It’s true that a 19th-century virtuoso recital would have freely mixed orchestral and solo music, but the live performance of the Piano Concerto No. Buniatishvili races forward at times, delays as if in torture at other times, and has the skills and the raw power to pull it all off. This is a Chopin funeral march played after someone actually died, and the moment of chilly nihilism that serves as the finale is really a bit scary here. 35, is an absolutely original reading, with that black belt of classical pianism, a fresh rendition of the famous funeral march, with real involvement in the emotional content of the movement.

Georgian pianist Khatia Buniatishvili is a phenomenon, and kudos to Sony Classical for snagging her! This is Chopin of the old school, with massive interposition of the performer between music and listener. In the current season she is the “rising star” in Vienna at the Musikverein and Konzerthaus, is giving recitals in Berlin, Vienna, Amsterdam and Paris, as well as at the Wigmore Hall, is a guest at the festivals in Schwetzingen, Lucerne and Verbier and is making her first appearances with the Munich Philharmonic and the San Francisco Symphony. At the age of only 24 years, this Tblisi-born pianist has already achieved an exceptional maturity of interpretation and a distinctive artistic approach that make her playing unmistakable. Khatia Buniatishvili has been described by The Independent as “the young Georgian firebrand”. This album marks her debut concerto recording with orchestra. After the great recognition of this first album, she is now following this up with an album that encompasses five works by Frédéric Chopin.

A Liszt recital on Sony Classical last year was Khatia Buniatishvili’s critically acclaimed debut as a recording artist.

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