Chopin's Last Waltz

Pianist Robert Silverman has, in his five-decade career, been hailed for masterful performances in prestigious halls across the globe. His newest LP, Chopin's Last Waltz, comes from Chopin's final period of 1841-1849. The seven compositions featured here are beyond gorgeous and difficult.

Silverman proves he can emotionally and technically master even the Fantaisie in F minor, "an elegant yet mind-blowing exercise in beauty redefined in music," writes reviewer Robert Levi for Positive-Feedback Online. Other pieces include Nocturne in E major - a fine example of the refinement and contrapuntal richness of Chopin's later works. The brooding Prelude in C sharp minor, Op. 45, composed in 1841, was dedicated to Princess E. Czernicheff (Elisaweta Tschernyschewa), and employs one of Chopin's favorite devices: a rolling bass accompaniment sweeping upward until it takes over the next phase of the melody.

Silverman's musical and technical authority are on full display here.Recognized as one of Canada's premiere pianists, he demonstrates a polished technique, an extraordinary range of tonal palette, an uncanny ability to sing his way into the heart of a phrase, and probing interpretations of the most complex works in the repertoire. Silverman has performed in concert halls throughout North America, Europe, the Far East and Australia, under the batons of such renowned conductors as Seiji Ozawa, John Eliot Gardiner, Gerard Schwarz, and more. His discography includes more than 30 CDs and a dozen LPs.

Recording engineers Ray Kimber and Aaron Hubbard achieve truly lifelike presence, recording at DSD256 (Quad DSD - 4x SACD resolution), and editing in that format without any compression or equalization other than application of the RIAA curve. The esteemed Kevin Gray at Cohearent Audio handled mastering and cut the lacquers. Plating and pressing on 180-gram super silent vinyl was done by Quality Record Pressings, makers of the world's finest-sounding LPs!