Grieg: Piano Sonata, 14 Lyric Pieces Matthieu Idmtal

• Edvard Grieg (1843 - 1907): Piano Sonata in E Minor, Op. 7:
• 1 Grieg: Piano Sonata in E Minor, Op. 7: I. Allegro moderato 05:32
• 2 Grieg: Piano Sonata in E Minor, Op. 7: II. Andante molto 05:18
• 3 Grieg: Piano Sonata in E Minor, Op. 7: III. Alla menuetto, ma poco più lento 03:32
• 4 Grieg: Piano Sonata in E Minor, Op. 7: IV. Finale - Molto allegro 06:54
• Edvard Grieg:
• 5 Grieg: Arietta, Op. 12 No. 1 01:46
• 6 Grieg: Berceuse, Op. 38 No. 1 03:19
• 7 Grieg: Butterfly, Op. 43 No. 1 01:59
• 8 Grieg: Elegy, Op. 47 No. 7 04:32
• 9 Grieg: Valse-Impromptu, Op. 47 No. 1 03:28
• 10 Grieg: Melody, Op. 47 No. 3 04:10
• 11 Grieg: March of the Dwarfs, Op. 54 No. 3 03:42
• 12 Grieg: Elegy, Op. 38 No. 6 03:53
• 13 Grieg: Waltz, Op. 38 No. 7 01:26
• 14 Grieg: Wedding Day at Troldhaugen, Op. 65 No. 6 06:14
• 15 Grieg: Homesickness, Op. 57 No. 6 05:44
• 16 Grieg: Vanished Days, Op. 57 No. 1 08:03
• 17 Grieg: Solitary Traveller, Op. 43 No. 2 02:49
• 18 Grieg: Nocturne, Op. 54 No. 4 06:00
• Total Runtime 01:18:21

Info for Grieg: Piano Sonata, 14 Lyric Pieces

Having completed his studies at the Brussels conservatoire and won first prizes at several distinguished competitions for young musicians, Matthieu Idmtal quickly became known as a specialist in the music of Alexander Scriabin. His debut on record was dedicated to a sequence of the Russian composer’s Etudes and Preludes, and it won him golden reviews: ‘I have listened to Sofronitsky, Gilels, Richter and Ashkenazy – great Scriabin players all. Young Matthieu Idmtal has the potential to join that lofty group.’ (American Record Guide)

His Scriabin disc was followed by an equally well-received album of the violin sonatas by Edvard Grieg, in company with his regular violin-recital partner Maya Levy. The natural sequel is this focus on the Norwegian composer’s solo output. Grieg composed seven books of Lyric Pieces across the course of his career: songs without words that amount to a diary of his compositional evolution as well as testament to enduring preoccupations such as the artistic transformation of folksong and the evocation of natural phenomena such as sunlight and the movement of water. Idmtal’s sequence ranges across all seven books, and does not shy away from established classics such as the Arietta and Wedding Day at Troldhaugen. However, he also includes several lesser-known and introspective masterpieces such as the Vanished Days and Homesickness from the Opus 57 set.

Even by their side, however, the Piano Sonata Op 7 is an almost forgotten masterpiece. Grieg wrote it at the age of 22, recently graduated from the conservatoire in Leipzig, yet even within the first movement’s opening exposition there are shapes and harmonies that instantly identify the composer’s artistic fingerprint. The sonata reflects the ambitions and character of the young Grieg: high-spirited, virtuosic, impetuous, and permeated with brusque mood swings. Cast in a compressed version of the traditional four- movement form, it encompasses many changes of mood, sometimes very abrupt, as if the composer was overflowing with musical ideas and inspiration. It makes an ideal introduction to the familiar world of the Lyric Pieces as well as a notable debut for Matthieu Idmtal on Piano Classics.

Edvard Grieg (1843-1907) was at the forefront of a flourishing of creativity that took place in Scandinavian culture in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, alongside his contemporaries, Nielsen and Sibelius. His imagination was particularly fired by the folk music and stories of his native Norway. His catchy tunes, lively rhythms and haunting musical evocations of the majestic Norwegian landscapes have made Grieg immensely popular with a wide audience.

This new recording presents Grieg’s substantial Piano Sonata Op.7 and a selection of his famous Lyric Pieces (Lyrische Stücke). The Piano Sonata contains all the elements so characteristic of Grieg's genius: long lyrical melody lines, passionate drama, intimate moments of respite, nimble dance rhythms, and grandiose outbursts. It fully reflects the ambitions and character of the then still young composer: high-spirited, virtuosic, impetuous, and permeated with brusque mood swings.

