OF TWO MINDS: The Music of Frédéric Chopin and Tobin Mueller

Of Two Minds: The Music of Frédéric Chopin and Tobin Mueller is the third album of The Masterworks Trilogy. It achieved Fanfare Magazine‘s 2016 Editor’s Choice Award.

Of Two Minds explores the music of Frédéric Chopin (1810-1849) through adaptation, variation and original works. As both pianist and composer, Mueller infuses himself into Chopin’s passions.

There is no one more beloved by pianists than Chopin. It’s as if the piano was invented for him. Expanding its colors and depth, he rethought the piano, and in doing so, rethought music as well.

Chopin’s music represents the purist example of the Romantic movement. He expresses the Hero’s struggle in infinitely intimate terms. With every phrase, Chopin exposes his inner self, the artist emoting on an almost confidential level, combining ardor, ecstasy, awe and spontaneity… the very definition of Romanticism. If you believe music is “the organization of sound toward beauty,” Chopin is its greatest champion.

“Of Two Minds is a stunning addition to Tobin Mueller’s discography and a fascinating, innovative recording that will make you hear both Chopin and Mueller in a new light. Warmly recommended!” - Carla Maria Verdino-Süllwold, Fanfare Magazine

”One would be hard-pressed to find an artist with a more creative musical mind than Tobin Mueller’s. Disc 1, Tobin Plays Chopin, has ten tracks based on some of Chopin’s best-known works. Sometimes elegant and flowing, sometimes more raw and jazzy, Mueller dazzles with his masterful and deeply expressive playing whether performing the music as it was written or improvising. Disc 2, Tobin Plays Tobin, contains nine new pieces inspired by some of Chopin’s 24 Preludes and grouped into three-movement sonatas. Mueller channels the creative spirit and emotional richness of Chopin’s music. Quite honestly, it is very easy to imagine that this is the kind of music Chopin would be writing if he were composing today. It is on my Favorites list of 2016.” - Kathy Parson, MainlyPiano.com