Piano Concertos Nos. 17 & 23 by Ben Kim

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Ben Kim

Piano Concertos Nos. 17 & 23

Price: € 19.95
Format: CD
Label: Challenge Classics
UPC: 0608917281620
Catnr: CC 72816
Release date: 24 January 2020
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Label
Challenge Classics

UPC
0608917281620

Catalogue number
CC 72816

Release date
24 January 2020

"The excellent recording could be straight from the concert hall in terms of warmth and ambiance."

De Nieuwe Muze, 05-6-2020

Album

Artist(s)

Composer(s)

Press

About the album

Ben Kim: "The story of Mozart is by now well-known. His oeuvre and life have become staples of modern culture, from the numerous books, films and biographies to the hundreds of recordings of his work by history’s most acclaimed musicians. Yet one might say this canonization has paradoxically led to a narrowing of our enjoyment of Mozart.

I’ve long been interested in using the modern piano to mimic the unique temperament of the fortepiano, to make the notes not only sing but speak like a human voice, accentuating not only the luxuriant vowel sounds of the modern piano but also the short, staccato consonants created by the fortepiano. Mozart is master of the lyrical, but there are even more layers of dimension to be revealed by adding the percussiveness of the fortepiano, sometimes taking the modern piano off its contemporary pedestal, and weaving the more transparent texture of its historical sibling with the orchestra.

For this recording, I had the privilege of playing with members of one of the world’s most prestigious orchestras. Working with leader Michael Waterman, our hope was for the orchestra to be fully integrated, to create a whole that’s greater than the sum of its parts, soloist included. The recording was done without conductor, in a diplomatic approach more common to chamber ensembles than a 28-strong orchestra. We made musical decisions far in advance and in rehearsal set the balance so that the piano could suitably accompany the orchestra, rather than only the other way around. Removing its lid to open up the piano, the orchestra huddled around it so that I was face-to-face with the operatic winds, bringing them to the forefront, with easy access to all string players around me. In this configuration we were able to fully relish the accompanimental and often under-prioritized middle register which so often forms the backbone of the music, contributing heavily to its character. Taken together, this attitude of musical camaraderie was instrumental in helping us create a distinctive sound and feeling for these much-loved works.“

Met het uitbrengen van zijn debuutalbum met Pianoconcerten nr. 17 en nr. 23 van Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart hoopt de talentvolle Amerikaanse pianist Ben Kim zijn fascinatie voor Mozarts muziek over te brengen op een breder en jonger publiek. Met zijn prachtige spel op de moderne Steinway concertvleugel gaat dat zeker lukken.

Ben Kim raakt nooit uitgekeken op de muziek van Mozart en voor deze unieke opname werd de solist omringd door de leden van het Concertgebouw Kamerorkest, om één geheel te creëren groter dan de som der delen. Het uitgangspunt dat de piano het orkest begeleidt, meer dan andersom, draagt bij aan het karakter en de klank van de muziek. De muziek van Mozart is bij uitstek geschikt als een soort tonicum en kan je een bijzondere ervaring geven. De gelaagdheid van wie wij zijn als mens komt boven. Elke noot is zinvol en Ben Kim laat alle lagen horen.

Het pianoconcert nr. 17 is lichtvoetig en van een sierlijke onschuld; het concert nr. 23 belichaamt de speciale capaciteit van Mozart om de vele en vaak angstaanjagende tegenstellingen, die de mens in zich heeft in één omhullende, ietwat optimistische, omarming samen te brengen. Naast de weelderige klinkergeluiden van de moderne vleugel hoor je op het album ook de kortere, fortepiano-achtige medeklinkers. Door, waar nodig, op een meer percussieve manier te spelen laat de pianist de noten niet alleen zingen, maar ook spreken met een menselijke stem. Ben Kim verdiepte zich jarenlang in Mozart en ontdekte dat de mens in heel zijn wezen doorklinkt in de pianoconcerten van de componist. Kim: "Mozart is in staat in een enkele zin het gehele bestaansspectrum uit te drukken. Wat Shakespeare doet met woorden, doet Mozart met noten.”

Vanaf het moment dat pianist Ben Kim in 2006 de ARD International Music Competition op zijn naam zette, raakte zijn carrière in een stroomversnelling. Met zijn volwassen, gevoelige spel en altijd met groot respect voor de partituur heeft hij een grote en internationale reputatie opgebouwd. Ben Kim speelde wereldwijd in gerenommeerde zalen als Carnegie Hall, De Wiener Musikverein en het Concertgebouw in Amsterdam. De orkesten waarmee hij speelde behoren tot de beste ter wereld, zoals het Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks, het Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, het Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra en het St. Petersburg Staats Symfonieorkest. Zijn uitvoeringen zijn op alle continenten uitgezonden op televisie en radio.

