Album Notes

This CD of Chopin’s piano music performed by Otey is a second tribute to the work of the composer and the pianist. Chopin’s compositions were truly revolutionary in their technical demands, improvisatory-sounding melodic figurations and instrumental sonorities, and remain works of never-ending appeal.

Otey’s first Chopin CD performance was heralded as revealing “that Otey has maintained a fluent technique as an octogenarian, like Vladimir Horowitz and Arthur Rubinstein” - Andrew Quint, Philadelphia Music Makers Magazine, Sept 2008 Issue. Ionian Productions is honored to present this second volume of the two masters.

At the age of two Orlando Otey was placed at the piano by his mother. It was 1927 and she had always hoped to have a son who would become a concert pianist. This young pianist went on to give his first concert at the age of four at the Teatro Iris in his native Mexico City.

By the age of five he had toured Mexico and by seven he had toured Europe. He also began composing at an early age, and when he was just 14 he composed his first piano concerto, already having completed a list of other compositions.

In 1940 at the age of 15 while on tour in Mexico giving programs of his own compositions that included several mazurkas, nocturnes and etudes, Otey was heralded as The Chopin of Mexico by critics and listeners. Not only was his playing of Romantic music remarkable, his own works were taken by many to be compositions of Chopin, some critics quipping they were works that Chopin forgot to write.