Credits:

Yukio Yokoyama

Description:

Yukio Yokoyama is a pianist who never ceases to amaze his audiences. The most shocking of all was his 2011 recital of all 212 of Chopin's solo piano works, an 18-hour performance of all the pieces from memory, which was highly acclaimed not only for its accomplishment, but also for the quality of the performance. Chopin's works are meaningless if the performance does not only clear the technical difficulties, but also looks beyond them. This Chopin album made me realize this once again. What I have heard and felt from Yokoyama's performances of not only Chopin but also various other composers' works is the "power" of the tones he plays. It is not a matter of volume, but rather a luminosity that attracts the listener. This is truly what one would call a "virtuoso. In the "Andante spianato and grande polonaise" and "Polonaise de heroes," as well as the etudes "Revolution" and "Farewell," which are performed using this attractive tone quality, there is never an end to the display of brilliant technique. The relationship between melody and harmony, as well as the changing moods of the music, are precisely captured and sublimated into a more dramatic interpretation that conveys the charm of the work to the listener in a deeper way. This is an approach that could only come from a pianist who constantly approaches the piano from the composer's point of view.In works with fewer notes, such as nocturnes and mazurkas, Yokoyama expresses the "songs of the heart" contained in these works through a variety of melodic singing and free rhythmic movement. Yokoyama's perfectly honed technique is only a "means" to get to the essence of Chopin's music. The final piece on the album, "Farewell with Farewell Pieces," was arranged by Yokoyama himself, and his co-stars Aya Nakajima, Kentaro Kawada, and Teruko Tanaka are pianists who are close friends with Yokoyama. The new melodies and sparkling passages created from Chopin's works are the overflow of Yokoyama's interpretations and feelings toward Chopin's works. Not only is the music gorgeous, but it also evokes a kind of "compassion" that embraces the listener. This work can be said to be the culmination of Yokoyama's relationship with Chopin. When I interviewed Yokoyama several years ago, I asked him about the secret of his performance. He told me that he approaches a piece "as if he were writing it himself. His earnest and enthusiastic approach to his works will continue to impress listeners with performances and projects that are full of surprises and emotions. Commentary by Shinnosuke Nagai

Tracklisting:

1 ANDANTE SPIANATO ET GRANDE POLONAISE BRILLANTE IN E-FLAT MAJOR. OP.22 / YOKOYAMA YUKIO
2 BALLADE NO.1 IN G MINOR. OP.23 / YOKOYAMA YUKIO
3 NOCTURNE NO.20 IN C-SHARP MINOR. OP.POSTH 'LENTO CON GRAN ESPRESSIONE' / YOKOYAMA YUKIO
4 NOCTURNE NO.2 IN E-FLAT MAJOR. OP.9 NO.2 / YOKOYAMA YUKIO
5 WALTZ NO.1 IN E-FLAT MAJOR. OP.18 'GRANDE VALSE BRILLANTE' / YOKOYAMA YUKIO
6 ETUDE NO.3 IN E MAJOR. OP.10 NO.3 'TRISTESSE' / YOKOYAMA YUKIO
7 ETUDE NO.12 IN C MINOR. OP.10 NO.12 'REVOLUTIONARY' / YOKOYAMA YUKIO
8 MAZURKA NO.13 IN A MINOR. OP.17 NO.4 / YOKOYAMA YUKIO
9 IMPROMPTU NO.4 IN C-SHARP MINOR. OP.66 'FANTAISIE-IMPROMPTU' / YOKOYAMA YUKIO
10 PRELUDE NO.15 IN D-FLAT MAJOR. OP.28 NO.15 'RAINDROP' / YOKOYAMA YUKIO
11 MAZURKA NO.32 IN C-SHARP MINOR. OP.50 NO.3 / YOKOYAMA YUKIO
12 WALTZ NO.6 IN D-FLAT MAJOR. OP.64 NO.1 'MINUTE' / YOKOYAMA YUKIO
13 POLONAISE NO.6 IN A-FLAT MAJOR. OP.53 'HEROIC' / YOKOYAMA YUKIO
14 FAREWELL PIECE ON A THEME OF CHOPIN'S ETUDE OP.10 NO.3 / YOKOYAMA YUKIO