Beethoven - Pathétique, Moonlight, Appassionata Yundi Li

• Piano Sonata No.8 in C minor, Op.13 - Pathétique
• 1 1. Grave - Allegro di molto e con brio 08:30
• 2 2. Adagio cantabile 05:13
• 3 3. Rondo (Allegro) 04:22
• Piano Sonata No.14 In C Sharp Minor, Op.27 No.2 - Moonlight
• 4 1. Adagio sostenuto 07:06
• 5 2. Allegretto 02:00
• 6 3. Presto agitato 06:51
• Piano Sonata No.23 in F minor, Op.57 - Appassionata
• 7 1. Allegro assai 09:20
• 8 2. Andante con moto 06:22
• 9 3. Allegro ma non troppo 07:29
• Total Runtime 57:13

Info zu Beethoven - Pathétique, Moonlight, Appassionata

Following his recordings on Deutsche Grammophon of music by Frédéric Chopin and Franz Liszt, Chinese pianist Yundi Li takes on the three most popular piano sonatas of Ludwig van Beethoven, the "Pathétique," "Moonlight," and "Appassionata." Known for having brilliant technique and dynamic showmanship, Yundi plays against type in these beloved works, which call for more introspection and expressiveness than might be expected from him. Even though the outer movements of "Pathétique" and "Appassionata" and the last movement of "Moonlight" give Yundi ample opportunity to demonstrate his agility, power, and high energy, they are relatively restrained, compared to the kind of virtuosic fare that made him an international star. Furthermore, the Classical impulse that informed these sonatas calls for a balance of moods, not just bravura playing. The slow movements let Yundi show he is more than just a flashy technician, and he gives carefully considered performances that work, albeit as fairly Romantic readings. Because Beethoven's piano sonatas have been interpreted and recorded by pianists too numerous to count, it's easy to dismiss performances that fall short of the great recordings of the past, especially any that seem addressed to a mainstream audience. Yundi's album will not impress connoisseurs who have already settled on their favorite recordings, though casual listeners may like what Yundi does with the music and learn more about Beethoven as a result. (Blair Sanderson, All Music Guide)

"In the Pathetique's first-movement introduction, Yundi's pronounced dynamic contrasts and stable pulse marked by the tiniest expressive adjustments compel serious listening, and so does the thrust of his broken octaves in the movements' main section." (Gramophone)

"The warmth of the colouring, the recording too, certainly makes this Beethoven recital - Yundi's first - different from the norm. Even when the music indicates something granitic, our pianist still stands on velvet. Drama and impetuosity abound in the first movement of the Pathétique." (The Times)

Yundi Li, piano

Yundi Li
Internationally acclaimed pianist YUNDI was propelled onto the international stage when he won first prize at the XIV Chopin International Piano Competition at the age of 18, becoming the youngest and first Chinese winner in the history of the prestigious competition. Since then, he has been regarded as a leading exponent of Chopin’s music. In recognition of his contribution to Polish culture, the Government of Poland presented a Gold Medal for Merit to Culture ‘Gloria Artis’ to YUNDI in 2010.

On his regular recital tours, YUNDI has performed in such venues as Carnegie Hall (New York), Royal Festival Hall (London), Musikverein Vienna, Alte Opera Frankfurt, Herkulessaal (Munich), Konzerthaus Berlin, Gewandhaus zu Leipzig, Salle Pleyel (Paris), Mariinsky Concert Hall (St Petersburg), National Centre for Performing Arts (Beijing), Seoul Arts Centre and Suntory Hall (Tokyo). Orchestras and conductors with whom he has collaborated include the Berliner Philharmoniker and Seiji Ozawa, Leipzig Gewandhausorchester and Riccardo Chailly, Mahler Chamber Orchestra and Daniel Harding, Rotterdam Philharmonic and Yannick Nézet-Séguin, Philharmonia Orchestra and Andrew Davis, Mariinsky Orchestra and Valery Gergiev, and the Israel Philharmonic and Gustavo Dudamel. He has also performed with the Vienna Philharmonic, National Symphony Orchestra (Washington), Philadelphia Orchestra, Toronto Symphony and NHK Symphony.

YUNDI’s 2012/13 season opens with Tchaikovsky’s First Piano Concerto with the Hong Kong Philharmonic and Vassily Sinaisky. He returns to Malaysia, Taiwan and Korea before embarking on a recital tour in Europe which includes performances in London, Paris, Munich, Frankfurt, Berlin, Prague and Moscow.

In addition to his activities on the concert platform, YUNDI is also passionate about humanitarian work, which includes acting as an ambassador of the Red Cross Society of China and for his hometown of Chongqing. Equally committed to promoting classical music in an educational context, YUNDI is one of the pioneers of musical education in China, where his success story has played a crucial role in millions of children learning the piano. He has also given masterclasses at the Royal College of Music, University of Cambridge and Qinghua University in Beijing. In Autumn 2012, he was appointed Associate Dean and Professor of the Piano Faculty at the Sichuan Conservatory of Music

YUNDI has released nine CDs worldwide on Deutsche Grammophon and EMI Classics. In 2007, he became the first Chinese pianist to record live with the Berliner Philharmoniker and Seiji Ozawa. This Deutsche Grammophon disc met with rave reviews and was named ‘Editor’s Choice’ by Gramophone magazine. On EMI Classics, he has released the complete Chopin Nocturnes, Live in Beijing (the first live recording to emerge from the National Centre for Performing Arts in Beijing since its inception in 2007) and Red Piano, an album celebrating piano music written by Chinese composers. YUNDI’s next CD, a recording of three of Beethoven’s piano sonatas, will be released on Deutsche Grammophon in Spring 2013.

Born in Chongqing, YUNDI began piano studies at age seven. He subsequently trained at the Shenzhen Arts School and Hochschule für Musik und Theater Hannover.

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