Austrian pianist
Ingolf Wunder was the second prize winner at the 2010 Chopin International Competition, yet his performance attracted enough attention to secure a recording contract with Deutsche Grammophon. For his debut album,
Wunder has selected an all-
Chopin program, which in part reflects music he played in Warsaw, namely, the Ballade No. 4 in F minor and the Andante spianato and Grande Polonaise brillante, along with two other works not heard in his competition recital, the Sonata No. 3 in B minor and the Polonaise-Fantaisie in A flat major.
Wunder is a sensitive and polished artist, with an ear for the delicate tones and refined phrasing that give
Chopin's music its introspective character, and his performances are poetic and smoothly lyrical, without a trace of sentimentality. Also important is
Wunder's concentration, which is reflected in his purposeful expression and the continuity of the music's forms, which keep it moving forward even in the most placid moods.
Wunder is a pianist to watch, because his playing here promises more intelligent and tasteful performances, and a long career with this label. Deutsche Grammophon's reproduction is warm and resonant, yet the piano's sound is well-focused.