This is a memento, complete with applause before and after each number, of James Levine's joyously greeted return to conducting in May, 2013. Few returns - or should one say resurrections? - have been so emotional. Plagued by a series of falls that exacerbated chronic back problems, along with various surgeries and perhaps a serious neurological condition, Levine underwent the trials of Job, leading to his sudden resignation from the Boston Sym. after he felt that his impairments made him an insufficient conductor of a great orchestra. That was in 2011, and instead of resting and recuperating, Levine's physical difficulties grew worse, leading to a two-year absence from any conducting.

叶甫根尼 伊戈列维奇 基辛（Evgeny Igorevich Kissin，俄语：Евге́ний И́горевич Ки́син），1971年10月10日出生于莫斯科一个犹太家庭。据说他11个月大时，就能哼唱出他姐姐Alla用钢琴弹出的巴赫的旋律。六岁时，他就进了专为天才儿童而设立的Gnessin音乐学校学习钢琴。在那里，他成为他家人以外的唯一的钢琴教师——Anna Pavlovna Kantor的学生。
十岁时，基辛首次登台，和乌里扬诺夫斯克交响乐团合作演奏。之后在同一年，他在莫斯科举办了他的第一场独奏会。基辛的天才在国际舞台上亮相是在1984年，他和莫斯科爱乐乐团合作演出肖邦两首钢琴协奏曲。1987年在英国，他和指挥家Valery Gergiev(捷杰耶夫,也译作葛济夫),小提琴家Maxim Vengerov,Vadim Repin(列宾),在Lichfield音乐节上演出.1988年在柏林爱乐新年音乐会上和卡拉扬合作演出了柴可夫斯基第一钢琴协奏曲(我看过录像,说实话不是很喜欢这个柴一).1990年9月,基辛在美国和祖宾 梅塔及纽约爱乐乐团合作演出了肖邦两首钢琴协奏曲,并且在卡内基音乐厅建成百年纪念之际举行了独奏会.1997年,他在伦敦Proms音乐节上(注:Proms音乐节是BBC组织的夏季古典音乐会。它的历史可以追溯到1895,演出地点是ALBERT HALL,是皇家音乐厅。PROMS的音乐家很多都是崭露头角的新人)举行个人独奏音乐会.
基辛经常在在欧洲,美洲和亚洲举行巡回演出.他曾经和很多世界一流的交响乐团和指挥合作过,例如阿巴多,阿什肯纳齐,巴伦博伊姆,克林 戴维斯,捷杰耶夫,朱里尼,扬松斯,卡拉扬,列文,马泽尔,穆蒂,小泽征尔,索尔第等等.基辛也曾经和阿格里奇,克莱默,列文,麦斯基,斯特恩等合作演奏室内乐.（以上翻译自英文维基百科）
专辑中文名: 贝多芬第二，第五钢琴协奏曲
发行时间: 1997年

There are few living pianists so well-known and with such legendary status as Evgeny Kissin. A former child prodigy, Kissin came to international attention in March 1984 when, at the age of twelve, he performed Chopin's Piano Concertos 1 & 2 with the Moscow State Philharmonic. Since then he has gone on to win countless prizes and plaudits. He now brings his considerable talents to Beethoven's five magnificent piano concertos, recording them for the first time as a complete cycle.

Poems by Yiddish Poets Read by Evgeny Kissin