Krystian Zimerman
The remarkable collaboration between the celebrated Polish piano virtuoso Krystian Zimerman and conductor Sir Simon Rattle has resulted in an extraordinary album. Live recordings of Lutosławski's Piano Concerto and his Second Symphony were made during a concert series at the Berlin Philharmonie in September 2013. This new release follows Zimerman's successful 2006 recording of the Brahms Piano Concerto with the Berlin Philharmonic, which was awarded the German Record Critics' Prize. As a tribute to the composer Witold Lutosławski, the master pianist performs a high-caliber program, whose Piano Concerto contains echoes of Bartók and Prokofiev. Completed in 1988, this work was composed specifically for Zimerman, whose extraordinary interpretive skill brings the composition to life with full expressive power. The recording is complemented by Lutosławski's Second Symphony, conducted by Sir Simon Rattle with the Berlin Philharmonic – a work inspired by John Cage's unique compositional style.