Ben Kim: „Mozarts Geschichte ist heute wohlbekannt. Sein Werk und Leben sind Eckpfeiler der modernen Kultur geworden, von den unzähligen von Büchern, Filmen und Biographien zu hunderten von Aufnahmen seiner Werke durch gefeierte Interpreten der Musikgeschichte. Man könnte sagen, dass diese Kanonisierung paradoxerweise zu einer Einengung unserer Freude an Mozart geführt hat.

Ich interessierte mich schon lange dafür, das moderne Klavier dafür zu nutzten, das einzigartige Temperament des Fortepiano nachzuahmen, um die Töne nicht nur singen, sondern auch wie die menschliche Stimme sprechen zu lassen; nicht nur die luxuriösen Vokale des modernen Klaviers zu betonen, sondern auch die kurzen Staccatokonsonanten des Fortepianos. Mozart ist der Meister des Lyrischen, doch es gibt hier noch mehr Dimensionsebenen zu enthüllen, wenn man das Perkussive des Fortepianos hinzufügt, gelegentlich das moderne Klavier von seinem zeitgenössischen Podest holt, und die transparentere Textur seines historischen Geschwisters mit dem Orchester verwebt.

Für diese Aufnahme durfte ich mit Mitgliedern eines der angesehensten Orchester der Welt spielen. In der Zusammenarbeit mit Konzertmeister Michael Waterman hofften wir, das Orchester völlig zu integrieren, ein Ganzes zu kreieren, das größer als die Summe seiner Teile ist, einschließlich der Solisten. Wir haben ohne Dirigenten aufgenommen, auf eine diplomatische Weise, die man sonst eher von Kammerensembles kennt als von 28-köpfigen Orchestern. Wir haben viele musikalische Entscheidungen weit im Voraus getroffen und in den Proben die Balance so arrangiert, dass das Klavier das Orchester passend begleiten konnte, nicht nur anders herum. Wir haben den Deckel des Klaviers abgenommen, das Orchester eng darum herumgesetzt, sodass ich den Holzbläsern gegenübersaß und sie in den Vordergrund bringen konnte, mit allen Streichern in meiner Nähe. In dieser Anordnung konnten wir das begleitende und oft untergeordnete mittlere Register, das so oft das Rückgrat der Musik darstellt und stark zu ihrem Charakter beiträgt, ganz auskosten. Zusammengenommen half uns diese Einstellung von musikalischer Kameraderie entscheidend, einen unverwechselbaren Klang und Gefühl für diese beliebten Werke zu schaffen.

Artist(s)

Ben Kim (piano)

American pianist Ben Kim’s performances have been praised by the Süddeutsche Zeitung as “practically euphoric and filled with vitality.“ He has garnered critical acclaim for his performances worldwide, at renowned venues including Carnegie Hall, Concertgebouw, Musikverein, Gewandhaus, Suntory Hall, and the Kennedy Center with orchestras such as the Bavarian Radio, German Radio, Baltimore, Seoul Philharmonic, and St Petersburg Hermitage State Symphonies. Ben was the recipient of the Rheingau Musik Festival's 2017 LOTTO Career Development Prize. The international jury panel made its decision upon the following stated reasons: 'His brilliant technique and his incredible flair for interpretive refinement are self-evident....an exceptional phenomenon among pianists his generation - such a natural, sympathetic charisma and pleasant modesty, coupled with great virtuosity, are rarely experienced...

Ben was the recipient of the Rheingau Musik Festival's 2017 LOTTO Career Development Prize. The international jury panel made its decision upon the following stated reasons: "His brilliant technique and his incredible flair for interpretive refinement are self-evident....an exceptional phenomenon among pianists his generation - such a natural, sympathetic charisma and pleasant modesty, coupled with great virtuosity, are rarely experienced with a leading musician.” In 2014 he was one of six recipients selected among a pool of more than 13,000 graduates at the Johns Hopkins University to be awarded an Outstanding Recent Graduate Award for outstanding achievement or service in any professional field.

His career was first launched after having won First Prize at the prestigious ARD Munich International Music Competition for Piano in 2006.

