Some music is best heard in the pristine acoustics of the concert hall as the performer feeds off of the energy of a large audience. Other music is more suited for the comfort of your living room, as if it was an intimate one-on-one conversation between musician and listener. The music on Khatia Buniatishvili’s latest recording, Motherland, is the latter.
From Brahms’ melancholy Intermezzo in B-flat minor to Debussy’s cool Clair de Lune, the music on her fourth recording shows the pianist getting personal and showing her sensitive side. Buniatishvili displays her personality and pride for her homeland with her own arrangement of the Georgian folk song, "Va Giorko Ma" and music by Georgian composer Giya Kancheli.
Buniatishvili has a long list of honours to her name, including being a BBC Radio 3 New Generation Artist in 2009-2011 and winning third prize at the 12th Arthur Rubinstein Competition in 2008. Meanwhile, critics have compared her outstanding energy and technique to Argentine pianist Martha Argerich. She makes her Toronto Symphony debut in October performing Chopin’s Piano Concerto No. 2.
Like what you hear? You can stream Khatia Buniatishvili’s Motherland using the player above until May 20, or preorder the recording here.
Follow Michael Morreale on Twitter: @18mrm
Listen to CBC Music’s Piano stream.
