Khatia Buniatishvili plays Liszt, Chopin, Prokofiev, and Stravinsky

Many recordings came out in 2011 in celebration of the 200th anniversary of Franz Liszt’s birth. One of the most noteworthy was that of the young pianist and Verbier Festival regular Khatia Buniatishvili.

Triumphant after the release of her 2011 recording dedicated to the music of Liszt, Khatia Buniatishvili presented a recital at the 2011 Verbier Festival featuring music by Liszt (including his famous Sonata in B) and Chopin, the other great Romantic piano virtuoso composer. This specialist of Russian music then moved on to music by Stravinsky and Prokofiev, challenging works that seem effortless with the Georgian pianist’s perfect technique. Prokofiev’s very modern-sounding Sonata No. 7, whose toccata recalls jazz, a spirit echoed in the enthusiastic humor of the three movements of Stravinsky’s Petrouchka.

Photo: © Nicolas Brodard