Ben’s first album of Mozart Concertos on Challenge Classics was won over by critics, as an “innovative, inspiring and energetic debut” (Luister), “magical” (Stretto), and an “album to return to regularly” (Nederlands Dagblad). His recording of the Chopin Préludes and Impromptus released on Universal Decca was given an Editor’s Choice selection by Record Geijutsu. “Without nervousness or over-excitement, without boasting technique or exaggeration,” the critic describes of the album, “Kim plays Chopin’s music as if he were breathing it.”

Ben was born and raised in Portland, Oregon, where he began studying piano at age five with Dorothy Fahlman. He made his solo debut at age eight and his orchestral debut at twelve. At age 20, Ben received his Bachelor’s degree at the Peabody Conservatory as a student of Leon Fleisher. He continued his studies at Peabody with Yong Hi Moon after graduating. In addition Ben was selected to attend the International Piano Academy Lake Como in Italy, a program for seven pianists, headed by Martha Argerich and William Grant Naboré. He finished his studies at the Berlin University of Arts with Klaus Hellwig.

Ben is a longtime member of the German Alpine Society (Deutsche Alpenverein) and resides in Berlin.

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Concertgebouw Chamber Orchestra

Founded in 1987, the Concertgebouw Chamber Orchestra (CCO) is made up of members from the world famous Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra of Amsterdam. Each season, the CCO is invited to perform in the leading concert venues in the Netherlands, such as the Royal Concertgebouw in Amsterdam and TivoliVredenburg in Utrecht. The CCO also gives regular performances outside the Netherlands. Upcoming travels include tours to Germany, Turkey, Spain and the MESA-region. Prior to 1987, the CCO performed under the name Amsterdam Chamber Orchestra. Founded in 1957, the ACO spent three decades performing in the Netherlands and abroad. They made numerous recordings with conductors such as Andre Rieu Sr., Anton van der Horst and Marinus Voorberg. During the period 1994 – 2012, principal conductor Marco...

Prior to 1987, the CCO performed under the name Amsterdam Chamber Orchestra. Founded in 1957, the ACO spent three decades performing in the Netherlands and abroad. They made numerous recordings with conductors such as Andre Rieu Sr., Anton van der Horst and Marinus Voorberg.

During the period 1994 – 2012, principal conductor Marco Boni led the CCO in many successful performances, tours and recordings. The recordings of Schubert/Mahler and Beethoven/Mahler String Quartets received a 5-star rating from BBC Music Magazine. Other Super Audio Recordings produced by Pentatone feature works by Bach, Mozart, Mendelssohn, Haydn and Tchaikovsky.

Famous soloists who have performed with the CCO include Maria João Pires, Sarah Chang, Janine Jansen, Mischa Maisky, Lynn Harrel, Jaap van Zweden, Schlomo Mintz, Eliane Rodriguez and Friedrich Gulda.

In recent years, the CCO has collaborated with such national and international soloists as Liza Ferschtman, Nicolas Altstaedt, Ronald Brautigam, Alexei Ogrinthcouk, Noa Wildschut, Niek Baar, Ben Kim, Stefan Vladar, Harriet Krijgh, Lavinia Meijer, Dominic Seldis, Vesko Eschkenazy, Liviu Prunaru, Tjeerd Top, Emily Beynon and Amihai Grosz.

Due to increasing international interest, recent travels included concerts in Belgium, Spain, Germany, Turkey, Argentina and Brazil.

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Composer(s)

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, whose actual name is Joannes Chrysotomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart, was a composer, pianist, violinist and conductor from the classical period, born in Salzburg. Mozart was a child prodigy. Already competent on keyboard and violin, he composed from the age of five and performed before European royalty. Along with Johann Sebastian Bach and Ludwig van Beethoven, Mozart is considered to be one of the most influential composers of all of music's history. Within the classical tradition, he was able to develop new musical concepts which left an everlasting impression on all the composers that came after him. Together with Joseph Haydn and Ludwig van Beethoven he is part of the First Viennese School. At 17, Mozart was engaged as a musician at the Salzburg court, but grew restless and traveled in search of a better position. From 1763 he traveled with his family through all of Europe for three years and from 1769 he traveled to Italy and France with his father Leopold after which he took residence in Paris. On July 3rd, 1778, his mother passed away and after a short stay in Munich with the Weber family, his father urged him to return to Salzburg, where he was once again hired by the Bishop. While visiting Vienna in 1781, he was dismissed from his Salzburg position. He chose to stay in the capital, where he achieved fame but little financial security. During his final years in Vienna, he composed many of his best-known symphonies, concertos, and operas, and portions of the Requiem, which was largely unfinished at the time of his death.

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