Pianist Grete Sultan (1906-2005) is one of the most extraordinary artists of the 20th century. Raised in a Jewish upper-class household in Berlin, she managed to escape Germany in 1941 after being banned from the concert stage. In New York, she met John Cage with whom she maintained an artistic collaboration for her whole life. Wergo's set Piano Seasons contains her recordings, some of them being released for the first time, of piano works from widely different epochs. Baroque, classical, romantic and contemporary music meet here, finding common ground in the interpretation of this exceptional artist.
1 Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750): Goldberg Variations, BWV 988
2 Ludwig Van Beethoven (1770-1827): Diabelli Variations, Op. 120 (1819-1823)
3 Six Bagatelles for Piano, Op. 126 (1823)
4 Franz Schubert (1797-1828): Sonata in a Minor for Piano, Op. 42 (D 845) (1825)
5 Robert Schumann (1810-1856): Fantasy in C Major, Op. 17 (1836)
6 Arnold Schönberg (1894-1951): FÜNF Klavierstücke, Op. 23 (1923)
7 Aaron Copland (1900-1990): Piano Sonata (1941)
8 Ben Weber (1916-1979): Episodes for Piano Solo, Op. 26A (1957) Stefan Wolpe (1902-1972): Form for Piano (1959)
9 Alan Hovhaness (1911-2000): Yenovk. Partita for Piano, Op. 176/2 (1951)
10 John Cage (1912-1992): The Perilous Night for Prepared Piano (1944)
11 Toshi Ichiyanagi (* 1933): In Memory of John Cage (1992)
Pianist Grete Sultan (1906-2005) is one of the most extraordinary artists of the 20th century. Raised in a Jewish upper-class household in Berlin, she managed to escape Germany in 1941 after being banned from the concert stage. In New York, she met John Cage with whom she maintained an artistic collaboration for her whole life. Wergo's set Piano Seasons contains her recordings, some of them being released for the first time, of piano works from widely different epochs. Baroque, classical, romantic and contemporary music meet here, finding common ground in the interpretation of this exceptional artist.
