Igor Levit – Bach, Beethoven, Rzewski (2015) [Official Digital Download 24bit/96kHz]

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.

Tracklist:
Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)
Goldberg Variations, BWV 988 – Aria with 30 Variations
1. Aria 04:25
2. Var. 1 a 1 Clav. 01:55
3. Var. 2 a 1 Clav. 01:50
4. Var. 3 – Canone all’ Unisono a 1 Clav. 01:57
5. Var. 4 a 1 Clav. 01:06
6. Var. 5 a 1 ovvero 2 Clav. 01:20
7. Var. 6 – Canone alla Seconda a 1 Clav. 01:22
8. Var. 7 a 1 ovvero 2 Clav. Al tempo di Giga 01:51
9. Var. 8 a 2 Clav. 01:52
10. Var. 9 – Canone alla Terza a 1 Clav. 02:07
11. Var. 10 – Fughetta a 1 Clav. 01:40
12. Var. 11 a 2 Clav. 01:44
13. Var. 12 – Canone alla Quarta 02:05
14. Var. 13 a 2 Clav. 05:36
15. Var. 14 a 2 Clav. 02:02
16. Var. 15 – Canone alla Quinta a 1 Clav. Andante 04:17
17. Var. 16 – Ouverture a 1 Clav. 02:55
18. Var. 17 a 2 Clav. 01:48
19. Var. 18 – Canone alla Sesta a 1 Clav. 01:27
20. Var. 19 a 1 Clav. 01:25
21. Var. 20 a 2 Clav. 01:48
22. Var. 21 – Canone alla Settima 02:43
23. Var. 22 a 1 Clav. Alla breve 01:37
24. Var. 23 a 2 Clav. 02:05
25. Var. 24 – Canone all’ Ottava a 1 Clav. 02:34
26. Var. 25 a 2 Clav. 08:00
27. Var. 26 a 2 Clav. 02:01
28. Var. 27 – Canone alla Nona a 2 Clav. 01:34
29. Var. 28 a 2 Clav. 02:13
30. Var. 29 a 1 ovvero 2 Clav. 01:53
31. Var. 30 – Quodlibet a 1 Clav. 01:45
32. Aria da capo 04:29
Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827)
Diabelli Variations – 33 Variations on a Waltz by Anton Diabelli, Op. 120
33. Tema. Vivace 00:47
34. Var. 1 – Alla Marcia maestoso 01:52
35. Var. 2 – Poco allegro 00:49
36. Var. 3 – L’istesso tempo 01:32
37. Var. 4 – Un poco piÃ¹ vivace 00:59
38. Var. 5 – Allegro vivace 00:52
39. Var. 6 – Allegro ma non troppo e serioso 01:41
40. Var. 7 – Un poco piÃ¹ allegro 01:00
41. Var. 8 – Piu vivace 01:34
42. Var. 9 – Allegro pesante e risoluto 01:59
43. Var. 10 – Presto 00:33
44. Var. 11 – Allegretto 01:04
45. Var. 12 – Un poco piÃ¹ moto 00:47
46. Var. 13 – Vivace 01:05
47. Var. 14 – Grave e maestoso 05:01
48. Var. 15 – Presto scherzando 00:34
49. Var. 16 – Allegro 00:54
50. Var. 17 00:58
51. Var. 18 – Poco moderato 01:58
52. Var. 19 – Presto 00:42
53. Var. 20 – Andante 02:24
54. Var. 21 – Allegro con brio, Meno allegro, Tempo I 01:22
55. Var. 22 – Allegro molto (alla Notte e giorno faticar di… 00:50
56. Var. 23 – Allegro assai 00:51
57. Var. 24 – Fughetta. Andante 02:44
58. Var. 25 – Allegro 00:45
59. Var. 26 00:56
60. Var. 27 – Vivace 00:53
61. Var. 28 – Allegro 00:55
62. Var. 29 – Adagio ma non troppo 01:18
63. Var. 30 – Andante, sempre cantabile 02:14
64. Var. 31 – Largo, molto espressivo 05:18
65. Var. 32 – Fuga. Allegro, Poco adagio 03:11
66. Var. 33 – Tempo di Menuetto moderato (ma non tirarsi dietro) 03:31
Frederic Rzewski (1938)
The People United Will Never Be Defeated!
36 Variations on ¡El pueblo unido jamás será vencido!
67. Thema. With determination 01:30
68. Var. 1 – Weaving, delicate but firm 01:01
69. Var. 2 – With firmness 00:57
70. Var. 3 – Slightly slower, with expressive nuances 01:10
71. Var. 4 – Marcato, with determination 00:59
72. Var. 5 – Dreamlike, frozen, a little slower, Tempo 01:39
73. Var. 6 – Same tempo as beginning, Slower, Tempo, Slower 01:14
74. Var. 7 – Tempo (Lightly, impatiently) 00:53
75. Var. 8 – With agility, not too much pedal, crisp 01:15
76. Var. 9 – Evenly 01:30
77. Var. 10 – Comodo, recklessly 01:12
78. Var. 11 – Tempo I. Like fragments of an absent melody, in… 01:05
79. Var. 12 01:32
80. Var. 13 02:18
81. Var. 14 – A bit faster, optimistically 01:15
82. Var. 15 – Flexible, like an improvisation 01:47
83. Var. 16 – Same tempo as preceding, with fluctuations,… 01:42
84. Var. 17 – Left hand strictly. Right hand freely, roughly… 01:23
85. Var. 18 01:46
86. Var. 19 – With energy 00:39
87. Var. 20 – Crisp, precise 00:34
88. Var. 21 – Relentless, uncompromising 00:49
89. Var. 22 – Very expressionate 00:44
90. Var. 23 – As fast as possible, with some rubato 00:25
91. Var. 24 03:12
92. Var. 25 02:39
93. Var. 26 – In a militant manner 01:15
94. Var. 27 – Tenderly, with a hopeful expression, Cadenza,… 05:35
95. Var. 28 01:22
96. Var. 29 00:32
97. Var. 30 02:55
98. Var. 31 01:00
99. Var. 32 01:00
100. Var. 33 01:13
101. Var. 34 01:02
102. Var. 35 01:21
103. Var. 36 – Improvisation 06:44
104. Thema. Tempo I 03:12