"The ten volumes of Lyric Pieces form an intimate slice of my life," Grieg wrote in a letter to his publisher in 1901. Published between 1867 and 1901, the volumes can almost be read as a personal diary. The cycle contains 66 pieces and clearly follows the line of Grieg's examples Mendelssohn, Schumann and Chopin. Yet even here the composer's own personal mark is unmistakably present: the compositions often feel traditionally romantic, but at the same time the typically Norwegian melodies and folk dance rhythms are undeniably present.

As a prize winner of more than 15 international competitions, Matthieu Idmtal has firmly established himself as a distinctive musical personality, having been praised for his highly sensitive interpretations. Hi Scriabin recording met with enthusiastic critical acclaim: “I have listened to Sofronitsky, Gilels, Richter and Ashkenazy – great Scriabin players all. Young Matthieu Idmtal has the potential to join that lofty group.” – The American Record Guide.

His affinity with the music of Chopin made him create the ‘Brussels Chopin Days’: an international concert series dedicated to Frédéric Chopin, of which he is the artistic director since 2013.

Matthieu Idmtal, piano

Matthieu Idmtal
It is clear that Matthieu Idmtal has become an established name on national and international stages. Press and public have witnessed his distinctive musical personality, and have praised his highly sensitive interpretations.

As a prize winner of more than 15 international competitions, Matthieu Idmtal has been a guest at the main Belgian stages such as Bozar, Flagey, Handelsbeurs, De Bijloke, De Singel, Concertgebouw Brugge, Philharmonie de Liège,… and made part of international festivals such as the Klara Festival, Festival Musiq’3, Les Sommets du Classique (Switzerland), Musicales and Côte Chalonnaise (France), Les Sommets Musicaux de Gstaad (Switzerland), Festival Musical d’Arcangues (France), Les Festivals de Wallonie, Midis-Minimes, Brussels Piano Festival, Podium Jonge Musici,…

In recent years, Matthieu Idmtal has established himself as a leading interpreter of the music of Alexander Scriabin, and gave several recitals entirely dedicated to the Russian composer.

He often performed for the European Scriabin Society, and was praised for his emotional intensity and deeply poetic and personal interpretations.

In September 2018 his first solo-CD appeared containing two major piano cycles of Alexander Scriabin, and very quickly received high critical acclaim such as: ‘This is definitely one of the better Scriabin CD’s of the last ten years’ (De Muze) or, ‘In a sublime way, he joins the beauty of sound with expression. His playing contains a variated and colourful toucher, supple phrasing, a natural rubato, pricesly elaborated dynamics, and a contagious imagination. Idmtal is a poet at the piano.’ (Magazine Stretto).

The CD received five star reviews by national radio station Radio Klara, and prestigious music magazines such as Classica.

Last seasons, Idmtal gave solo recitals and concerts with orchestra in Belgium, Italy, the Netherlands, France, Germany, Great Britain, Switzerland, Latvia and Spain.

In addition to his solo concerts, he is a sought-after partner to play chamber music and won multiple awards in pianduo and piano/violin formations.

Such awards include top prizes at competitions as the ‘Youth ‘n Classic Prize’ (Belgium), ‘Concorso Internationale San Cristoforo’ (Italy), or the press- and publicprize at the International ‘Chamber Music Competition Almere’ (Netherlands).

In 2017, Matthieu Idmtal became ‘Supernova’, a prize given by the Belgian music critics, programmors, and classical music radio stations. The award would offer a concert tour through the whole country with his violin partner, Maya Levy. In the end of 2016, they recorded their first CD containing the complete violin sonatas of E. Grieg, which received unanimous positive reactions in the press.

The repertoire of Matthieu Idmtal ranges from the baroque period till music of nowadays, but he has always had a particular attention to (Post-) Romantic music, with Frédéric Chopin and Alexander Scriabin as main composers.

His affinity with the former made him create the ‘Brussels Chopin Days’: an international concert series dedicated to F. Chopin, of which Matthieu Idmtal is the artistic director since 2013.

He also makes a point of bringing lesser known works into the spotlights, and has interest in jazz music.

His experience makes him a regular guest to give masterclasses, as well as being jurymember in national and international music competitions.

Matthieu Idmtal feels an endless gratitude to his teachers Frima Nakimovitch, Maria Andreeva, and Vitaly Samoshko, and is thankful for every inspiring and marking musical encouter that influenced him to be the musician he is today.

