*2025 stock* A landmark new recording brings together two of Frederic Rzewski’s most powerful and socially engaged works, interpreted with striking intensity by pianist Takuya Otaki. At the heart of the release is The People United Will Never Be Defeated! (1975), a monumental set of 36 variations on the Chilean resistance song “¡El pueblo unido jamás será vencido!”, composed as an ode to solidarity and resilience in times of political struggle. Widely considered one of the pinnacles of late 20th-century piano repertoire, the piece blends virtuosity, lyricism, and uncompromising political conviction in a tour de force of both composition and performance.  

Complementing this are Rzewski’s Six North American Ballads (1978–79), a cycle that reimagines traditional folk and protest songs through his fearless compositional voice. Rzewski transforms melodies rooted in collective memory into expansive concert works, weaving together echoes of labor movements, civil rights struggles, and the deep undercurrents of American history.  

Takuya Otaki approaches this music with a rare balance of technical brilliance and emotional depth. His performance captures not only the staggering pianistic demands of Rzewski’s writing but also its urgent humanity and political resonance. The album affirms the pianist’s place among the most incisive interpreters of contemporary repertoire. This release is both a celebration of Rzewski’s uncompromising art and a testament to the enduring relevance of music that unites political engagement with poetic expression. For listeners, it offers an uncompromising journey into works that challenge as much as they inspire — works that remain as vital today as when they were first composed.