Acclaimed pianist Inna Faliks breaks new ground with REIMAGINED on Navona Records, an homage to Beethoven and Ravel which manages to do the impossible: be breathtakingly innovative while remaining respectful to the source material. Nine contemporary composers, including Richard Danielpour, Paola Prestini, Billy Childs, and Timo Andres, were commissioned to craft responses to Ludwig van Beethoven's Bagatelles, op. 126 (incidentally, the master's favorite) as well as Maurice Ravel's Gaspard de la Nuit. The results are exhilarating, not least owing to Faliks's stunningly precise and sensitive pianistic interpretation: the Ukrainian-born American pianist ties together Classical, Romantic and modern pieces with disarming nonchalance and rock-solid technical skill. Defying the challenge of uniting three centuries of musical styles and social commentary, as well as producing an album during a global pandemic with the help of Yamaha's Disklavier technology, REIMAGINED proudly raises a monument not only to the genius of Beethoven and Ravel, but also to the perseverance and verve of some of today's most exciting and important composers.

Tracklist:

Bagatelle (After Beethoven's Op. 126 No. 1)
6 Bagatelles, Op. 126: No. 1, Andante Con Moto, Cantabile E Con Piacevole
Bagatelle (After Beethoven's Op. 126 No. 2)
6 Bagatelles, Op. 126: No. 2, Allegro
Bagatelles: No. 1, Childhood Nightmare (After Beethoven's Op. 126 No. 3)
6 Bagatelles, Op. 126: No. 3, Andante, Cantabile Ed Espressivo
Etude No. 2a, "Ad Fugam" On A Non-Octave-Replicating Mode (After Beethoven's Op. 126 No. 4)
6 Bagatelles, Op. 126: No. 4, Presto
Sweet Nothings (After Beethoven's Op. 126 No. 5)
6 Bagatelles, Op. 126: No. 5, Quasi Allegretto
Bagatelle (After Beethoven's Op. 126 No. 6)
6 Bagatelles, Op. 126: No. 6, Presto - Andante Amabile E Con Moto
Variations On A Spell: I. Water Sprite (After Ravel's "Ondine, M. 55")
Variations On A Spell: II. Bell Tolls - Golden Bees (After Ravel's "Ondine, M. 55")
Old Ground (After Ravel's "Le Gibet, M. 55")
Pursuit (After Ravel's "Scarbo, M. 55")

UPC: 896931006521
Label: Navona
Release Date: 6.11.21
Format: CD

Reimagine / Various - Reimagine / Various (CD)