Chopin: Scherzi / Impromtus Yundi Li

• Frédéric François (1810-1849):
• 1 Scherzo No.1 In B Minor, Op.20 09:34
• 2 Scherzo No.2 In B Flat Minor, Op.31 10:07
• 3 Scherzo No.3 In C Sharp Minor, Op.39 07:55
• 4 Scherzo No.4 In E, Op.54 10:39
• 5 Impromptu No.1 In A Flat, Op.29 04:04
• 6 Impromptu No.2 In F Sharp, Op.36 05:40
• 7 Impromptu No.3 In G Flat, Op.51 05:11
• Total Runtime 53:10

Info for Chopin: Scherzi / Impromtus

Yundi Li is being groomed for superstardom. He's got the looks, youth, and keyboard athleticism to fill that role, but on the basis of this all-Chopin disc (and his previous Chopin and Liszt recitals), he still lacks the interpretive maturity that translates into staying power. His B minor Scherzo, for example, comes off as excessively sectional, and its central section lacks poetry. Other works here fare better, but his attention appears focused on pianistic fluency and dazzling finger work, often at the expense of a full measure of emotional communication. The Impromptus, lovely as they are in places, tend to blandness. Li compensates for his lack of depth and spontaneity with a beautiful tone, remarkably even runs, and precise articulation at high speeds, attributes which should be sufficient for many. If you're looking for the rhetorical, probing grandeur of an Arrau or the emotional directness of a Rubinstein you'll look elsewhere. But if you're in tune with Pollini's detached, objective Chopin and enjoy hearing a skilled pianist perform impressive technical feats on the instrument, you'll want this disc.

„Ah, youth. It's youthful energy and enthusiasm that abound in Yundi Li's performance of Chopin's Scherzi and Impromptus. He flies with the greatest of ease over the keyboard, making an inspiring display of his technical abilities. Musically, he's not bad either, if a little theatrical. In the faster outer sections of the Scherzi, he is fleet fingered and clear. In the Scherzo No. 2, he keeps the chords and figures of the opening section tight and short, making the contrast with the right-hand arpeggios stand out. Even though he plays the Scherzi for their theatrics, he still manages to find and bring out the melodic figures, even if they are only three or four notes long and buried in ornamental ruffles. Li handles the Impromptus more simply, without as much drama. Impromptu No. 2 is delicate and quiet in the outer sections, while he keeps the more forceful central section in proportion. In the coda, he brings out the melody in the left hand, allowing the listener to focus on that rather than the dazzling right hand, splendid as it is. All of this indicates that although it's Li's energy and technique that stand out in this Chopin, there is a chance that his technique and musicality will balance out as he matures.“ (Patsy Morita, AMG)

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.

Booklet for Chopin: Scherzi / Impromtus