Dedication

The esteemed pianist Nicholas Angelich takes up enigmatic and picturesque Romantic masterworks. This album’s title, Dedication, refers to the composers’ dedications of these works to each other: Schumann’s Kreisleriana was dedicated to Chopin, Liszt’s B minor piano sonata was dedicated to Schumann, and these two etudes of Chopin were dedicated to Liszt. The title could also refer to Angelich’s dedication to extracting the Romantic spirit from all of these works. His performance of Liszt’s magnificent sonata aims to annihilate the listener’s soul through his agile playing and his emphasis on the work’s tempestuous, maniacal drama; Angelich’s heavenly Chopin is revealed as Liszt’s perfect counterpoint with its flighty melodies and lilting phrasing.