Grigory Sokolov
'A magical encounter with a near-mythical creature' - The
Times
After nearly two decades in recording obscurity,
elusive Russian pianist Grigory Sokolov has stunned audiences with his new
album The Salzburg Recital, entering the Official UK Specialist
Classical Charts at No 1.
The live recording of works by Mozart and Chopin is
his first album since a Schubert Sonatas disc, recorded in 1992, came to market
in 1996. It is also his first release as an exclusive Deutsche Grammophon artist.
Sokolov no longer performs in the UK, but his recitals
are still sought-after around the world - he gives up to seventy concerts a
year, and has been described by The Spectator as 'the greatest living
pianist'.
It's not just the UK that has fallen under Sokolov's
spell - in Germany, his new album is in the Top Forty in the Pop Chart, ahead
of all other classical albums and out-selling the Vienna Philharmonic's popular
2015 New Year's Day Concert recording.
Mark Wilkinson, President of Deutsche Grammophon,
commented: 'After more than two decades, piano-lovers around the world are
already endorsing this extraordinary album as something very special indeed -
it is a recital to treasure, and a landmark recording to compete with the very
best.'
Sokolov is known for the extraordinary subtlety and
endless variety of his tone, the vast depths of his musicianship and the
spiritual intensity of his music-making. He is also known for what he does not
do: he no longer performs with orchestras, nor on pianos that are more than
five years old. He makes no studio recordings and is reluctant to do
interviews, feeling more comfortable expressing himself through his music.
In an uncompromising pursuit of artistic excellence,
he always demands at least double the rehearsal time expected by his peers
prior to every recital - and, as if in return, gives double the amount of
encores. In short, his pursuit of perfection is all-consuming. It is hardly
surprising, therefore, that Sokolov was unavailable to comment on his chart success.
He remains in intensive rehearsal for his forthcoming live performances across
Europe.
As the Daily Telegraph wrote, 'Listening to
Sokolov, you know unequivocally that you are in the presence of someone
extraordinary'.
Information: www.deutschegrammophon.com
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