— Victor Hugo
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“Despax weaves its magic with powerful, velvety touch”
“A tremendously ambitious take”
“This brilliant, significant release from Emmanuel Despax reveals performances of the highest integrity”
“A magnificent, virtuosic and expressive, very exciting interpretation!”
“The recording contains multitudes, from breathtakingly virtuosic passages to others of disarming delicacy. One encounters the spectrum of emotional experience in performances that are heartfelt, thoughtful, and probing. There’s nothing, it seems, this formidable pianist can’t do”
Inside the Recording Studio:
Liszt Sonata in B Minor
Emmanuel Despax’s eighth release for Signum Classics delves into the dramatic and visionary world of Franz Liszt, from the great Sonata in B minor to the celestial Bénédiction de Dieu dans la solitude.
Despax offers a unique perspective on Liszt’s work through a very personal connection to the composer. His musical upbringing is rooted in a lineage of mentors which traces back to Liszt, creating a deep connection to the composer’s legacy.
Despax comments “This lineage has deeply influenced my musical upbringing, instilling a unique perspective on interpretation, fostering an insatiable curiosity…emphasising engaging with the score with utmost integrity, without shortcuts or compromise. Above all, this tradition signifies a performance ethos…to serve as a conduit between the music and the audience”
Emmanuel Despax heads to Asia and Australia for a tour of concerts across October. He will start in China before heading to Japan and then to Australia to finish the tour.
He performs solo recitals across 5 venues in China, playing an all-Chopin programme. He'll also perform twice in Japan - an all-Chopin solo recital in Tokyo, and a concerto performance at the Polaris International Music Festival: with Maki Noyama (Piano), Telemann Chamber Orchestra and Shinya Okahara (Conductor), performing Saint-Saëns Le Carnaval des animaux and Rachmaninov's Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini.
In Australia, he will perform recitals in Adelaide and Sydney.
