The Year That Never Was
The Year That Never Was
Artist: Matei Varga
Composer: Ernesto Lecuona, Frederic Chopin, Domenico Scarlatti, George Gershwin, Mily Balakirev, Ludwig van Beethoven, & Andrei Tudor
Format: 1 CD
DSL-92258
To paraphrase Tolstoy, all happy memories feel more or less the same; but the unhappy times are experienced differently by each one of us. We’ve all had some really tough weeks, which sometimes turned into months, and (with a bit of bad luck) into years... I like to think that “off” years help us grow and prepare for the beautiful things that will undoubtedly come our way (I am an optimist at heart), but living through dark times is a complicated process.
The year 2020 was complicated indeed. The world was put on hold and we hardly remember what we did in February, or May, or September... Many suffered from isolation and the inability to socialize - and they probably prefer to think back to 2020 as a year that never happened... I, on the other hand, felt liberated by the lack of schedules, appointments and the pressure to be productive - that horrid word which is killing our souls, slowly but surely. Instead I embraced seclusion and enjoyed the time off which was forced upon us. Yes, I did miss performing in front of a live audience and traveling to beautiful places, but I found that staying home, with my piano, offered me a better view towards my inner self and a chance to experience the joy of a new discovery. That was for me the Cuban master Ernesto Lecuona...
... Two years later, the pandemic isn’t over and neither is the collective anxiety - but at least I can offer you this very personal recording, which I hope will take your mind away from the current realities. This is music’s most phenomenal power - to bring joy when we really need it!...
- Matei Varga
1. Andalucía (from Suite Española) Ernesto Lecuona (1895 - 1963) [2:29]
Trois Ecossaises, Op. 72 No. 3
Frederic Chopin (1810 - 1849)
2. No. I [0:58]
3. No. II [0:51]
4. No. III [0:51]
5. I Got Rhythm George Gershwin (1898 - 1937) [1:18]
6. Bagatelle in A minor (WoO 59) “Für Elise” Ludwig van Beethoven (1770 - 1827) [2:29]
XIXth Century Cuban Dances (selections) Ernesto Lecuona (1895 - 1963)
7. La Cardenense [1:23]
8. Arabesque [1:08]
9. La Mulata [0:50]
10. Al Fin Te Vi [0:52]
11. Minstrels [1:49]
12. Impromptu No. 3, Op. 51 in G-flat major Frederic Chopin (1810 - 1849) [4:39]
13. Zambra Gitana, from “La tierra de Venus” Ernesto Lecuona (1895 - 1963) [2:49]
(transcribed and arranged by Thomas Y. Tirino)
14. Keyboard Sonata K 380, in E major Domenico Scarlatti (1685 - 1757) [2:27]
15. Keyboard Sonata K 135, in E major Domenico Scarlatti (1685 - 1757) [2:05]
16. Rondo alla Crazy Andrei Tudor (b. 1983) [3:16]
17. Spanish Melody Mily Balakirev (1837 - 1910) [3:24]
18. Fantaisie-Impromptu Op. 66 in C-sharp minor Frederic Chopin (1810 - 1849) [5:25]
19. Danza Lucumi, from “Danzas Afro-Cubanas” Ernesto Lecuona (1895 - 1963) [2:19]
20. Etude Op. 10, No. 12 in C minor (The Revolutionary) Frederic Chopin (1810 - 1849) [2:53]
21. The Man I Love George Gershwin (1898 - 1937) [2:04]
22. Impromptu No. 1, Op. 29 in A-flat major Frederic Chopin (1810 - 1849) [4:08]
23. Yo te quiero siempre, canción Ernesto Lecuona (1895 - 1963) [2:03]
(transcribed and arranged by Thomas Y. Tirino)
24. Vals Azul, from “Lola Cruz” Ernesto Lecuona (1895 - 1963) [2:44]
(transcribed and arranged by Matt Van Brink)
Total Time: [55:28]
Total time: 55:28
Release date: June 24, 2022
UPC: 053479225825
“Stoked for the release of Matei’s newest project with us! ”
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Quotes & Reviews
“Varga has the ideally light and velvety touch and delicately suave phrasing to tease the maximum charm out of every piece.” - Wright, American Record Guide
“Regardless of the composer in play, Varga elevates the set, recorded in May 2021 at Sono Luminus Studios in Boyce, Virginia, with one ebullient and effervescent performance after another, his playing dazzling throughout and for Rondo alla Crazy and Chopin's Fantaisie-Impromptu Op. 66 in C-sharp minor virtuosic. Adding to the appeal of the fifty-five-minute release, most of its twenty-four tracks last but a minute or two at a time, making for a stimulating and rapidly changing presentation.” - Ron Schepper, Textura
“Readers who appreciate an hour of easy-to-digest quality piano music – some of it a bit off the beaten track – should be deeply satisfied with this issue.” - Göran Forsling, Music-Web International
“Varga’s signature pianism is apt in arguing for seemingly disparate musical threads. More of a recital program than a thematic ally directed album, The Year That Never Was nonetheless achieves satisfaction, executed with much joy and a tasteful, rollicking fond ness for this personalized set list.” - Adam Sherkin, The Whole Note
“Varga's segues are convincing, and his concept is flexible enough to include offbeat items like Mily Balakirev's Spanish Melody and Romanian composer Andrei Tudor's Rondo alla Crazy, which Tudor sent to Varga via social media during the pandemic. That pandemic seems to have produced a boomlet in recordings of salon music, which is probably understandable, and Varga's release is a novel take on the idea.” - James Manheim, AllMusic
“Best of the Best - 2022: Matei Varga was back, playing idiomatically and allowing a handful of salon pieces by Lecuona, Chopin, Beethoven, and others to resonate eloquently in a treasurable collection of music for the piano” - Rafeal de Acha, All about the Arts
“Varga has a monster technique… there’s nobody better than Daniel Shores when it comes to making piano recordings. The keyboard sound has power, body, and the ideal degree of immediacy.” - Andrew Quint, The Absolute Sound