Igor Levit plays Bach, Beethoven, Rzewski

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The [Goldberg] Aria sings without affectation as if to emphasise that what follows isn't about the theme but what happens to it...Unstarchy too is Levit's approach to Beethoven's Diabelli Variations...As... — BBC Music Magazine, January 2016, 5 out of 5 stars More…

Release Date: 9th Oct 2015
Catalogue No: 88875060962
Label: Sony
Length: 3 hours 12 minutes

Presto Recording of the Week

16th October 2015
BBC Music Magazine

January 2016

Disc of the month
Gramophone Magazine

November 2015

Disc of the Month
Building a Library

June 2017

Also Recommended
Presto Recordings of the Year

Winner 2015
Gramophone Awards

2016

Recording of the Year
Gramophone Awards

2016

Winner - Instrumental

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Bach, J S: Goldberg Variations, BWV988

Work length1:17:19

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Igor Levit (piano)

Aria

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Var. 1 a 1 Clav.

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Var. 2 a 1 Clav.

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Var. 3 - Canone all' Unisono a 1 Clav.

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Var. 4 a 1 Clav.

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Var. 5 a 1 ovvero 2 Clav.

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Var. 6 - Canone alla Seconda a 1 Clav.

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Var. 7 a 1 ovvero 2 Clav. Al tempo di Giga

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Var. 8 a 2 Clav.

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Var. 9 - Canone alla Terza a 1 Clav.

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Var. 10 - Fughetta a 1 Clav.

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Var. 11 a 2 Clav.

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Var. 12 - Canone alla Quarta

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Var. 13 a 2 Clav.

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Var. 14 a 2 Clav.

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Var. 15 - Canone alla Quinta a 1 Clav. Andante

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Var. 16 - Ouverture a 1 Clav.

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Var. 17 a 2 Clav.

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Var. 18 - Canone alla Sesta a 1 Clav.

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Var. 19 a 1 Clav.

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Var. 20 a 2 Clav.

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Var. 21 - Canone alla Settima

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Var. 22 a 1 Clav. Alla breve

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Var. 23 a 2 Clav.

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Var. 24 - Canone all' Ottava a 1 Clav.

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Var. 25 a 2 Clav.

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Var. 26 a 2 Clav.

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Var. 27 - Canone alla Nona a 2 Clav.

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Var. 28 a 2 Clav.

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Var. 29 a 1 ovvero 2 Clav.

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Var. 30 - Quodlibet a 1 Clav.

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Aria da capo

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Beethoven: Diabelli Variations, Op. 120

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Igor Levit (piano)

Tema. Vivace

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Var. 1 - Alla Marcia maestoso

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Var. 2 - Poco allegro

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Var. 3 - L'istesso tempo

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Var. 4 - Un poco più vivace

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Var. 5 - Allegro vivace

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Var. 6 - Allegro ma non troppo e serioso

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Var. 7 - Un poco più allegro

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Var. 8 - Piu vivace

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Var. 9 - Allegro pesante e risoluto

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Var. 10 - Presto

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Var. 11 - Allegretto

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Var. 12 - Un poco più moto

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Var. 13 - Vivace

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Var. 14 - Grave e maestoso

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Var. 15 - Presto scherzando

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Var. 16 - Allegro

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Var. 17

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Var. 18 - Poco moderato

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Var. 19 - Presto

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Var. 20 - Andante

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Var. 21 - Allegro con brio, Meno allegro, Tempo I

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Var. 22 - Allegro molto (alla "Notte e giorno faticar" di Mozart)

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Var. 23 - Allegro assai

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Var. 24 - Fughetta. Andante

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Var. 25 - Allegro

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Var. 26

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Var. 27 - Vivace

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Var. 28 - Allegro

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Var. 29 - Adagio ma non troppo

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Var. 30 - Andante, sempre cantabile

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Var. 31 - Largo, molto espressivo

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Var. 32 - Fuga. Allegro, Poco adagio

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Var. 33 - Tempo di Menuetto moderato (ma non tirarsi dietro)

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Rzewski: The People United Will Never Be Defeated!

