„Frédéric Chopin Piano Works“

Unlike her debut recording, 20th Century Russian Piano Sonatas in which pianist Anastasia Yasko tackled the highly extroverted writing of four strongly individual and idiomatic composers, her focus this time around is on the music of a single, highly introverted composer, Frédéric Chopin (1810-1849). But very much like her debut recording about which I had pointed out: „This is music that requires a deep understanding of the piano as a creative instrument, and an extensive range of expressive touches. Anastasia Yasko understands this and allows the music’s inner persona to speak clearly.“

She eschews grand gestures and spurious sentimentality, and instead sheds light on the music’s finer inner details. These are not Nocturnes, Waltzes or Mazurkas, but rather expansive and complex works through which musical logic and arguments take precedence. Anastasia Yasko’s focus on melodic clarity and structural details allows the music to unfold naturally and reveal its harmonic elaboration. And nowhere is that more apparent than in her intricate account of the Sonata’s final movement (audio clip below).