Chopin: Sonata Ballada Mazurki

YIKE TONY YANG

Having never before produced a winner in the long history of the International Fryderyk Chopin Piano Competition, Canada in 2015 was suddenly able to boast of having nurtured two of the six main prizewinners. In addition to Charles Richard-Hamelin, Tony Yike Yang attracted plenty of attention from the outset and few who followed the competition closely were surprised to see him in the final rankings, where he was placed fifth overall. This recording captures Yang in the second and third stages during the competition in Warsaw in October, 2015, and his account of the Barcarolle in F sharp minor, Op. 60, shows clearly why he captivated the audience there - and those following via broadcasts or internet streaming. His performance seems to float over dark waters that almost well up in the mind's ear, and it captures extraordinarily well the moonlit colors of the piece.

Price: $25.98