Wanderings
Frédéric Chopin composer
Clara Wieck Schumann composer
Lili Boulanger composer
Amy Beach composer
Brian Woods piano
WANDERINGS, the debut album from pianist Brian Woods, reflects the beauty that can emerge in dark times. Woods performs Chopin’s Ballades alongside pioneering compositions from Clara Schumann, Lili Boulanger, and Amy Beach. The album was born as an artistic response to the horror of the war in Ukraine; through these emotive and technically-demanding performances, Woods offers comfort and inspiration for people everywhere suffering displacement. Just as Chopin wrestled with what it meant to be Polish while living outside of Poland, Woods seeks identity and transformation through exile. In WANDERINGS, Woods leverages the power of music to bridge the gap between despair and hope.
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Track Listing & Credits
| # | Title | Composer | Performer | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Ballade No. 1 in G Minor, Op. 23 | Frédéric Chopin | Brian Woods, piano | 9:49 |
| 02 | Ballade in D Minor, Op. 6 No. 4 | Clara Wieck Schumann | Brian Woods, piano | 6:57 |
| 03 | Ballade No. 2 in F, Op. 38 | Frédéric Chopin | Brian Woods, piano | 7:37 |
| 04 | D’un Vieux Jardin from Trois Morceaux pour Piano | Lili Boulanger | Brian Woods, piano | 2:42 |
| 05 | Ballade No. 3 in A-flat, Op. 47 | Frédéric Chopin | Brian Woods, piano | 7:52 |
| 06 | Dreaming, Op. 15 No. 3 | Amy Beach | Brian Woods, piano | 5:33 |
| 07 | Ballade No. 4 in F Minor, Op. 52 | Frédéric Chopin | Brian Woods, piano | 12:37 |
Recorded February 6 & 9, 2024 at E. Desmond Lee Concert Hall, Washington University in St. Louis MO
Producer, Engineer, Editing & Mixing Nathan Hershey
Mastering Melanie Montgomery
Executive Producer Bob Lord
VP of A&R Brandon MacNeil
VP of Production Jan Košulič
Audio Director Lucas Paquette
VP, Design & Marketing Brett Picknell
Art Director Ryan Harrison
Design Edward A. Fleming
Publicity Aidan Curran
Digital Marketing Manager Brett Iannucci
Artist Information
Brian Woods
Celebrated for his stunning musicianship and dazzling stage presence, American pianist Brian Woods has emerged as an exciting performer of international acclaim. His 2023-2024 Season included concert tours across the United States, including performances for the L'ermitage Foundation (Los Angeles CA), the Dana Center for the Arts at Saint Anselm College (Manchester NH), Connect2Culture (Joplin MO), the Glema Mahr Center for the Arts (Madisonville KY), the Keokuk Concert Association (Keokuk IA), the Steinway Society of Western Pennsylvania (Pittsburgh PA), and more. Woods is also honored to serve as Music Director for Classical Programming at the World Chess Hall of Fame, one of the premier venues for chamber music in Missouri.
Notes
When the horrific war in Ukraine erupted in 2022, I encountered a feeling of helplessness that I rarely had before. While I am American, I have always cherished my relationships in the international community and, when speaking with both Russian and Ukrainian friends around the world, I heard a singular refrain: “I can’t go home now.” So many people outside the conflict itself were heartbroken, not just because war is horrific, but because they felt stranded on the sidelines of something that seemed so senseless and destructive.
As artists often do, I turned to creation as an outlet for processing these emotions, and I decided to dive into the music of composers who struggled with this idea of being “on the outside looking in.” Chopin immediately came to mind as someone who spent his entire adult life wrestling with what it meant to be Polish outside of Poland. The music of women composers, too, struck me as the perfect opportunity to explore less familiar repertoire while acknowledging the struggles women have endured for hundreds of years to earn equal footing in the classical music community. Two years later, WANDERINGS is the product of these explorations.
I had several reasons for recording the Chopin Ballades, but the main one was simple: they scared me. Not to mention their notorious difficulty, there are probably now hundreds of recordings of these pieces. What was I going to say that would be meaningful, especially on my debut album? I am happy to say that recording the Ballades was one of the most joyful, humbling, and creative experiences of my artistic life. I hope you enjoy this music and hear my deep love for Chopin’s masterpieces on this album.
Recording music by some of history’s great women composers was a privilege. Clara Wieck Schumann’s Ballade was published the same year as Chopin’s first Ballade, and is equally inventive and adventurous. Lili Boulanger’s Trois Morceaux Pour Piano are an entirely unique sound world, and I only wish I had been able to record the whole set. And Amy Beach’s Dreaming completely captivated me with music that is so sincere and simple, yet powerful and lush. It is my hope that the music of these women, and of the many other wonderful women composers, continues to make its way into the major concert halls and studio recordings. We are all the better for it.
I am proud to make my recording debut with WANDERINGS, a celebration of the beauty that can come from the darkest times. I hope you can find comfort and inspiration in music that continues to lift me up every day.
— Brian Woods
