Pianist Yunchan Lim to Release New Album "Tchaikovsky: The Seasons" in August

Universal Music announced on June 20 that pianist Yunchan Lim's new album, "Tchaikovsky: The Seasons," will be released under the Decca Classics label on August 22. Universal Music also added that, ahead of the album's official release, the sixth piece from the collection, "June. Barcarolle," was released as a pre-release single on all streaming platforms on the same day.

This is the second album Yunchan Lim is presenting this year. Previously, the live recording of his performance at the finals of the 2022 Van Cliburn International Piano Competition, "Rachmaninoff: Piano Concerto No. 3," which he won at the age of 18, was released in May.

The cover of pianist Yunchan Lim's new album "Tchaikovsky: The Seasons," to be released this August
[Photo provided by Universal Music]

"The Seasons" is one of Tchaikovsky's most renowned collections of piano pieces. It consists of 12 pieces, each capturing a distinct moment or emotion?from sorrow and contemplation to joy, love, and peace?spanning from January to December. The cycle begins with "January. By the Hearth," depicting a character reminiscing by the fireside, and concludes with "December. Christmas," which offers a peaceful farewell.

During the 2023?2024 season, Yunchan Lim performed "The Seasons," earning enthusiastic acclaim from critics and audiences worldwide. France's Diapason magazine wrote, "The beauty and masterful technique flowing from the piano felt almost unreal," adding, "No one could have imagined that 'The Seasons' could resonate so deeply with audiences." The Dutch music magazine Die Nieuwe Muze commented, "Yunchan Lim is a true musician," and noted, "When he sits at the piano, he becomes one with the instrument and conveys his emotions exactly as he feels them."

Pianist Yunchan Lim [Photo by Universal Music]

Yunchan Lim stated, "Tchaikovsky's 'The Seasons' encapsulates the final year of a life." He explained, "'No. 1, By the Hearth,' expresses the fire in the stove gradually dying down. At first, you become lost in sadness for no particular reason while thinking about the past. Then, something new happens, bringing hope. There are moments of overwhelming emotion, and at times, you find yourself daydreaming as you watch the smoke from a cigarette. You fall asleep in tears, become immersed in forgotten memories, and hesitate at the crossroads of returning to the past. Eventually, you come back to the present, accept everything, and, with the sound of bells, bring closure to a day that will never return."

Yunchan Lim's "Tchaikovsky: The Seasons" album was recorded at the Yehudi Menuhin School in Surrey, United Kingdom.