logo
episode-header-image
Jan 2025
24m 11s

Seong-Jin Cho on Ravel's piano music

Gramophone
About this episode

Seong-Jin Cho, the 30-year-old pianist and winner of the 2015 International Chopin Piano Competition, has been entrusted by Deutsche Grammophon to spearhead the company's celebrations of the 150th anniversary of the birth of the great French composer, Maurice Ravel.

The first release, out on January 17, contains the complete solo piano works, and the second, due on February 21, is of the two piano concertos (a live recording with the Boston Symphony Orchestra and Andris Nelsons). 

Gramophone's James Jolly caught up with Seong-Jin Cho just after the pianist had performed the complete solo works in a single evening in Liechtenstein to talk about Ravel's important contribution to the piano repertoire.

Up next
Aug 22
Cellist Alisa Weilerstein on recording new concertos by Gabriela Ortiz and Richard Blackford
During the 2024-25 season, Alisa Weilerstein premiered three new cello concertos – Richard Blackford’s The Recovery of Paradise (which she has recorded for Pentatone with the Czech Philharmonic conducted by Tomáš Netopil), Gabriela Ortiz’s Dzonot (recorded for Platoon with the Lo ... Show More
23m 58s
Aug 15
The Dover Quartet on recording Woodland Songs | Gramophone Podcast
Joel and Camden from the Dover Quartet meet Hattie Butterworth in Philadelphia to discuss their latest album, Woodland Songs, which places the music of Jerod Impichchaachaaha' Tate and Pura Fé alongside the Dvorak 'American' String Quartet in F Major. Though vastly different work ... Show More
36m 6s
Aug 8
Mandolinist Avi Avital on his new album 'Song of the Birds' | Gramophone Classical Music Podcast
The mandolin player Avi Avital, with his ensemble Between Worlds, has just released a new DG album ‘Song of the Birds’ which crosses boundaries to explore the musics of three geographical regions – Iberia, southern Italy (Puglia) and the Black Sea – with vivid results. For this w ... Show More
31m 3s
Recommended Episodes
Dec 2024
Schumann and Prokofiev in private
Synopsis Two famous pieces of chamber music had their premieres on today’s date, both at private readings prior to their first public performances. On today’s date in 1842, German Romantic composer Robert Schumann arranged for a trial reading of his new Piano Quintet at the Leipz ... Show More
2 m
Aug 2024
Kodaly's Symphony
Synopsis It might seem odd that during his long career, Hungarian composer Zoltán Kodály wrote only nine works for orchestra. When someone asked him about this, he replied, “I was busy with more important work: I had to educate a public.” Kodály and his countryman Béla Bartók wer ... Show More
2 m
Aug 2024
Beethoven unveiled
Synopsis On today’s date in 1845, the sleepy little German town of Bonn played host to 5000 visitors. These ranged from curious natives and opportunistic pickpockets to famous composers, performers, and music lovers from many countries, including British monarch Queen Victoria an ... Show More
2 m
Aug 2022
Relaxing Piano Playlist Series 1 Episode 1
Feeling stressed? Need to unwind? Then how about some gentle relaxing music for you to ease into. Come and join me as your host, James Quinn as I take you through some wonderful music as I play for you on my own piano ranging from Bach, Mozart, Chopin and more.  In this official ... Show More
31m 33s
Jul 2024
Chopin Piano Music
Works include: Nocturne in E flat, Fantaisie Impromptu, minute Waltz, Grand Valse Brilliante and Etude Op 10 No. 3. Pianists include: Arthur Rubinstein. Alfred Cortot, Claudio Arrau, Margarete Long, Sergi Rachmanioff and William Kapell. 
43m 35s
Aug 2024
Rachmaninoff's 'Monna Vanna'
Synopsis In 1906, Russian composer Sergei Rachmaninoff had his heart set on turning popular Belgian poet and playwright Maurice Maeterlinck’s play Monna Vanna into an opera. Unfortunately, Rachmaninoff began work on Monna Vanna before he had secured the rights to do so. Rachmanin ... Show More
2 m
Nov 2024
The historically informed Mahler
Synopsis On today’s date in 1910, Gustav Mahler conducted the New York Philharmonic in a concert billed as “the first of a series arranged in chronological sequence, comprising the most famous composers from the period of Bach to the present day.” Mahler’s program included works ... Show More
2 m