All just my personal opinion
World première of the Piano Sonata No.1, “The Queen”, presented by its author, the Swiss composer and pianist Julian Layn, along with highlights from his compositorial oeuvre: excerpts from piano concerto No.1, “Heavy Clouds Over Vast Wide Open”, from piano concerto No.2, “The Ecocalypse”, the piano piece “If You Believe”, and the Impromptu “The French Course”.
Beethoven: Piano Sonata No.26 in E♭ major, op.81a, “Les Adieux” — comparing recordings with the following artists: Wilhelm Backhaus (1961), Paul Badura-Skoda (1969), Daniel Barenboim (1984), Ronald Brautigam (2007), Emil Gilels (1984), Friedrich Gulda (1967), Arthur Rubinstein (1940 and 1962), Artur Schnabel (1935)
Comparing recordings with the following artists: Wilhelm Backhaus (1966), Paul Badura-Skoda (1969), Daniel Barenboim (1984), Ronald Brautigam (2008), Emil Gilels (1985), Friedrich Gulda (1967), Igor Levit (2013), Maurizio Pollini (1976), Svjatoslav Richter (1965), Artur Schnabel (1935)
Listening Diary — violin sonatas by Prokofiev, Shostakovich, & Schnittke, played by the late Lydia Mordkovich (1944 – 2014). Cross-checking Shostakovich’s op.134 against Gringolts/Vonsattel, and Faust/Melnikov
Beethoven: Piano Sonata No.32 in C minor, op.111 — Comparing recordings with the following artists: Wilhelm Backhaus (1961), Paul Badura-Skoda (1969), Daniel Barenboim (1984), Ronald Brautigam (2008), Friedrich Gulda (1967), Julius Katchen (1968), Wilhelm Kempff (1964), Igor Levit (2013), Maurizio Pollini (1976), András Schiff (2012), Artur Schnabel (1935)
Igor Levit was born 1987 in Nizhny Novgorod (Gorky); in 1995 his family moved to Germany; he grew up with the piano (his mother is a pianist whose teacher had once studied with Heinrich Neuhaus), did his musical studies at the Hochschule für Musik, Theater und Medien Hannover and finished with the best notes ever given by that institution. Aged 17, he was the youngest participant at the International Arthur Rubinstein Piano Master Competition in Tel Aviv, in 2005; he won the second prize, plus several special awards, such as the special prize for chamber music, and the audience award…