At the Heart of the Piano | Divine Art Recordings

Virtuoso German pianist Burkard Schliessmann will increase his representation in the Divine Art catalogue with a new triple CD/digital album entitled ‘At the Heart of the Piano’. The album consists partly of items from CDs previously issued by Bayer (nla) and new tracks not previously released. This issue follows Schliessmann’s two critically-acclaimed and award-winning SACD albums of music by Bach and Chopin, and precedes his new recording of works by Schumann, delayed from 2020 due to the Covid lockdown.

Burkard Schliessmann perfectly embodies musical Romanticism in his exceptionally expressive approach, never ‘smoothing out’ textures and rhythms in what can be very troubled and dramatic music, but instead searching for that music’s soul – it’s heart. Also a fine organist, professional scuba diver and owner of show-winning pedigree Maine Coon cats, he attracts awards at every turn including the Goethe-Plakette of the city of Frankfurt-am-Main; Classical Finalist 2019 International Acoustic Music Awards; 2 Gold Medals in the 2018 Global Music Awards; 3 Silver Medals in both the 2017 and 2018 Global Music Awards. Schliessmann is a Steinway Artist, recording and performing on his own Model D concert grand.

Among many other accolades, the American Record Guide said of two of the original albums that contribute tracks to this new set (when Schliessmann was still a young and relatively unknown performer):

“The best pianist I know at entering the world and expressing the awareness of the German romantics. There is something personal and unique about Schliessmann’s Schumann. It does not sound like anyone else’s. He is better than any other pianist I have heard–including Richter–in conveying the sense that this is deeply troubled music composed by a deeply troubled soul.” (ARG September/October 2000). “This spellbinding performance calls attention to itself, as Romantic playing should, and thus to Liszt’s music. It is an authentically Romantic reading. The Schumann Fantasie is even more astonishing, if only because one hears exciting recordings of it so rarely.” (ARG).

Praise for the pianist’s Scriabin is also glowing:

“…this is the most imaginative playing one has heard yet – on the level of Richter, Michelangeli, Wild, Gould – the highest order of artistry. Schliessmann gives the impression that his technique can stretch to fit anything his astonishing intellect can conceive ” (High Performance Review)

Divine Art CEO Stephen Sutton hopes that this part-new, part-reissue album will be ready for release in the Autumn; currently it is being remastered and reassembled by Paul Baily at ReSound UK. Sutton remarked “Having had to wait almost two years for Burkard’s new Schumann, after it was unavoidably delayed, it’s wonderful to be able to launch this new album shortly, in a new configuration, since its original version received such high praise.”