Catalogue

Summary:

“The excellent and inquisitive Israeli-born pianist Benjamin Hochman pays homage to Schubert with vibrant and stylish accounts” — New York Times

“A throwback to the golden age” – BBC Music Magazine

“Following the footsteps of Daniel Barenboim and Murray Perahia, he achieves great success with both pieces. This is a very stimulating and life-affirming record” – MusicWeb International

AVIE welcomes to the label Israeli-American pianist Benjamin Hochman with Homage to Schubert, pairing two contrasting Schubert Sonatas – the delicate and somewhat modest D.664 in A major, and the brilliant and bold D.850 in D major – with modern-day tributes to the composer by György Kurtág, whose work lends its name to the recording’s title, and the world-premiere recording of Jörg Widmann’s Idyll and Abyss: Six Schubert Reminiscences, which conjures a wide range of complex, volatile and mercurial emotions worthy of their namesake.

Winner of 2011’s prestigious Avery Fisher Career Grant, Hochman has been described by the New York Times as a “gifted, fast-rising artist”. Following a successful 2006 debut at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, he has gone on to perform with the New York Philharmonic, American Symphony Orchestra, Israel Philharmonic at Carnegie Hall, Chicago, Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Houston, Seattle, San Francisco, Vancouver, New Jersey and Portland Symphonies. A graduate of the Curtis Institute of Music and the Mannes College of Music, his festival performances include Marlboro, Ravinia, Caramoor, Santa Fe, Bard, Gilmore, Vail and Vancouver. His performances have been broadcast on National Public Radio’s Young Artist Showcase and Performance Today, WNET’s Sunday Arts, and New York’s WQXR.

Tracklist:

FRANZ SCHUBERT (1797–1828)
Piano Sonata No. 13 in A Major, D.664
1. I. Allegro moderato (7:32)
2. II. Andante (4:48)
3. III. Allegro (8:00)

GYORGY KURTAG (b. 1926)
Játékok, Series 1, Book 3
4. Hommage à Schubert (1:04)

JORG WIDMANN (b. 1973)
Idyll und Abgrund (Sechs Schubert-Reminiszenzen) *
5. I. Irreal, von fern
6. II. Allegretto, un poco agitato
7. III. Wie eine Spieluhr
8. IV. Scherzando
9. V. ♩ = 50
10. VI. Traurig, desolat

FRANZ SCHUBERT
Piano Sonata No. 17 in D Major, D.850
11. I. Allegro vivace (9:01)
12. II. Con moto (11:37)
13. III. Scherzo. Allegro vivace – Trio (9:03)
14. IV. Rondo: Allegro moderato (8:45)

Total duration: 72:06

* world-premiere recording

Benjamin Hochman, piano

Recorded June 23-24, 2012 at the American Academy of Arts and Letters, New York, NY
Producer: Eric Wen | Recording and mastering engineer: Dennis Patterson