The album has as a protagonist the pianist Evgheni Kissin and it was released on September 2nd, at Deutsche Grammophon's production house: the recordings have been effectuated on August 14th, 2021, The Great Hall of the Salzburg Festival - was an event within this famous festival, now immortalized also on the disc.

Two facets of the music of the first part of the 20th century, in the recital held in Salzburg last year by pianist Evgeni Kissin in the dance op. 5 No. 3 by Tikon Hrenikov, who led the Union of Soviet composers from 1948 to 1991, followed by a surprising version of George Gershwin's 3 piano preludes. It is surprising taht, until this recital, few could have imagined Evgeni Kissin performing jazz pieces. But in this context, the serious Kissin can also be playful in pieces that were unfamilliar in his repertoire until this moment.

The recital held at the Salzburg Festival last year by Evgeni Kissin included another opus by Tihon Hrenikov, as well as sonata op. 1 by Alban Berg. He continued with works by Frederic Chopin - a repertoire for which Kissin is famous. In 1984, when he was just 12 years old, he recorded his two concertos for Chopin's piano and orchestra, a record that brought him to the attention of the international world. Chopin then accompanied the entire artistic journey of Evgeni Kissin - in 1993 and 1994, two more albums with works for piano solo by Chopin appeared, in 1999, 2000 and 2013, new recital discs with Chopinian operas.

Evgeni Kissin's recital was eagerly awaited: It was held in a hall filled at its full capacity, the first time after the restrictions of the COVID pandemic. And Kissin's renown is enough to fill any auditorium to full capacity: the wonder child has turned into one of the most refined and important pianists of our time, who at 50 years old looks back proudly at his exceptional career, and with the prospect that there is still so much to be passed on to the public in the years to come.

Kissin plays Chopin in a highly intimate way, which does not turn the music into a romantic redundancy; you feel the emotion in every sound, without anything being sweet or obsolete; and if you listen carefully, you will notice that the pianist slurs the main melodic themes, living the entire musical discourse wholly and convincingly.

What few knew, is that Evgeni Kissin also affirms himself as a composer because during his Salzburg recital he also included his own work - Tango dodecaphonic op. 1 no. 2, which was received with enthusiasm by the public. The official program of the recital ended with the ethereal Clair de Lune from the Bergamasca Suite by Claude Debussy.

The public success of this recital brought two recalls: The song without words op. 38 No 6 by Felix Mendelssohn and Scherzo tumultuous No 2 by Frederic Chopin.

Evgeni Kissin - one of the great pianists of the Russian school, but also a socially involved artist. He is one of the Russian musicians who condemned the invasion of Ukraine immediately after war broke out in February this year.