Johannes Brahms - Voyages (Leopoldo Erice)

Information

Composer: Johannes Brahms

• 7 Fantasies, Op. 116
• 3 Intermezzi, Op. 117
• 6 Piano Pieces, Op. 118
• 4 Piano Pieces, Op. 119

Leopoldo Erice, piano

Date: 2025

Label: Odradek Records

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Pianist Leopoldo Erice’s album Voyages explores the late solo piano works of Johannes Brahms, reflecting the composer’s introspective and refined final style. For Erice, Brahms has been a lifelong musical companion, marking moments of both joy and loss throughout his career. He describes these late works—Opp. 116 to 119—as “miniatures with a symphonic soul,” capturing profound emotion and structural depth within concise forms. The recording includes the Seven Fantasies, Three Intermezzi, and the Piano Pieces Opp. 118 and 119, showcasing Brahms’s distilled musical essence and his mastery of expressive, harmonically rich piano writing.

Spanish pianist Leopoldo Erice, born in Madrid, has built an international career as both performer and educator, appearing across Europe, the Americas, Asia, and Africa. He is currently Professor of Piano at the University of Ottawa and previously taught at Wilfrid Laurier University, the American University of Sharjah, and Middle Tennessee State University. Founder of the Festival Internacional de Música Clásica de Ribadeo, Erice has won numerous awards and performed widely on radio and television. An Odradek Records artist since 2023, he recently released Beethoven: The Last Sonatas. He studied in Madrid, The Hague, and Indiana University, earning a Doctorate in Musical Arts from Stony Brook University.