The first Youtube prodigy has grown up. Aimi Kobayashi plays Chopin and Liszt.

In 2006, youtube was a novelty, and one of the early viral video’s was Mozart’s 26th piano concerto, played by the then 11 year old Aimi Kobayashi. The original video has been deleted (after millions of views), but a copy was uploaded later on. 

And now, 12 years later, Aimi has her first CD for Warner classics. The Chopin might be just a bit too Rachmaninovesque, but I urge you to listen to tracks 8 and 9, Liszt. 

The big Après une lecture du Dante is refined and well balanced and the overplayed Liebesträume receives on of the best performances I know. 

Nice to hear the first Youtube prodigy grown up now…! 

Frédéric Chopin: 

Tracks 01-04 Piano Sonata No. 2 in B flat minor, Op. 35 

Franz Liszt:

Années de pèlerinage, 2ème année, Italie S. 161

Track 05  No. 4, Sonetto 47 del Petrarca 
Track 06  No. 5, Sonetto 104 del Petrarca 
Track 07  No. 6, Sonetto 123 del Petrarca 
Track 08  No. 7, Après une lecture du Dante (Fantasia quai sonata)

Track 09  Liebesträume S. 541: No. 3 in A-Flat Major, "O lieb so lang' du lieben kannst”

Aimi Kobayashi, Piano

https://open.spotify.com/user/otterhouse/playlist/1BXu6utOGyliIbUd7PBK3f?si=nxbUpICaSTayjP6bAIH34A (Webplayer link)

Aimi and fans...