Tristan

Description

On the Sony Classical label Igor Levits new album Tristan. Known for his unique recording projects, the pianist like no other (The New Yorker) explores the great questions of life & existence, illuminating both famous & extremely rare repertoire. The album is now available as a 3 LP triple-gatefold on 180-gram Audiophile vinyl. The pianist has sculpted singularly original program from both familiar and virtually unknown pieces. In this album, he explores nocturnal themes of love and death, fear, ecstasy, loneliness & redemption in the music of Richard Wagner, Franz Liszt, Gustav Mahler & Hans Werner Henze. The five works, including Liszts Liebestraum no. 3 and Harmonies du Soir, as well as transcriptions of Wagners Prelude to Tristan und Isolde and Mahlers Adagio from Symphony no. 10, span a period of 135 years (1837 to 1973) and represent very different genres. Only one of these works was originally conceived for piano solo, but Igor Levits exploration of borderline experiences in our lives death in Life (2018), spirituality in Encounter (2020) and now, with Tristan, the link between love, death and our need for redemption inevitably means that it is not just masterpieces for the piano that are central to his concern but, above all, compositions in which certain thematic associations find their most personal expression. Henzes work Tristan which is the albums central work, represents Levits first solo-album recording with orchestra. He recorded it with the internationally renowned Gewandhausorchester Leipzig under conductor Franz Welser-Möst. The work is inspired by Wagners great opera Tristan and Isolde, from which the legendary prelude, appears here in the popular transcription by pianist Zoltan Kocsis. Igor Levit is one of THE most relevant and in-demand pianists out there today. Known for his cool and unique recording projects, often monumental in scope, but always accessible thanks to Igors brilliant and persuasive communication. His recordings often win top industry awards (Grammy nomination, Opus Klassik Bestseller, Gramophone Artist of the Year, Musical America Recording Artist of the year etc.), they make countless critics best of the year lists and regularly land on Germanys top 20 album charts. He champions rare and sometimes politically motivated repertoire both in the recording studio and on stage. Specialist promo & marketing activity.