Chopin & Szymanowski Jonathan Fournel

• Karol Szymanowski (1882 - 1937): Variations in B-Flat Minor, Op. 3:
• 1Szymanowski: Variations in B-Flat Minor, Op. 311:23
• Frédéric Chopin (1810 - 1849): Piano Sonata No. 3 in B Minor, Op. 58:
• 2Chopin: Piano Sonata No. 3 in B Minor, Op. 58: I. Allegro maestoso12:00
• 3Chopin: Piano Sonata No. 3 in B Minor, Op. 58: II. Scherzo. Molto vivace02:25
• 4Chopin: Piano Sonata No. 3 in B Minor, Op. 58: III. Largo09:05
• 5Chopin: Piano Sonata No. 3 in B Minor, Op. 58: IV. Finale. Presto non tanto05:13
• Karol Szymanowski: Variations on a Polish Folk Theme, Op. 10:
• 6Szymanowski: Variations on a Polish Folk Theme, Op. 10: Introduction. Andante doloroso rubato00:44
• 7Szymanowski: Variations on a Polish Folk Theme, Op. 10: Tema. Andantino semplice01:10
• 8Szymanowski: Variations on a Polish Folk Theme, Op. 10: Var. 1. Meno mosso00:51
• 9Szymanowski: Variations on a Polish Folk Theme, Op. 10: Var. 2. Agitato00:39
• 10Szymanowski: Variations on a Polish Folk Theme, Op. 10: Var. 3. Lento mesto ma poco agitato00:51
• 11Szymanowski: Variations on a Polish Folk Theme, Op. 10: Var. 4. Allegro molto agitato00:40
• 12Szymanowski: Variations on a Polish Folk Theme, Op. 10: Var. 5. Andantino01:03
• 13Szymanowski: Variations on a Polish Folk Theme, Op. 10: Var. 6. Andante dolcissimo02:03
• 14Szymanowski: Variations on a Polish Folk Theme, Op. 10: Var. 7. Più mosso00:50
• 15Szymanowski: Variations on a Polish Folk Theme, Op. 10: Var. 8. Marcia funebre04:12
• 16Szymanowski: Variations on a Polish Folk Theme, Op. 10: Var. 9. Più mosso. Allegro01:04
• 17Szymanowski: Variations on a Polish Folk Theme, Op. 10: Var. 10. Finale. Allegro vivo - Maestoso06:27
• Total Runtime01:00:40

Info for Chopin & Szymanowski

After a first Brahms recital that made a great impression (Alpha 851) and Mozart concertos (Alpha 1039) praised by the press for their natural fit (Gramophone) and fluidity (Le Monde), Jonathan Fournel, winner of the Queen Elisabeth Competition at the age of 27 and now an important figure on the international stage, has decided to record a programme that he has already performed extensively in concert: "I like Chopin's 3rd Sonata because the melodic lines don't need any embellishments, they're already beautiful — in the same way that the Mona Lisa doesn’t need any make-up. The same is true for Szymanowski's more virtuoso pieces. Szymanowski is a bit like a Scriabin who developed at full speed and who at times approached the Viennese style. I like that because there's research to be done inside, but it's not virtuosity à la Rachmaninov. What I like about these composers is that every element counts and expresses something.”

Jonathan Fournel, piano

Jonathan Fournel
Born in Sarrebourg in 1993, Jonathan Fournel started playing the piano at age 7. In 2000, he began studying with Marianne Henry at the Conservatory of Sarreguemines, continuing with Stéphane Seban the following year at the Conservatory of Strasbourg, while also taking private lessons with Patricia Pagny and Gisèle Magnan.

He was admitted to the Musikhochschule of Saarbrüken, Germany in 2006, where he studied under Robert Leonardy and Jean Micault. In 2009, he continued his studies with Bruno Rigutto, Brigitte Engerer, Claire Désert and Michel Dalberto at the Conservatory of Paris (CNSMDP), where he also majored in collaborative piano under the tutelage of Jean-Frédéric Neuburger.

Since 2016, Jonathan is an artist in residence at the Queen Elisabeth Chapel in Belgium, where he receives coaching from Louis Lortie and Avo Kouyoumdjian. He has participated in masterclasses given by many great pianists, including Laurent Cabasso, Aldo Ciccolini, and Jean Micault.

Competitions: Jonathan Fournel has been awarded prizes and laureate honours in competitions including the Concours International d’Epinal, the Ettore Pozzoli International Piano Competition (2nd Prize), the Thomas Kuti Competition (2nd Prize), the Gian Battista Viotti International Piano Competition (1st Prize), the Scottish International Piano Competition (1st Prize) and the Queen Elisabeth Piano Competition (1st Prize).

Concerts: Jonathan Fournel is regularly invited to perform in festivals such as Les Concerts de Poche, Les folles journées de Nantes, La Roque d’Anthéron, the Lille Piano Festival, Le Terroir Wasseyen, Piano Campus, the Festival International de Colmar. He has performed in major concert venues including UNESCO (Paris), Salle Cortot (Paris), Salle Gaveau (Paris), Auditorium Stefan Zweig (Nantes), CAC (Forbach), the Gustav Mahler Auditorium (Milan), Sala Verdi (Milan), Teatro Communale di Modena, L’Arsenal (Metz), the Carlo Felice Theater (Genova), the Royal Glasgow Concert Hall, the Usher Hall (Edinburgh) and the Caird Hall (Dundee).

In 2011, he gave the world premiere performance of Nicolas Bacri’s Sonata No.3 for Piano as a part of the Pianoscope festival in Beauvais.

At age 15, Jonathan performed with the orchestra of the Musikhochschule in Saarbrucken, Symphonistes Européens, and l’Orchestre Universitaire de Strasbourg. Since then he has performed regularly as a soloist with orchestras, recent collaborations including with the Donna Musica Orchestra, the Paris Conservatoire Orchestra, l’Orchestre National de Lorraine, the Wallonie Royal Chamber Orchestra, the Filharmonia Podkarpacka, the Sinfonia Varsovia, the Czech Virtuosi Orchestra, the Zagreb Radio-Television Orchestra, the Dubrovnik Symphony Orchestra, the Zilina Chamber Orchestra, the Jiangsu Symphony Orchestra and the Royal Scottish National Orchestra. He has worked with Franck Braley, Éric Darrigrand, Tobias Deutchmann, Pierre-Yves Gronier, Nicola Guliani, Jonathon Heyward, Lio Kuokman, Éric Lederhandler, Gergely Madaras, Jacques Mercier, Peter Oundjian, Wojciech Rajski, Simon Rigaudeau, Fan Tao, Mladen Tarbuk and Jean-François Verdier.

An avid chamber musician, Jonathan has collaborated with individuals including Gauthier Capuçon, Augustin Dumay, Victor Julien-Laférriere, Christine Lee, Chi Li, Régis Pasquier, David Petrlik and Vassilena Serafimova, and also with ensembles including Le trio les Esprits, the Varèse Quartet, the Hermès Quartet, the Akilone Quartet and the Modigliani Quartet.

Booklet for Chopin & Szymanowski