Jean Louis Nicodé: Ein Liebesleben & Other Piano Works

Jean Louis Nicodé's album "Ein Liebesleben & Other Piano Works," released on May 31, 2019, under the Hyperion label, is a captivating journey through the romantic and expressive world of piano music. This album showcases Nicodé's virtuosity and emotional depth, featuring a diverse collection of pieces that span a range of moods and styles.

The album opens with Robert Schumann's "6 Phantasiestücke," Op. 6, a set of six imaginative and evocative pieces that highlight Nicodé's technical prowess and interpretive sensitivity. The first three pieces are lively and marked, while the fourth and fifth are slow and expressive, culminating in a sixth piece that is energetic and wild.

Next, the album presents Nicodé's own "Variations & Fugue on an Original Theme, Op. 18," a complex and intricate work that showcases his compositional skills as well as his pianistic abilities. The theme is slow and solemn, and the variations that follow explore a range of moods and tempos, from grand and sharp to slow and bound.

The final set of pieces on the album is "Ein Liebesleben," Op. 22, a cycle of ten poems that trace the arc of a love affair, from the first meeting to the final awakening. Nicodé's playing is nuanced and expressive, capturing the subtle shifts in mood and emotion that characterize the cycle.

With a total duration of 1 hour and 21 minutes, this album is a rich and rewarding listening experience that is sure to delight fans of piano music and those seeking to discover the artistry of Jean Louis Nicodé.