The Best New Classical Albums of 2025
Album #14
Frédéric Chopin
Chopin intime
Justin Taylor, piano
Label: Alpha
Released: May 9, 2025
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I fully admit I had not heard of the 32-year-old French American pianist Justin Taylor before listening to this album, although that appears to be a significant oversight on my part. He has made several other critically acclaimed albums, which I will need to go back and explore. But his new release on the Alpha label titled Chopin intime is absolutely exquisite, and perhaps the best thing I’ve heard this year. Recorded in 2024 in the warm and generous acoustic of the Rosario Chapel in Bever, Belgium, I believe Taylor has achieved something very special on this recording.