One day, Franz Schubert decided: there is more to it. My song Der Wanderer turned out pretty well, it is full of longing and 'dort wo du nicht bist ist das Glück', but let me do something else with it. Schubert composed the Wanderer Fantasy, on themes from his wanderer's song. A feast, this work. A catalogue of romantic emotions. Feast especially for the listener, as the pianist has a hard time reaching the finish line. It is Schubert's most virtuoso piano work. Even for a pianist who manages to win First Prize at the Queen Elisabeth Competition in Brussels, it's still a massive challenge.
Thirty is this Frenchman, with a won…
One day, Franz Schubert decided: there is more to it. My song Der Wanderer turned out pretty well, it is full of longing and 'dort wo du nicht bist ist das Glück', but let me do something else with it. Schubert composed the Wanderer Fantasy, on themes from his wanderer's song. A feast, this work. A catalogue of romantic emotions. Feast especially for the listener, as the pianist has a hard time reaching the finish line. It is Schubert's most virtuoso piano work. Even for a pianist who manages to win First Prize at the Queen Elisabeth Competition in Brussels, it's still a massive challenge.
Thirty is this Frenchman, with a wonderful track record already. He has performed with musicians such as Gauthier Capuçon, Augustin Dumay, Julien-Laferrière and with the Akilone and the Modigliani Quartet. Fournel has a whole cupboard full of prizes: the Ettore Pozzoli International Piano Competition (second prize), the Thomas Kuti Competition (second prize), the Gian Battista Viotti International Piano Competition (first prize), the Scottish International Piano Competition (also first prize) and, of course, that first prize in Brussels. Besides Schubert, he plays César Franck's romantic Prélude, Fugue et Variation and Karol Szymanowski's brilliant, highly virtuoso Variations on a Polish folk theme dating from 1904.
