A treasure island of piano music — Spiegel Online
The Grand Piano label continues to uncover gems of the piano repertoire. — Fanfare

BORENSTEIN, NIMROD (b. 1969)

Piano Works


  • Tra Nguyen, piano

Nimrod Borenstein’s music has become ever more prominent and popular in recent years and his piano works exemplify his communicative and vitalising spirit. The two sets of Études, inspired by Chopin, some of which are based on a culture, country or myth, employ Borenstein’s personal use of polyrhythms which allow melodies to float and glide in new, virtuosic and colourful ways. Reminiscences of Childhood is a suite exploring the innocence, playfulness and drama of early childhood. Acclaimed British-Vietnamese pianist Tra Nguyen describes Borenstein’s music as ‘inspirational and rewarding’.

Tracklist

 
Études, Op. 66 (2019) (00:19:00 )
1
No. 1. Ostinato Étude, Op. 66, No. 1 (00:03:09)
2
No. 2. Half Moon Étude, Op. 66, No. 2 (00:03:29)
3
No. 3. Tango Étude, Op. 66, No. 3 (00:02:14)
4
No. 4. Arpeggio Étude, Op. 66, No. 4 (00:02:13)
5
No. 5. Kangding Qingge Étude, Op. 66, No. 5 (00:02:58)
6
No. 6. Méphisto Étude, Op. 66, No. 6 (00:05:41)
 
Études, Op. 86 (2020) (00:15:00 )
7
No. 7. Staccato/Legato Étude, Op. 86, No. 1 (00:01:54)
8
No. 8. Chords Étude, Op. 86, No. 2 (00:04:10)
9
No. 9. Hidden Melodies Étude, Op. 86, No. 3 (00:02:41)
10
No. 10. Brazilian Étude, Op. 86, No. 4 (00:01:50)
11
No. 11. Toccata Étude, Op. 86, No. 5 (00:02:49)
12
No. 12. Japanese Gardens Étude, Op. 86, No. 6 (00:03:47)
 
Reminiscences of Childhood, Op. 54 (2012) (00:11:00 )
13
No. 1. Lucilla's Beehive (00:04:13)
14
No. 2. Uchti-Tuchti (00:02:05)
15
No. 3. The Melancholic Mobile (00:04:57)
16
Water Droplets in Venice, Op. 75, No. 2 (2019) (00:02:41)
17
Lullaby, Op. 81a (2018) (00:04:47)
Total Time: 00:55:38

The Artist(s)

Tra Nguyen British-Vietnamese Tra Nguyen gave her first concert, performing Mozart’s Piano Concerto, K. 488, with the Hanoi Conservatory Orchestra. Since then she has continued to engage audiences in other important venues worldwide. Recent and future performances include Queen Elizabeth Hall, Tokyo Opera City, Hong Kong City Recital Hall, Cadogan Hall and Wigmore Hall amongst others. Her imaginative programming balances core repertoire and lesser-known music, winning critical praise. Her discography introduces many world première recordings of neglected music. Volumes 1–6 of her recordings of Joachim Raff’s piano music have earned wide critical acclaim, including Album of the Week by The Independent. Tra Nguyen studied with Lev Naumov at the Moscow Conservatory and with Christopher Elton at the Royal Academy of Music where she received the academy’s highest award for her final recital. She was awarded the ARAM (Associate of the Royal Academy of Music) for her “significant contribution to the music profession” in 2013.

The Composer(s)

Nimrod Borenstein The past few years have seen a great number of Nimrod Borenstein’s works being commissioned, recorded and premiered at the most prestigious venues and festivals across the globe, from the Royal Festival Hall and Royal Opera House in London to the Salle Gaveau in Paris, Carnegie Hall in New York, and Hong Kong City Hall. His music is performed regularly throughout Europe, Canada, Australia, the Far East, Israel, South America, Russia and the USA. In recent years, he has been commissioned to write the obligatory performance pieces for the Hong Kong International Piano Competition (2019) and the International Jeunesses Musicales Competition for violoncello (2020).

Reviews

“…a worthy addition to Borenstein’s impressive discography.” – Fanfare

“Tra Nguyen plays with nuance and virtuosity and gets a larger-than-life recording.” – American Record Guide