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Leif Ove Andsnes iTunes Live: Upper West Side out now

New York, May 25th, 2010 – In January, on Manhattan’s Upper West Side, EMI recording artist Leif Ove Andsnes became the first classical pianist to record live at an Apple Store event. Leif Ove Andsnes iTunes Live: Upper West Side is available today exclusively on the iTunes Store.

To envision the atmosphere of that chilly winter evening, one need only picture the usual consumer-filled floor of a bustling Apple Store, except with a Steinway ensconced near the entrance with a world-class pianist entertaining the crowd both inside and outside the space.

The result of this recording is an enrapturing account of Leoš Janáček’s “In the Mists”, a four-movement suite, as well as an elegant interpretation of Beethoven’s Moonlight” Sonata.

Leif Ove Andsnes is no stranger to unconventional artistic expression, whether it is performing live in a stunning atrium retail space or collaborating with world-renowned visual artists.  His most recent EMI offering was the 2009 ground-breaking performance and recording of Pictures Reframed with South African modern artist Robin Rhode.  Re-interpreting Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition, Andsnes and Rhode took the idea further by applying Rhode’s visuals to a live performance of the works at New York’s storied Lincoln Center. 

Leif Ove Andsnes iTunes Live: Upper West Side marks the next step in Andsnes’s artistic journey. 

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Complete track list

Leif Ove Andsnes iTunes Live: Upper West Side

Recorded January 4, 2010 at the Apple Store: UWS (1981 Broadway NYC)

Leoš Janáček (In the Mists) and Ludwig van Beethoven (Piano Sonata No. 14 in C# minor, “Moonlight”)

Tracklist:

Track 1: In the Mists: spoken introduction 

Track 2: In the Mists: I. Andante

Track 3: In the Mists: II. Molto adagio

Track 4: In the Mists: III. Andantino

Track 5: In the Mists: IV. Presto

Track 6: Piano Sonata No. 14 in C-sharp minor, Op. 27, No. 2 – “Moonlight”: spoken introduction

Track 7: Piano Sonata No. 14 in C-sharp minor, Op. 27, No. 2 – “Moonlight”: I. Adagio sostenuto

Track 8: Piano Sonata No. 14 in C-sharp minor, Op. 27, No. 2 – “Moonlight”: II. Allegretto

Track 9: Piano Sonata No. 14 in C-sharp minor, Op. 27, No. 2 – “Moonlight”: III. Presto agitato

© 21C Media Group, May 2010

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