Earl Wild: [Re]Visions - Piano Transcriptions Vittorio Forte

• Georg Friedrich Händel (1685 - 1759):
• 1 Air and Variations on The Harmonious Blacksmith (Transcr. Earl Wild) 04:24
• Alessandro Marcello (1673 - 1747):
• 2 Oboe Concerto in D minor, SF935: II. Adagio (Transcr. Earl Wild) 04:33
• Sergei Rachmaninoff (1873 - 1943):
• 3 Dreams, Op. 38, No. 5 (Transcr. Earl Wild) 03:34
• 4 Where Beauty Dwells, Op. 21, No. 7 (Transcr. Earl Wild) 03:35
• 5 The Muse, Op. 34, No. 1 (Transcr. Earl Wild) 04:47
• 6 Floods of Spring, Op. 14, No. 11 (Transcr. Earl Wild) 04:00
• 7 Do Not Grieve, Op. 14, No. 8 (Transcr. Earl Wild) 03:10
• 8 Sorrow In Springtime, Op. 21, No. 12 (Transcr. Earl Wild) 03:47
• 9 On the Death of a Linnet, Op. 21, No. 8 (Transcr. Earl Wild) 04:55
• Pjotr Iljitsch Tschaikowski (1840 - 1893):
• 10 Swan Lake, Op. 20: Dance of the Four Swans (Transcr. Earl Wild) 01:43
• 11 At the Ball, Op. 38, No. 3 (Transcr. Earl Wild) 03:04
• George Gershwin (1898 - 1937): Seven Virtuoso Etudes on Popular Songs:
• 12 Seven Virtuoso Etudes on Popular Songs by George Gershwin: I. Liza 03:30
• 13 Seven Virtuoso Etudes on Popular Songs by George Gershwin: II. Somebody Loves Me 03:06
• 14 Seven Virtuoso Etudes on Popular Songs by George Gershwin: III. The Man I Love 02:57
• 15 Seven Virtuoso Etudes on Popular Songs by George Gershwin: IV. Embraceable You 03:00
• 16 Seven Virtuoso Etudes on Popular Songs by George Gershwin: V. Oh, Lady Be Good! 03:54
• 17 Seven Virtuoso Etudes on Popular Songs by George Gershwin: VI. I Got Rhythm 02:05
• 18 Seven Virtuoso Etudes on Popular Songs by George Gershwin: VII. Fascinating Rhythm 01:38
• 19 Improvisation in the form of a Theme and Three Variations on 'Someone To Watch Over Me' by George Gershwin 12:47
• Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach (1714 - 1788):
• 20 Solfeggietto in the form of an Improvisation (Arr. by Vittorio Forte) 02:49
• Total Runtime 01:17:18

Info for Earl Wild: [Re]Visions - Piano Transcriptions

Following the success of his Odradek debut, 'Abschied' (keyboard works by C.P.E. Bach), pianist Vittorio Forte pays tribute to one of his musical heroes, Earl Wild, whose transcriptions are, in Forte's words, "a revelation".

Earl Wild was a prodigiously talented American pianist who became as famous for his transcriptions as for his dazzling performances, representing a vital link with 19th-century exponents of the pianist-composer tradition such as Liszt, Rachmaninov and Busoni. Wild died in 2010, and this release represents a tribute to the great musician on the tenth anniversary of his death.

For Vittorio Forte, "Earl Wild was the perfect example of a marvellous blend between academism and modernity in an ever-changing world", a combination audible in the array of works chosen for this recital. We hear Wild's transcriptions of two elegant Baroque pieces: Handel's 'Harmonious Blacksmith' and the 'Adagio' from Marcello's Oboe Concerto, contrasted with the Russian passion of Tchaikovsky and Rachmaninov. Then to 20th-century America with Wild's breathtaking 'Seven Virtuoso Etudes' on songs by George Gershwin and his 'Improvisation in the form of a Theme and Three Variations on Someone To Watch Over Me'. The release concludes with one of Forte's own transcriptions, of the 'Solfeggietto' by C.P.E. Bach. There is also a bonus recording for digital listeners: Gershwin's scintillating 'Rhapsody in Blue' (solo piano version) with cadenzas by Vittorio Forte.

Vittorio Forte, piano

Vittorio Forte
Acclaimed for his elegant, eloquent playing, Vittorio Forte weaves his artistic path with curiosity and originality. From C.P.E. Bach or F. Couperin to the formidable transcriptions of Earl Wild, via the works of Russian composer Nikolay Medtner, each foray into a new repertoire is an experience lived in depth and with sincerity.

Born in Italy, it was at the age of seventeen that Vittorio Forte decided to devote himself entirely to music, under the guidance of Argentine pianist José Lepore. In 1998, he left Italy to settle permanently in France, where he continued his studies with Christian Favre at the HEM in Lausanne. He later joined the International Piano Academy Lake Como, where he studied with such great masters as Andreas Staier, Menahem Pressler, Fou Ts’ong and William Naboré.

Prizewinner in various competitions in Italy, Spain and Switzerland, he came to prominence with the Vlado Perlemuter Grand Prix in 2007. Since then, he has performed in several European countries, as well as in the United States and Japan, notably at the La Roque d’Anthéron Piano Festival, Festival de Radio France Montpellier Occitanie, La Folle Journée de Nantes, Chopin à Nohant, Lille Piano Festival, and in venues such as Geneva’s Victoria Hall, Berlin’s Konzerthaus, Paris’s Salle Cortot, Umea Opera House, Madrid’s Juan March Foundation and Japan’s Akita Theatre.

Since 2009, his recordings, including for the Lyrinx label, have received excellent reviews from the specialist press in many countries. Nominated for the ICMA (International Classical Music Awards) in 2014 and 2020, his recording career demonstrates the diversity of his repertoire and the originality of the programs he proposes. In 2019, Vittorio Forte signed with the Italian American Odradek label, a collaboration marked by a first album devoted to C.P.E. Bach (Joker de Crescendo, 5 Classica stars, 5 Diapasons).

His 2021 album, a tribute to the great American pianist Earl Wild through his transcriptions, was widely praised by the international press (Choix de Musiq3 RTBF, Disque du jour France Inter, Opus d’Or, Critics’ Choice International Piano Magazine…) and noted for its inventiveness, colorful poetry and elegant virtuosity. His recording of the Russian composer Nikolay Medtner, again for the Odradek label, was selected by Le Monde and awarded the “Joker” by Crescendo Magazine, the “Opus d’or” and the 5 stars by Classica magazine.

In 2016, Vittorio Forte created the C.A.P.A. (Centre d’Activités Pianistiques et Artistiques) in Montpellier, where he is in charge of a series of masterclass, as well as programming the Piano Intime season.

This album contains no booklet.