Decca Classics is excited to announce the upcoming release of Chopin: Piano Sonatas Nos. 2 & 3, the latest album from internationally acclaimed British pianist Benjamin Grosvenor. Scheduled for release on May 23, 2025, this will mark Grosvenor’s ninth recording with the label, following his historic signing in 2011 as the youngest British musician—and the first British pianist in over sixty years—to join Decca. Since then, Grosvenor has earned recognition from Gramophone as one of the 50 greatest pianists ever recorded.
This new album highlights two of Chopin’s most remarkable and contrasting works: the Piano Sonata No. 2 in B-flat minor and the Piano Sonata No. 3 in B minor. Composed five years apart, these pieces demonstrate the full spectrum of Chopin’s emotional depth and musical innovation.
Grosvenor remarks, “The somber Second Sonata is widely recognized for its Funeral March, but it also reveals Chopin’s pioneering spirit, with the Finale: Presto offering a glimpse of modernism. It’s a standout piece in Chopin’s oeuvre—truly unique.” In contrast, the Third Sonata, written during the height of Chopin’s career in 1844, blends virtuosic technique with lyrical, flowing melodies, capturing the composer at his most refined and expressive.
In addition to the sonatas, Grosvenor has included several shorter works. “To balance the sonatas, I chose the Ballade No. 1, which was crucial in establishing Chopin’s reputation in Paris in 1835.” This celebrated work, considered one of Chopin’s greatest, is rich with drama and storytelling. Dedicated to Baron Nathaniel von Stockhausen in 1836, Robert Schumann called it “the piece that shows the most genius,” a sentiment that Chopin himself shared, calling it his favorite composition. The Ballade is preceded by the gentle Berceuse, which Grosvenor describes as offering “a moment of calm” amidst the more substantial pieces. Written in the same year as the Third Sonata, the Berceuse was crafted during a romantic summer at Nohant, marking a period when Chopin solidified his status as one of the foremost composers for piano. Before the Third Sonata, listeners will enjoy two of Chopin’s most mature and beautifully crafted Nocturnes: the expressive No. 1 in F Minor and the lyrical No. 2 in E-flat Major, both written just before the Third Sonata.
This album follows Grosvenor’s highly praised 2020 recording of the Chopin piano concertos with Elim Chan and the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, which won the Gramophone Concerto Award and the Diapason d’Or de l’Année. Diapason described the recording as “a version to rank among the best, confirming the extraordinary artistry of Grosvenor.”
Grosvenor continues to receive widespread acclaim for his performances. Notable recent engagements include appearances at the Berlin Philharmonie with the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin, Chicago Symphony Center, and the BBC Proms. In 2025, he will debut with the Bamberg Symphony and NHK Symphony Orchestras, perform with the London Philharmonic Orchestra under Karina Canellakis, and return to prestigious venues such as the Montreal, Seattle, Bern, Dallas, and BBC Orchestras. He will also appear with the Royal Northern Sinfonia, at the Leeds International Piano Festival, and the Berliner Klavierfestival, as part of a European recital tour. In February 2025, he will be a featured artist at the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées in Paris, performing both concerto and solo recital programs.
This album is poised to be a significant addition to Grosvenor’s esteemed discography and a fitting homage to Chopin’s lasting musical legacy.
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