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CHOPIN 24 Préludes Op. 28
SKRJABIN 24 Préludes Op. 11
The Franco-Canadian pianist Louis Lortie has received much critical acclaim for his diverse interpretations and is best known for his interpretations of the Romantic piano music repertoire. The London Times describes his playing as "ever immaculate, ever imaginative" and recognises it as a "combination of total spontaneity and meditated ripeness that only great pianists have." His Chopin interpretations constantly encounter great enthusiasm. Reviewing his Qheen Elizabeth Hall concert, the Financial Times declared: "Better Chopin playing than this is not to be heard, not anywhere"
We are delighted that Louis Lortie will be playing Chopin in his concert at the festival this year. With Chopin's Preludes, a highlight of 19th Century piano repertoire, and Scriabin's Preludes Op 11, with which, one could say, Scriabin pays (a Russian) tribute to Chopin’s Preludes, Louis Lortie offers the audience of the Fourth Berliner Klavierfestival a truly romantic piano recital.French-Canadian pianist Louis Lortie has attracted critical acclaim throughout Europe, Asia, and the United States. He has extended his interpretative voice across a broad range of repertoire rather than choosing to specialize in one particular style. The London Times, descri-bing his playing as "ever immaculate, ever imaginative", has identified the artist's "combination of total spontaneity and meditated ripeness that only great pianists have".
Mr. Lortie has performed complete Beethoven sonata cycles at London's Wigmore Hall, Berlin's Philharmonie, and the Sala Grande del Conservatorio Giuseppe Verdi in Milan. Die Welt described his Berlin performances as "possibly the finest Beethoven since the time of Wilhelm Kempff." As both pianist and conductor with the Montreal Symphony, he has performed all five Beethoven concertos and all of the Mozart concertos.
Mr. Lortie has also won widespread acclaim for his interpretation of Ravel and Chopin. He performed the complete works of Ravel in London and Montreal for the BBC and CBC, and is renowned all over the world for his performances of the complete Chopin etudes. Louis Lortie celebrated the bicentenary of Liszt's birth in 2011 by performing the complete Années de pèlerinage at international music capitals and festivals, and he returns to Carnegie Hall in 2014 to perform it there.
