Chopin: Mazurkas & Sonate No. 3

Album review

Chopin was an absolute master of “small forms” (preludes, ballads, nocturnes, mazurkas, impromptus, études, polonaises), which often overshadowed his larger works such as the three piano sonatas and the sonata for cello and piano which are brilliant but are often criticised for being disparate pieces strung together. Yet, upon closer examination, many musicologists have found that these works are carefully structured and as accomplished as the classical models established by Haydn and Beethoven.

In this recital for Mirare, the Russian-Lithuanian pianist Lukas Geniušas has once again set his sights on Chopin after his interpretation of Chopin’s twenty-four Etudes (for Dux Records) in 2013 was highly praised. Two years later, the release of his monographic album dedicated to the Sonata No. 2 in B-flat minor and the Concerto in E minor by the Chopin Institute in Warsaw (Narodowy Instytut Fryderyka Chopin), was once again a success.

Having studied at the Moscow Frederic Chopin College of Music Performing, the brilliant young Lukas Geniušas now remains loyal to his favourite composer. He leads up to Sonata No. 3 by playing a mix of eleven Mazurkas, like walking down an impressive avenue of lime trees leading to a stately home. His great technique and remarkable sensitivity allow him to pick up on even the most subtle and delicate details of Chopin’s music. © François Hudry/Qobuz