Defiant Voices, Free Spirits

What happens when composers refuse to obey the rules? Defiant Voices, Free Spirits explores the power of music as rebellion — against politics, tradition, or simply the expected. These piano works are not just notes on a page but declarations of freedom, each one a testament to the human drive to create, resist, and inspire.

Project Programme

Frederic Rzewski – Winnsboro Cotton Mill Blues
Fanny Mendelssohn Hensel – Melodie in C-sharp minor, Op. 4 No. 2, Wanderlied in E major, Op. 8
Ludwig van Beethoven – Sonata in C minor, Op. 13 “Pathétique”
I. Grave – Allegro di molto e con brio
II. Adagio cantabile
III. Rondo: Allegro
Margaret Bonds – Troubled Water
Frédéric Chopin – Mazurkas
Op. 24 No. 4
Op. 30 Nos. 1–4
Op. 33 Nos. 1 & 2
Alexander Scriabin – Sonata No. 5, Op. 53
Nirvana / arr. Alexey Kurbatov – Blew, Something in the Way, Smells Like Teen Spirit

About This Project

Anthology of Defiance is a recording project exploring music created against the current: works that challenged artistic conventions, political systems, gender expectations, or the limits of sound itself. From Beethoven’s explosive refusal of Classical restraint to Rzewski’s industrial protest, from Fanny Mendelssohn’s overlooked brilliance to the raw emotional force of Nirvana reimagined for piano, this anthology traces the many ways artists insist on freedom.

Unlike a traditional piano album centred around a single style or historical period, Anthology of Defiance places radically different musical voices side by side, revealing a shared human impulse: the need to speak truthfully, dangerously, and without permission.

Contributors

Maya Irgalina, piano