Seong-Jin Cho - The Wanderer

The Romantic theme of the wanderer, the free spirit undertaking a journey into the self, runs through Seong-Jin Cho’s latest solo album. The globetrotting Korean pianist’s programme includes two monuments of the 19th-century repertoire – Schubert’s “Wanderer” Fantasy and Liszt’s Piano Sonata in B minor. Set for international release on 3 April 2020, The Wanderer also contains Alban Berg’s Piano Sonata Op. 1, a single-movement work of extraordinary intensity. All three compositions grow from a simple theme or melodic gesture which is then transformed in the course of a voyage of variation, development and discovery. “This music looks forwards and backwards at once,” notes Cho. “What fascinates me is the (three) composers’s ability to create great art from just a few elements. The way they develop the works’ entire fabric from a single motif is fascinating. What creativity! What imagination!” The album is available for pre-order today along with the 2nd movement of Schubert’s Wanderer Fantasy as a pre-release track.