Balakirev/ Varga - Year That Never Was

Matei Varga writes: "To paraphrase Tolstoy, all happy memories feel more or less the same; but the unhappy times are experienced differently by each one of us. We've all had some really tough weeks, which sometimes turned into months, and (with a bit of bad luck) into years... I like to think that "off" years help us grow and prepare for the beautiful things that will undoubtedly come our way (I am an optimist at heart), but living through dark times is a complicated process. The year 2020 was complicated indeed. The world was put on hold and we hardly remember what we did in February, or May, or September... Many suffered from isolation and the inability to socialize - and they probably prefer to think back to 2020 as a year that never happened... I, on the other hand, felt liberated by the lack of schedules, appointments and the pressure to be productive - that horrid word which is killing our souls, slowly but surely. Instead I embraced seclusion and enjoyed the time off which was forced upon us. Yes, I did miss performing in front of a live audience and traveling to beautiful places, but I found that staying home, with my piano, offered me a better view towards my inner self and a chance to experience the joy of a new discovery. That was for me the Cuban master Ernesto Lecuona... Two years later, the pandemic isn't over and neither is the collective anxiety- but at least I can offer you this very personal recording, which I hope will take your mind away from current realities. This is music's most phenomenal power- to bring joy when we really need it!... "