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James Lisney plays Chopin

Ballades, impromptus and nocturnes

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James Lisney returns to St George’s with some of Chopin’s best-loved piano music, a programme that displays the Polish composer’s mastery of epic narration (the ballades), profound poetry (a representative selection of nocturnes), and the skills of the salon virtuoso (the impromptus).


“Bach is an astronomer, discovering the most marvellous stars. Beethoven challenges the universe. I only try to express the soul and the heart of man.” Fryderyk Chopin

Chopin’s genius changed the course of the piano – and music itself – yet it also bridged the gap between the connoisseur and the casual listener. The great Polish pianist Arthur Rubinstein, reflecting on his long career, noted how Chopin’s music transcends barriers, uniting people from all walks of life, saying,

“Sometimes, I think that I am not so much a pianist, but a vampire. All my life, I have lived off the blood of Chopin.”

Programme

Nocturne in E minor
Lento con gran espressione
Fantaisie-impromptu
Ballade in G minor Opus 23
Nocturnes Opus 27
Impromptu in A flat Opus 29
Impromptu in F sharp Opus 36
Ballade in F Opus 38

Interval

Nocturnes Opus 55
Ballade in A flat Opus 47
Impromptu in G flat Opus 51
Ballade in F minor Opus 52
Nocturnes Opus 62