The Variations brillantes “Je vends des Scapulaires” Op 12, based on the homonymous aria from the opera, are Chopin’s final variation set and a virtual farewell to the virtuoso style cherished in Paris. (Robert Andres)
The Nocturnes, Op. 15 are a set of three nocturnes for solo piano written by Frédéric Chopin between 1830 and 1833. The work was published in January 1834, and was dedicated to Ferdinand Hiller. These nocturnes display a more personal approach to the nocturne form than that of the earlier Op 9. The melodies and emotional depth of these nocturnes have thus been thought of as more “Chopinesque.”
In the Poème satanique, Op 36, Liszt’s influence on Scriabin is at its clearest; the sensual chromaticism of the Mephisto Waltz No 1 is evoked here. Later, speaking to his friend and associate Sabaneev, Scriabin characterized this work as ‘the apotheosis of insincerity. It is all hypocritical, false.’ The dolce appassionato of love is juxtaposed with a riso ironico, a powerful and recurrent ‘ironic laughter’. This mocking, quizzical attitude was explored later in Énigme (Op 52 No 2), Ironies (Op 56 No 2) and the Deux poèmes, Op 63. In the third statement of the luxuriant second idea, marked amoroso, Scriabin reverses the positions of principal and secondary voices, a tactic already adopted in Op 32 No 1 and later a favourite strategy. Here, a characteristic ‘above the clouds’ effect is achieved. (Simon Nicholls)
Kaija Saariaho was a Finnish composer (1952 – 2023). Prelude (2006) was composed for long-time collaborator Tuija Hakkila as a development of the piano part of the song cycle Quatre instants (especially its beginning, hence the title), which Tuija had premiered with soprano Karita Mattila in 2003. Much like the source work, Prelude explores the passionate obsession for a pulsating idee fixe that never gets a release or resolution. The work is a ‘prelude’ also in exposing ideas of sustained rhythmical flow, idiomatic to the instrument, that Kaija explored further in her ulterior piano writing in chamber music works, and beyond.
The Bells of Geneva is a work taken from the first year of Franz Liszt ‘s Pilgrimage Years: Switzerland. A collection that would probably have as a preface another small collection of three pieces, Apparition (1834). This first Swiss year evokes Liszt’s stay in this country 20 years earlier with Marie d’Agoult.
i Andante, ii Presto
Scriabin’s Piano Sonata No. 2 in G-sharp minor, (Op. 19, also titled Sonata-Fantasy) took five years for him to write. It was finally published in 1898, at the urging of his publisher. The piece is in two movements, with a style combining Chopin-like Romanticism with an impressionistic touch. The piece is widely appreciated and is one of Scriabin’s most popular pieces.
i Prelude
ii Nocturne
In summer 1891 Scriabin hurt his right hand through too much practice. For this reason he cultivated his playing with his left hand for which he composed his Prélude et Nocturne op. 9 in 1894.
La valse, a choreographic poem for orchestra, is a work written by Maurice Ravel between February 1919 and 1920; it was first performed on 12 December 1920 in Paris. It was conceived as a ballet but is now more often heard as a concert work. Apart from the two-piano arrangement, which was first publicly performed by Ravel and Alfredo Casella, Ravel also transcribed this work for one piano. The solo piano transcription is infrequently performed due to its difficulty. Lucien Garban produced a transcription for piano four hands in 1920.
Salome Jordania - Piano
Georgian pianist Salome Jordania has rapidly emerged as one of the most compelling pianists of her generation, celebrated for her technical command, poetic imagination, and profound musical insight. In 2025, she was named one of Georgia's Forbes 30 Under 30 in the Arts and Style category.
She has performed as a recitalist, chamber musician, and concerto soloist across Europe, Asia, and the Americas, including Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Austria, Israel, the Netherlands, Japan, Mexico, and the United States. Her festival appearances include Piano aux Jacobins, Les Grands Interpretes, L'Esprit du Piano, Piano en Valois, Festival de Musique de Menton, Palazzetto Bru Zane, Batumi International Piano Festival, Texas International Piano Festival, Tel-Hai Festival, Gijon Piano Festival, Yamaha Rising Stars in Tokyo, and the IKIF Rising Stars Series in New York.
Salome has won over 30 international prizes, including top honors at the Jose Iturbi Competition,
Etoiles du Piano, Georges Cziffra Award (Vienna), Chopin National Competition (Georgia), Norma Fischer Prize (USA), Yamaha Prize (France), Goldene Taste (Frankfurt), and Silver Medal at the IKIF Competition (New York). She was the sole winner of the New York Concert Artists Competition, which led to her acclaimed debut recital at Berlin Philharmonie in 2023.
She has performed with leading orchestras including the Georgian Philharmonic, Orquesta de Valencia, Moscow Virtuosi, SLO Symphony, Orchestre de Picardie, Orchestra Giuseppe Verdi, Armenian National Philharmonic, and Potsdam Philharmonic.
An active chamber musician, Salome is a member of the Amsterdam-based trio The Graces, which has performed at the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, the Grachten Festival, and Settimane Musicali Internazionali in Italy. In 2025, she made her Wigmore Hall duo debut, launching a UK tour. Salome studied at Juilliard (B.M.), Yale (M.M., Charles S. Miller & Yale Alumni Prizes), and Guildhall (Artist Diploma, supported by the Steinway & Sons Scholarship). Her highly anticipated debut solo album with La Dolce Volta, centered on Liszt's Sonata, is scheduled for release in 2026.
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