Jan Lisiecki / Schumann—St. Cecilia Academy Orchestra/Antonio Pappano (DeutGram 4795327)
You may recognize the soloist’s name: he recently appeared at Severance Hall to play the Chopin Second Concerto with Antoni Wit and The Cleveland Orchestra. Jan Lisiecki (“lee SHETZ key”) visited WCLV and Program Director Bill O’Connell had a chance to talk with him about his life as a 21-year-old world-travelling virtuoso. His views on music in general and the correct approach to Chopin in particular were mature and well thought out, surprising in one so young. The Schumann program at hand is his third CD for Deutsche Grammophon and contains luminous performances of the Piano Concerto Op 54, along with two other concerted works. Each is known in the German-speaking world as a Konzertstück (Concert Piece), but they are identified in English as the Introduction and Allegro appassionato in G Major Op 92 and the Introduction and (Concert) Allegro in D minor Op 134. Unwieldy titles to be sure, but pieces well worth exploring. There is a tiny encore at the end of the program, and it’s an unabashedly unsentimental version of Träumerei from Schumann’s Scenes from Childhood Op 15.
Featured Fri 5/6, Tue 5/17, Thu 5/26