“A concert pianist of the highest order, Inna Faliks can be as dramatic or as subtle as a great stage actor.” —Marc Vitali, WTTW Radio

Inna Faliks is a spellbinding Ukrainian-born pianist with a glowing international reputation. Her long-standing practice of alternating musical interludes with the spoken word takes the form here of narrative storytelling. And with this unique CD—her first for Delos—Inna has a captivating, powerful and very moving tale to tell.

Her story chronicles her life’s path: her family’s emigration to America, her seminal early influences and her evolution as an artist. And it’s also her love story, as she is reunited as an adult with the childhood friend who is now her husband.

Each episode of the pianist’s saga—dramatically narrated by actress Rebecca Mozo— alternates with a beautifully played masterpiece that is closely connected to her life story from childhood onward. Music and words combine to spin a powerful and moving tale.

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Track Listing

    CD1

  1. Rodion Shchedrin: Basso Ostinato (3:52)
  2. “Today, Odessa is torn…” (4:12)
  3. J.S. Bach: Prelude and Fugue in G-sharp Minor, The Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 1 (4:29)
  4. “In the few years of early lessons…” (4:03)
  5. Jan Freidlin: Ballade in Black and White* (7:20)
  6. “The word ‘immigration’ popped up…” (2:15)
  7. W.A. Mozart: Fantasia in D Minor, K 397 (5:51)
  8. “Aunt Dolly and Uncle Ilya took us in…” (3:01)
  9. Chopin-Liszt: The Maiden’s Wish (3:24)
  10. “We moved closer to the school…” (3:27)
  11. Paganini-Liszt: La Campanella (4:48)
  12. “A serious student of Emilio del Rosario meant…”

    13. CD2

  13. Frédéric Chopin: Polonaise-fantaisie, Op. 61 (12:59)
  14. “In case you think that by the 18th century…”

    (3:33)

  15. George Gershwin: Prelude 1 in B- at Major (1:41)
  16. Gershwin: Prelude 2 in C-sharp Minor (3:25)
  17. Gershwin: Prelude 3 in E-flat Minor (1:27)
  18. “We emailed each other non-stop…” (4:29)
  19. Elliott Carter: Retrouvailles (1:47)
  20. “The festival musicians had rooms…” (5:26)
  21. P. I. Tchaikovsky: Nocturne in C-sharp Minor (3:10)
  22. “Amalia was very angry.” (3:54)
  23. Harrison Birtwistle: Oockooing Bird and “Living with Music…” (3:30)