On May 20, 2022, pianist Zee Zee (Zhang Zuo), released her second solo piano album ‘Journey’ under the Decca Classics. This is the second cooperation between Zee Zee and UMG after the last album ‘Ravel ·Liszt’ with Philharmonia & Mo. Paavo Järvi, released in October 2019.

Exploring an endless music 'Journey'', Zee Zee – no stranger to travel herself – has built the program around Liszt’s music. ‘Liszt is one of the most important pianists and composers for the piano in the history of classical music,’ she explains. ‘With his Années de Pèlerinage at its core, I made this album as a tribute to Liszt. I chose one of my favorite representative works from each book of the Années de Pèlerinage. These pieces deeply influenced both contemporary, and later, musicians. They either explore the same theme or elaborate on Liszt’s innovative writing style. His Années de Pèlerinage run through his life and in them we can see the development, and difference, from his early to late styles.’

‘These programs selected from Liszt's Années de Pèlerinage have also been accompanying my music journey. They have become the reserved programs for my current tour in Asia, Europe, and the United States.’ Zee Zee Said. In August 2021, Zee Zee was invited to perform at the world-renowned Lucerne Festival in Switzerland and opened her first piano recital at the festival. At the concert, she also performed some programs on the new album, which amazed the audience. See Here the review.

The album was recorded in July 2021. As a co-producer, in addition to the ingenuity of track selection, in terms of post-production,  Zee Zee also had an in-depth discussion with Album Producer, trying to bring the most authentic and detailed timbre to the audience.

‘Travel is an inevitable part of the life of every musician,’ Zee Zee concludes. ‘In the post-pandemic era, the difficulty and inconvenience of travel give this album a more special meaning. With music, we are still continuing our musical journey.’  

TRACKLIST of the album -

Richard Wagner <Tristan und Isolde>, Prelude to ACT 1 (arranged by Zoltán Kocsis)

Arnold Schönberg <Drei Klavierstücke op. 11> 

Franz Liszt <Années de pèlerinage>, première année : Suisse (S 160), Vallée d'Obermann 

Maurice Ravel <Jeux d'eux>

Franz Liszt <Années de pèlerinage>, troisième année (S 163)

Les jeux d'eaux à la Villa d'Este

Francis Poulenc <Napoli Suite for Piano> 1, 2, 3

Franz Liszt <Années de pèlerinage>, deuxième année : Italie

Supplément : Venezia e Napoli (S 162), Tarantella 

You can listen to it now on Spotify and Apple Music.