"I have listened to Sofronitsky, Gilels, Richter and Ashkenazy – great Scriabin players all. Young Matthieu Idmtal has the potential to join that lofty group.” – The American Record Guide

“He plays with high sensitivity, with flair and imagination, and most of all, with a lot of poetry.” – Radio Klara

“Belgian pianist Matthieu Idmtal creates a wonderfully colorful and profound universe that not only surprised me, but even more completely captivated me. His great technical vocabulary leads to an interpretation that combines a refined sound with penetrating expressiveness in a sublime way.” – Opus Klassiek



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Matthieu Idmtal
It is clear that Matthieu Idmtal has become an established name on national and international stages. Press and public have witnessed his distinctive musical personality, and have praised his highly sensitive interpretations.

As a prize winner of more than 15 international competitions, Matthieu Idmtal has been a guest at the main Belgian stages such as Bozar, Flagey, Handelsbeurs, De Bijloke, De Singel, Concertgebouw Brugge, Philharmonie de Liège,… and made part of international festivals such as the Klara Festival, Festival Musiq’3, Les Sommets du Classique (Switzerland), Musicales and Côte Chalonnaise (France), Les Sommets Musicaux de Gstaad (Switzerland), Festival Musical d’Arcangues (France), Les Festivals de Wallonie, Midis-Minimes, Brussels Piano Festival, Podium Jonge Musici,…

In recent years, Matthieu Idmtal has established himself as a leading interpreter of the music of Alexander Scriabin, and gave several recitals entirely dedicated to the Russian composer.

He often performed for the European Scriabin Society, and was praised for his emotional intensity and deeply poetic and personal interpretations.

In September 2018 his first solo-CD appeared containing two major piano cycles of Alexander Scriabin, and very quickly received high critical acclaim such as: ‘This is definitely one of the better Scriabin CD’s of the last ten years’ (De Muze) or, ‘In a sublime way, he joins the beauty of sound with expression. His playing contains a variated and colourful toucher, supple phrasing, a natural rubato, pricesly elaborated dynamics, and a contagious imagination. Idmtal is a poet at the piano.’ (Magazine Stretto).

The CD received five star reviews by national radio station Radio Klara, and prestigious music magazines such as Classica.

Last seasons, Idmtal gave solo recitals and concerts with orchestra in Belgium, Italy, the Netherlands, France, Germany, Great Britain, Switzerland, Latvia and Spain.

In addition to his solo concerts, he is a sought-after partner to play chamber music and won multiple awards in pianduo and piano/violin formations.

Such awards include top prizes at competitions as the ‘Youth ‘n Classic Prize’ (Belgium), ‘Concorso Internationale San Cristoforo’ (Italy), or the press- and publicprize at the International ‘Chamber Music Competition Almere’ (Netherlands).

In 2017, Matthieu Idmtal became ‘Supernova’, a prize given by the Belgian music critics, programmors, and classical music radio stations. The award would offer a concert tour through the whole country with his violin partner, Maya Levy. In the end of 2016, they recorded their first CD containing the complete violin sonatas of E. Grieg, which received unanimous positive reactions in the press.

The repertoire of Matthieu Idmtal ranges from the baroque period till music of nowadays, but he has always had a particular attention to (Post-) Romantic music, with Frédéric Chopin and Alexander Scriabin as main composers.

His affinity with the former made him create the ‘Brussels Chopin Days’: an international concert series dedicated to F. Chopin, of which Matthieu Idmtal is the artistic director since 2013.

He also makes a point of bringing lesser known works into the spotlights, and has interest in jazz music.

His experience makes him a regular guest to give masterclasses, as well as being jurymember in national and international music competitions.

Matthieu Idmtal feels an endless gratitude to his teachers Frima Nakimovitch, Maria Andreeva, and Vitaly Samoshko, and is thankful for every inspiring and marking musical encouter that influenced him to be the musician he is today.

"I have listened to Sofronitsky, Gilels, Richter and Ashkenazy – great Scriabin players all. Young Matthieu Idmtal has the potential to join that lofty group.” – The American Record Guide

“He plays with high sensitivity, with flair and imagination, and most of all, with a lot of poetry.” – Radio Klara

“Belgian pianist Matthieu Idmtal creates a wonderfully colorful and profound universe that not only surprised me, but even more completely captivated me. His great technical vocabulary leads to an interpretation that combines a refined sound with penetrating expressiveness in a sublime way.” – Opus Klassiek

Booklet for Grieg: Piano Sonata, 14 Lyric Pieces