Review - Eloquence box-sets: a library of lost gems
Jonathan Dobson digs for treasure in two box-set collections of mostly obscure recordings from the Westminster, American Decca and Deutsche Grammophon catalogues
Jonathan Dobson digs for treasure in two box-set collections of mostly obscure recordings from the Westminster, American Decca and Deutsche Grammophon catalogues
David Threasher welcomes a celebratory box of Sir András Schiff’s complete Decca recordings
Despax’s approach to the B minor Sonata is impressive – even grandiose – creating a highly personal sound world with tremendous scale and power yet with finesse and subtlety
APR is to be congratulated for shining a light on these two remarkable and little-known pianists
A sparkling and perceptive performance
This is Ives interpretation at its most perceptive
Richard Whitehouse explores the complete Véga recordings by Yvonne Loriod, reissued to mark her centenary, and finds a pianist of wide-ranging sympathies
A fully convincing display of the still-young pianist’s musicianship, blending maturity, intelligence and sensitivity with fully fledged prowess
The key to this release is the intimacy, often merged with yearning, at its core
It’s a true family affair, and the rapport is palpable in performances that revel in the joyfulness abounding in both works
Whether you find the performances refreshingly uneccentric or slightly lacking in spice will depend on your taste
With pianists of the stature of Schnabel, Brendel, Richter, Gilels and most recently Cédric Tiberghien in the catalogue, this is hard to recommend
He prompts your awareness in Schumann’s tortuous F minor Sonata of Clara Schumann’s fears for her husband’s genius, for a mind and imagination that soared gloriously but dangerously close to the edge
Momen’s playing brims with zest, clarity and refinement
Having this body of work in a single collection has its own justification, and no one – not least those who have heard him play Marco Stroppa (Kairos) – could doubt Bertsch’s expertise or dedication
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