Johannes Brahms - Piano Works (Vincenzo Maltempo)

Information

Composer: Johannes Brahms

• 4 Ballades, Op. 10
• 8 Klavierstücke, Op. 76 (1871 No. 1, 1878 Nos. 2 to 8)
• 7 Fantasien, Op. 116 (1892)
• Variations on an Original Theme, Op. 21 No. 1
• 3 Intermezzi, Op. 117 (1892)
• 6 Klavierstücke, Op. 118 (1893)
• 4 Klavierstücke, Op. 119 (1893)

Vincenzo Maltempo, piano

Date: 2026

Label: Piano Classics

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Vincenzo Maltempo’s recordings for Piano Classics, including his widely praised interpretations of the two piano concertos by Johannes Brahms, are noted for their technical command, tonal richness, and expansive musical phrasing. In his second volume of Brahms’s solo piano works, he presents a carefully shaped interpretative journey from the dramatic Ballades Op. 10 through the Variations on an Original Theme Op. 21 No. 1 and Klavierstücke Op. 76, culminating in the late collections Opp. 116–119. His approach highlights Brahms’s evolving stylistic language—ranging from structural rigor to refined lyricism—while revealing the composer’s continual self-critical refinement. The Op. 21 Variations, in particular, reflect Brahms’s early post-Schumann period, marked by contrapuntal ingenuity and a balance between virtuosity and formal discipline.

Vincenzo Maltempo (born 1985 in Benevento, Italy) is an Italian pianist known for his virtuosity, scholarly approach, and advocacy of rare piano repertoire. He studied in Rome at the S. Cecilia Conservatory, graduating summa cum laude, and further refined his artistry at the International Piano Academy “Incontri col Maestro” in Imola under Riccardo Risaliti. After winning the 2006 “Premio Venezia” at Teatro La Fenice, he launched an international career performing across Europe, the Americas, and Asia. Maltempo is especially recognized for his landmark recordings of Charles-Valentin Alkan, earning critical acclaim and specialist recognition. His repertoire spans Baroque to modern works, with a strong focus on Romantic and neglected piano literature. He is also active as a pedagogue, co-founding a piano academy in the Netherlands and teaching at Italian conservatories.