On his new album, Russian pianist Denis Kozhukhin presents a personal and colorful collection of character pieces taken from Mendelssohn’s “Lieder ohne Worte” and Edvard Grieg’s “Lyric Pieces”. Combing these miniature gems by two outstanding poets of music, Kozhukhin provides a shining example of how disarmingly touching and penetrating a simple song or a vision of nature captured in sound can be.
The program features classics such as Mendelssohn’s Venetian Gondola Song and Grieg’s Wedding Day at Troldhaugen, as well as less famous but equally enchanting pieces. Kozukhin lifts out the noble simplicity of these works with his delicate playing.
Denis Kozhukhin has established himself as one of the great pianists of his generation. He now presents the fifth chapter for his collaboration with PENTATONE, after albums with the piano concertos of Grieg and Tchaikovsky (2016), Brahms Ballades and Fantasies (2017), Ravel and Gershwin piano concertos, as well as Richard Strauss’ Burleske (both 2018).
Here is Mr. Kozhkhin in “Lieder ohne Worte” by Mendelssohn:
