Pianist Yundi returns to Chopin – the composer he is most closely associated with. This album will feature Chopin’s Complete Preludes, a collection of beloved works for solo piano. The release coincides with the 15th anniversary of Yundi’s legendary victory at the International Warsaw Chopin Competition in 2000. At 18 he was the youngest and first-ever Chinese winner and it was the first time in 15 years that a ‘First Prize’ had been awarded.

Adored by millions of fans for his Chopin playing, Yundi continues his dedication to the composer with an album of „Ballades.“

Yundi, the Chinese dazzling pianist acclaimed by the Wall Street Journal for his – poetic depth and patrician elegance – continues his award-winning exploration of the works of Chopin with a new recording of the Ballades, and by embarking on a major international tour. If precedent is a guide, both are expected to cause massive excitement among his fans.

For his new all-Chopin recording, Yundi performs the Opus 17 set of four Mazurkas, the Berceuse (Op 57), and all four Ballades. The latter works were composed between 1831 and 1842, and contain some of the composers most operatic writing, as well as his most challenging technical demands.

With his forensic, lyrical poeticism underpinned by a phenomenal technique, Yundi has become one of the most admired performers of Chopin in recent years. In 2000, he was he the first Chinese performer ever to win the prestigious Chopin Competition. He was also (at eighteen) the youngest winner in the history of the event, and the first player in fifteen years to be granted first prize. In 2015 Yundi accepted the great honour of returning to the competition in the capacity of an adjudicator (becoming the youngest judge in the competitions history) alongside other luminaries of the keyboard world including Martha Argerich, Dmitri Alexeev and Garrick Ohlsson.

Following his recordings on Deutsche Grammophon of music by Frédéric Chopin and Franz Liszt, Chinese pianist Yundi Li takes on the three most popular piano sonatas of Ludwig van Beethoven, the “Pathétique,” “Moonlight,” and “Appassionata.” Known for having brilliant technique and dynamic showmanship, Yundi plays against type in these beloved works, which call for more introspection and expressiveness than might be expected from him. Even though the outer movements of “Pathétique” and “Appassionata” and the last movement of “Moonlight” give Yundi ample opportunity to demonstrate his agility, power, and high energy, they are relatively restrained, compared to the kind of virtuosic fare that made him an international star. Furthermore, the Classical impulse that informed these sonatas calls for a balance of moods, not just bravura playing. The slow movements let Yundi show he is more than just a flashy technician, and he gives carefully considered performances that work, albeit as fairly Romantic readings. Because Beethoven’s piano sonatas have been interpreted and recorded by pianists too numerous to count, it’s easy to dismiss performances that fall short of the great recordings of the past, especially any that seem addressed to a mainstream audience. Yundi’s album will not impress connoisseurs who have already settled on their favorite recordings, though casual listeners may like what Yundi does with the music and learn more about Beethoven as a result. –Blair Sanderson, All Music Guide