Preludes Op. 28 Vivace In B Major, C.176
12. Preludes Op. 28 Presto In G# Minor, C.177
13. Preludes Op. 28 Lento In F# Major, C.178
14. Preludes Op. 28 Allegro In E-Flat Minor, C.179
15. Preludes Op. 28 Sostenuto In D-Flat Major, C.180 'raindrop'
16. Preludes Op. 28 Presto Con Fuoco In B-Flat Minor, C.181
17. Preludes Op. 28 Allegretto In A-Flat Major, C.182
18. Preludes Op. 28 Molto Allegro In F Minor, C.183
19. Preludes Op. 28 Vivace In E-Flat Major, C.184
20. Preludes Op. 28 Largo In C Minor, C.185
21. Preludes Op. 28 Cantabile In B-Flat Major, C.186
22. Preludes Op. 28 Molto Agitato In G Minor, C.187
23. Preludes Op. 28 Moderato In F Major, C.188
24. Preludes Op. 28 Allegro Appassionato In D Minor, C.189
