Mozart: The Sonata Project - Salzburg

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Mozart: The Sonata Project - Salzburg
Yundi Li - Mozart, The Sonata Project - Salzburg (album cover).jpg
Cover of Mozart: The Sonata Project - Salzburg
Studio album by
ReleasedApril 05,2024 [1]
RecordedNovember 2023 [2]
VenueGreat Hall of the Salzburg Mozarteum [3]
Genre Classical
Length81 minutes
Label Warner Classics

Mozart: The Sonata Project - Salzburg is a latest album of Yundi, which was released on 5 April 2024. [1]

Contents

Background

In this album, Yundi returns to the roots of his musical inspiration, as he was captivated by Mozart already at the age of 7. [2] Yundi hopes to take listeners on a journey through Mozart's musical landscapes, a realm of music closest to Yundi’s heart, aiming for his audience to experience a similar infatuation with the “singing, colourful, human tone of the most ingenious composer”. [4]

To promote the album's release, Yundi has embarked on a 2024 European concert tour, YUNDI Plays Mozart The Sonata Project 1, visiting cities historically connected with Mozart, including Vienna, Paris, Munich, Frankfurt, Cologne, and Berlin. [2] [5] [6]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Le Soir Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svg [7]
Le Devoir Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svg [8]
Concerti  [ de ]Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [9]

Yundi's Mozart: The Sonata Project - Salzburg received acclaim. The album is recommended by Classical FM as one of the Featured Albums of the Week, [10] and listed as the Album of the Week by Scala Radio [11] and Le Soir. [7]

Christoph Vratz of German classical music magazine Concerti described Yundi's three Mozart sonatas (KV 310, 331, 457) and the Fantasy KV 475 "[...]With a very fine, precisely balanced touch with careful pedaling and, above all, thanks to the resolute rejection of anything intentionally extravagant, Yundi is able to convince. We experience a Mozart who is driven by a passion for storytelling that we also know from his stage works and major concerts. A Mozart who sometimes draws contrasts sharply, who sometimes manages a gentle transition within a few moments, who can bubble with energy and deliver a lonely eulogy. In this respect, this recording can undoubtedly be seen as a win.[...]" [9]

Track listing

The album features several of Mozart's most cherished piano sonatas, including

Charts

Chart performance for Mozart: The Sonata Project - Salzburg
Chart (2024)Peak
position
US Billboard Traditional Classical [12] 7
UK Classical Specialist [13] 11

Related Research Articles

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The Piano Sonata No. 11 in A major, K. 331 / 300i, by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart is a piano sonata in three movements.

The Piano Sonata No. 16 in C major, K. 545, by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was described by Mozart in his own thematic catalogue as "for beginners", and it is very commonly known by the nickname Sonata facile or Sonata semplice. Despite this, the sonata is actually not an easy work to perform and can hardly be described as "for beginners."

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The Piano Sonata No. 12 in F major, K. 332 (300k) by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was published in 1784 along with the Piano Sonata No. 10 in C major, K. 330, and Piano Sonata No. 11, K. 331. Mozart wrote these sonatas either while visiting Munich in 1781, or during his first two years in Vienna. Some believe, however that Mozart wrote this and the other sonatas during a summer 1783 visit to Salzburg made for the purpose of introducing his wife, Constanze to his father, Leopold. All three sonatas were published in Vienna in 1784 as Mozart's Op. 6.

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References

  1. 1 2 "Gramophone". Gramophone (April 2024 Issue ed.). p. Outside Back Cover.
  2. 1 2 3 "Mozart: The Sonata Project - Salzburg". Warner Classics. Archived from the original on 9 February 2024. Retrieved 11 February 2024.
  3. "The Sonata Project -Salzburg -Nos.8, 11, 14 : Yundi Li(P)(Hybrid)". HMV&BOOKS online (in Japanese). Retrieved 2024-02-11.
  4. Broadcast Mon (15 April 2024). "New Releases: Tine Thing Helseth and her brass ensemble, Scottish choral music, and more". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Archived from the original on 19 April 2024.
  5. "Gramophone". Gramophone (April 2024 Issue ed.). p. Inside Front Cover.
  6. "Concerti". Concerti (in German) (March 2024 Issue ed.). p. 15.
  7. 1 2 "Le disque 5 étoiles de la semaine : Yundi, Mozart" [The 5-star album of the week: Yundi, Mozart] (in French). Le Soir. 13 May 2024. Archived from the original on 14 May 2024.
  8. Christophe Huss (12 April 2024). ""Mozart: The Sonata project", Yundi" (in French). Le Devoir. Archived from the original on 21 April 2024.
  9. 1 2 "Entwicklung mit Mozart" [Development with Mozart]. Concerti (in German) (April 2024 Issue ed.). p. 25.
  10. "This week's Classic FM radio highlights – including featured albums this week". Classic FM (UK) . 8 April 2024. Archived from the original on 9 April 2024.
  11. David May (8 April 2024). "WIN - Scala Radio's Album of the Week". Scala Radio . Archived from the original on 8 April 2024.
  12. "Traditional Classical Albums Week of April 20, 2024". Billboard charts. Archived from the original on 17 April 2024.
  13. "Official Specialist Classical Charton 12/4/2024 12 April 2024 - 18 April 2024". UK Classical Charts. Archived from the original on 17 April 2024.