Jean-Yves Thibaudet’s latest release features Aram Khachaturian’s Piano Concerto, recorded live with Gustavo Dudamel and the Los Angeles Philharmonic. The concerto is complemented by a series of solo piano works including Khachaturian’s Pictures of Childhood piano suite; Oscar Levant’s transcriptions of the “Sabre Dance” and “Lullaby” from the ballet Gayane; and the premiere recordings of Thibaudet’s own transcriptions of the Masquerade suite and the beloved Adagio from Spartacus.

“Khachaturian has this quality of nothing being fabricated,” says Thibaudet. “It’s all really him, coming from his heart and soul, and this Adagio for me is perhaps one of his best, most beautiful, and touching pieces of music. I wanted to take as much as possible from that huge orchestral score and decided in the end to create my own transcription, which I took the greatest pleasure in doing. It’s a piece that I find very intimate and personal, and I put a lot of my heart and soul into it.”