Life

Returning to the studio after a three-year pause, Igor Levit reflects on existence and loss—thoughts prompted by the death of a close friend. Tracing a journey from the music of Bach to that of Frederic Rzewski by way of Schumann, Wagner, Liszt, and others, he supports his intellectual and emotional concerns with playing of power and tenderness. Liszt’s “Ad nos” *Fantasia and Fugue* unfolds with solemn fervor and Wagner’s Liebestod seethes with passion, while Bill Evans’ “Peace Piece” disarms with its simple message, exquisitely colored by one of the major pianistic talents of our time.