After his first three albums centered around Beethoven and Bach, all awarded, comes now for Igor Levit a very personal album: an imaginary recital. After the tragic death of a close friend, Levit reflects on the piano about the experience of loss, oscillating between sorrow and despair, resignation and comfort. Poetic moments of contemplation confront highly sensual, almost enchanting music.
Igor Levit loves great complex and demanding challenges. The construction of this album is proof of that. Levit's deliberately subjective selection spans from 1720 to 2012, from Bach to Frédéric Rzewski, including Schumann and Bill Evans. "Life" effortlessly crosses the boundaries between eras, styles, and genres, offering a multitude of new discoveries. A decidedly captivating album.