The pianist who (apparently) most of the audience - both in the hall and online - thought should have won the last Chopin Competition has just released his latest CD, which contains lollipops and film music. Ingolf Wunder, despite losing out to Yulianna Avdeeva for the first prize, has since achieved probably a higher profile (shades of Ivo Pogorelich and Dang Thai Son), having been signed on to DG and already made his second CD for them, while Avdeeva has only just released her first CD since the competition (playing Chopin on a period Erard) on the same Polish label that released her live competition performances.

Is this the shape of things to come from classical pianists - playing and recording 'classical pops', like well-known film music? Almost certainly, this CD will appeal to many more than just classical cognoscenti, but will the latter be turned off by this populist/crossover take?

I think it's part of pianist's personal preferences and tastes. I guess it wouldn't work if someone tried to do it just for marketing. But even if it's authentic it's not bound to be to all audience's tastes.

I recently attended a recital he gave where I live and, to be honest, I was quite turned off by the program combination, even without any Star Wars in it.

After the 1st half (all Chopin Ballades, always a good choice of course ), the 2nd half began with the Berceuse, followed by a very mixed bag of short 19th century salon favorites, then, oddly enough, thrown in the middle Scriabin's op 8/12. It really made me angry a bit as it seemed like a statement that the Berceuse and the Scriabin Etude would in any way be comparable to these pieces...

I went there as open-minded as I could despite the fact I didn't like the program combination. Unfortunately, I was quite a bit underwhelmed by the recital I have to say. It was not bad at all, and he surely is a very accomplished pianist, but it didn't feel very personal to me (however, I should add the recital was well received by the audience in general so maybe it was me who had a bad listening day ).

In contrast, I still remember a wonderful Avdeeva recital I have attended. Of course it doesn't make sense to compare from two recitals, but I'll do it anyway... No comparison!

Wunder hasn't yet played at the International Piano Series in London's South Bank, though Avdeeva and Trifonov have (and the latter two both played meaty concerts, and very well too).

If Wunder was going to program mainly lollipops, I suspect that might not go down well with the organisers of the piano recital series, nor with the audience.

It sounds like his second half of the concert you attended contained many of the pieces on his new CD - minus the film music.

But I'd quite fancy hearing that Star Wars tune as an encore.......

Yes indeed, you are right, bennevis!
Here is the list of what he played in the 2nd half. As I said before, for me this appeared a very unfortunate combination -- does it make sense to play any more encores if the whole 2nd half seems a combination of encores?! (as actual encores he played a Scarlatti sonata, followed by Fantaisie-Impromptu).

Berceuse Des-Dur op. 57
Koczalski Fantasie-Walzer für Klavier h-Moll op. 49
Debussy "Claire de lune" Nr. 3 aus "Suite bergamasque"
Rachmaninow Préludes g-Moll op. 23/ 5
Skrjabin Patetico dis-Moll aus "Etüden" op. 8/12
Moszkowski "Etincelles", Morceau caractéristique op. 36 Nr. 6
Horowitz Danse excentrique
Liszt Csárdás macabre

Btw!!! Anyone care to look twice at the track list of "300"? Notice anything funny?!

Oops!

I might be tempted to order this CD......er, perhaps not

>Rachmaninow Préludes g-Moll op. 23/ 5

>Skrjabin Patetico dis-Moll aus "Etüden" op. 8/12

Did you swap some numbers? Or did they on the CD?

They did, wouter, on the CD! I've never seen anything like this before, especially on Deutsche Grammophon...

I found the back cover pfoto in Polish CD shop on the web and yes, they are swapped on the CD.

I wonder when they realized this

Maybe a rush job.

But if Decca can release Valentina Lisitsa's RAH concert last year on CD within a couple of weeks with all documentation accurate, why can't DG, with a studio recording?

Going back to Wunder...
Few days after Chopin Competition he had tournee around Poland...
On one of the concerts he played 1st piano concerto, and after

As one of encores he played Clair de Lune
The piece, which is played by almost each piano adept, by each kid...

But it was alway boring and nothing special for me...

But this time I was completely amazed. I felt like struked (sorry if it's wrong word) by lightning. This, what he has done with this piece was absolutely immense. To be honest, by few next I was still in shock.
He's great pianist, with great emotions.

Avdeeva is more brutal and straight forward. Wunder is colorfull. I prefer Wunder.

Well, I can understand the complaints said so far....but STAR WARS for piano....my inner 12 year old boy is exciting and wants to play it.