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Igor Levit (piano)

Thema. With determination

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Var. 1 - Weaving, delicate but firm

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Var. 2 - With firmness

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Var. 3 - Slightly slower, with expressive nuances

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Var. 4 - Marcato, with determination

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Var. 5 - Dreamlike, frozen, a little slower, Tempo

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Var. 6 - Same tempo as beginning, Slower, Tempo, Slower

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Var. 7 - Tempo (Lightly, impatiently)

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Var. 8 - With agility, not too much pedal, crisp

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Var. 9 - Evenly

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Var. 10 - Comodo, recklessly

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Var. 11 - Tempo I. Like fragments of an absent melody, in strict time

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Var. 12

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Var. 13

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Var. 14 - A bit faster, optimistically

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Var. 15 - Flexible, like an improvisation

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Var. 16 - Same tempo as preceding, with fluctuations, much pedal, expansive, with a victorious feeling

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Var. 17 - Left hand strictly. Right hand freely, roughly in space

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Var. 18

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Var. 19 - With energy

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Var. 20 - Crisp, precise

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Var. 21 - Relentless, uncompromising

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Var. 22 - Very expressionate

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Var. 23 - As fast as possible, with some rubato

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Var. 24

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Var. 25

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Var. 26 - In a militant manner

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Var. 27 - Tenderly, with a hopeful expression, Cadenza, Fiercely

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Var. 28

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Var. 29

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Var. 30

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Var. 31

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Var. 32

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Var. 33

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Var. 34

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Var. 35

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Var. 36 - Improvisation

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Thema. Tempo I

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About

Recording of the Week, Igor Levit plays music by Bach, Beethoven, and Rzewski

16th October 2015

Katherine listens to three sets of variations from the formidable Russian-German pianist Igor Levit.

Following his landmark recordings, "Beethoven - The Late Piano Sonatas" and "Bach - Partitas", both of which has won him international acclaim, Igor Levit is now tackling another three major works: Bach's Goldberg Variations, Beethoven's Diabelli Variations, and Frederic Rzewski's Variations on "The People United Will Never Be Defeated".

It is testament to Igor Levit's invention and the command of his repertoire that in one release he is able to combine arguably two of history’s greatest sets of variations for the keyboard, complete alongside a classic of late 20th century piano music by contemporary composer Frederic Rzewski.

Levit comes with great pedigree when it comes to recording the works of Bach and Beethoven, with his 2013 Beethoven disc winning him the BBC Music Magazine Newcomer of the Year 2014 Award, the Royal Philharmonic Society’s Young Artist Award 2014 and the ECHO 2014 for Solo Recording of the Year. His second recording, J.S. Bach’s Six Partitas in 2014, was Gramophone’s Disc of the Month.

Reviews

January 2016

The [Goldberg] Aria sings without affectation as if to emphasise that what follows isn't about the theme but what happens to it...Unstarchy too is Levit's approach to Beethoven's Diabelli Variations...As for the Rzewski, never has 1970s agitprop sounded so compelling...Levit squares up to the exhilarating mix with pitch-perfect acuity and aplomb...Whatever follows, hang on tight: it should prove quite a ride.

November 2015

There is, if you care to rationalise, a Russian depth of sound and eloquence of phrasing, tempered by Germanic intellectual grasp...Levit’s musical personality is as integrated and mature as his technique. And both of these are placed at the service of the music’s glory rather than his own.

16th October 2015

If [the Rzewski] sounds potentially sprawling on paper, in Levit's hands it acquires remarkable coherence and a granite-like majesty...his variety of touch and colours [in the Goldbergs] is such that after the first four variations I found myself checking the booklet to make sure that there wasn't more than one instrument involved: there are sections which sound almost fortepiano-like in their clarity.

14th October 2015

few [recordings of the Rzewski] match Levit’s combination of supreme, sometimes breathtaking accuracy and his sustained intensity. The same sense of freshness and discovery runs through his Diabelli Variations...one of the most impressive aspects of the performance as a whole is how Levit holds the different aspects of this massive work in balance

24th November 2015

In his recording of Bach's variations, Levit moves between Glenn Gould-like velocity, a sharp sense of period style and a delicacy of nuance and pedalling that evokes a different sort of tradition...As for Rzewski's great variations, Levit's attention to detail and tender lyricism reveal the music's nobility, as well as its anger and blistering energy. In all, this boxed set is a tremendous achievement.

4th December 2015

[Levit] has the technical virtuosity and insight to make a magnificent display of the [Rzewski] variations...Even if you don’t subscribe to the agitprop politics, enjoy the immense sweep of one of the late 20th century’s greatest piano works...He characterises [the Diabellis] with rambunctious glee, brilliantly incisive and as nimble as a cat on a high wire, while keeping the music’s overall arch in sight...One imagines Beethoven playing it like this — in his dreams, anyway.

New York Times 2nd December 2015

It’s a bold move, placing Mr. Rzewski’s 36 variations on “The People United Will Never Be Defeated!” as an equal partner to Bach’s Goldberg Variations and Beethoven’s Diabellis...Yet this urbane, consuming playing makes the argument persuasive. The Bach and Beethoven are very fine: clean and mature. The Rzewski is inspired...The piano and the man playing it become comrades at arms.

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Offer,Igor Levit plays Bach, Beethoven, Rzewski

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Recording of the Week, Igor Levit plays music by Bach, Beethoven, and Rzewski

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