Nino Gvetadze – The Muse (2023) [Official Digital Download 24bit/48kHz]

The year 1860 represented a turning-point in Brahms’s life: he issued a ‘Manifesto’ in which he distanced himself from the Romanticism of the ‘New German School’ epitomised by Liszt and their association with Wagner’s music-dramas. This aesthetic change of heart placed an emphasis on hard work and craftsmanship rather than the more Romantic conception of inspiration, with Brahms taking a particular pride in being both German and a self-made man. This ethos is reflected in the Variations and Fugue on a Theme by Handel, Op. 24. Brahms’s two Rhapsodies, Op. 79 were composed in 1879 and were dedicated to his friend Elisabet von Herzogenberg. The title may lull the listener into a false sense of whimsy, when in reality these pieces are founded on clear structural designs. Three Intermezzos Op. 117: Brahms wrote of these three Intermezzos to his friend Rudolf von der Leyen, describing them as ‘Wiegenlieder meiner Schmerzen’: ‘lullabies of my sorrow’. Each has the character of a soliloquy or introspective personal reflection

Nino Gvetadze about this album: “Throughout his life, Brahms was influenced by those he admired: the musicians he idolized, and the women with whom he formed powerful bonds. Clara Schumann represented both, and Nino Gvetadze explores their fascinating dynamic in The Muse. Brahms’s Two Rhapsodies Op. 79 were dedicated to Elisabet von Herzogenberg, whose loss he mourned in the Intermezzos Op. 117; and he was inspired by Handel to write a phenomenal set of Variations dedicated to Clara Schumann – whose Op. 21 Romances date from a time that neither she nor Brahms would ever forget.”

Tracklist:
1-1. Nino Gvetadze – Händel Variations & Fugue, Op. 24: Aria (01:00)
1-2. Nino Gvetadze – Händel Variations & Fugue, Op. 24: Variation I (00:56)
1-3. Nino Gvetadze – Händel Variations & Fugue, Op. 24: Variation II. Animato (00:50)
1-4. Nino Gvetadze – Händel Variations & Fugue, Op. 24: Variation III. Dolce (00:46)
1-5. Nino Gvetadze – Händel Variations & Fugue, Op. 24: Variation IV. Risoluto (00:50)
1-6. Nino Gvetadze – Händel Variations & Fugue, Op. 24: Variation V. Espressivo (01:06)
1-7. Nino Gvetadze – Händel Variations & Fugue, Op. 24: Variation VI (01:13)
1-8. Nino Gvetadze – Händel Variations & Fugue, Op. 24: Variation VII. Con vivacita (00:36)
1-9. Nino Gvetadze – Händel Variations & Fugue, Op. 24: Variation VIII (00:36)
1-10. Nino Gvetadze – Händel Variations & Fugue, Op. 24: Variation IX. Poco sostenuto (01:36)
1-11. Nino Gvetadze – Händel Variations & Fugue, Op. 24: Variation X. Energico (00:35)
1-12. Nino Gvetadze – Händel Variations & Fugue, Op. 24: Variation XI. Dolce (00:41)
1-13. Nino Gvetadze – Händel Variations & Fugue, Op. 24: Variation XII. Soave (00:46)
1-14. Nino Gvetadze – Händel Variations & Fugue, Op. 24: Variation XIII. Largemente, ma non più (01:42)
1-15. Nino Gvetadze – Händel Variations & Fugue, Op. 24: Variation XIV. Sciolto (00:39)
1-16. Nino Gvetadze – Händel Variations & Fugue, Op. 24: Variation XV (00:44)
1-17. Nino Gvetadze – Händel Variations & Fugue, Op. 24: Variation XVI. Ma marcato (00:34)
1-18. Nino Gvetadze – Händel Variations & Fugue, Op. 24: Variation XVII. Più mosso (00:35)
1-19. Nino Gvetadze – Händel Variations & Fugue, Op. 24: Variation XVIII. Grazioso (01:04)
1-20. Nino Gvetadze – Händel Variations & Fugue, Op. 24: Variation XIX. Leggiero e vivace (01:05)
1-21. Nino Gvetadze – Händel Variations & Fugue, Op. 24: Variation XX. Legato (01:18)
1-22. Nino Gvetadze – Händel Variations & Fugue, Op. 24: Variation XXI. Dolce (01:03)
1-23. Nino Gvetadze – Händel Variations & Fugue, Op. 24: Variation XXII (00:55)
1-24. Nino Gvetadze – Händel Variations & Fugue, Op. 24: Variation XXIII. Vivace e staccato (00:35)
1-25. Nino Gvetadze – Händel Variations & Fugue, Op. 24: Variation XXIV (00:36)
1-26. Nino Gvetadze – Händel Variations & Fugue, Op. 24: Variation XXV (00:39)
1-27. Nino Gvetadze – Händel Variations & Fugue, Op. 24: Fugue (05:34)
1-28. Nino Gvetadze – Two Rhapsodies, Op. 79: Rhapsody No. 1 in B Minor. Agitato (10:28)
1-29. Nino Gvetadze – Two Rhapsodies, Op. 79: Rhapsody No. 2 in G Minor. Molto passionata, ma non troppo allegro (06:45)
1-30. Nino Gvetadze – Three Intermezzi, Op. 117: Intermezzo No. 1 in E-Flat Major. Andante moderato (05:33)
1-31. Nino Gvetadze – Three Intermezzi, Op. 117: Intermezzo No. 2 in B-Flat Minor. Andante non troppo e con molto espressione (05:07)
1-32. Nino Gvetadze – Three Intermezzi, Op. 117: Intermezzo No. 3 in C-Sharp Minor. Andante con moto (06:57)
1-33. Nino Gvetadze – Three Romanzes, Op. 21: Romanze No. 1 in A Minor. Andante (05:45)