The last solo disc of Barry Douglas's I reviewed was his Tchaikovsky G major Sonata and miscellaneous pieces (11/89). This new compilation represents a dramatic advance, both in terms of pianistic refinement and in the quality of RCA's recording (which is still very resonant, but in a way which suits the warm acoustic of Watford Town Hall). In addition the programme itself is extremely satisfying.
Douglas's Liszt Sonata may not reach the heights of Pollini's for structural grasp or Zimerman's for articulation and colouristic flair (both on DG); there are still instances where thoughtfulness goes with a slight loss of momentum, where passagework becomes laboured, or where the rhetorical punctuation feels artificial (as when the fugato collides with the recapitulation, track 3, from 1'37''). On the other hand the opening page is effectively restrained (where Zimerman rather recklessly burns his bridges) and the first main lyrical paragraph (track 1, from 5'40'') is as fine as most on record. Douglas's awareness of polyphonic strands in the texture is a constant delight.
Similarly the Webern Variations are played with much sensitivity to texture and line. One dubious point is the slowing down for the second page (track 5, from 0'23) where Webern marked drangend (moving on) in Peter Stadlen's now published score; but on the whole such carefully phrased and well-observed Webern playing is more than welcome.
Even more successful is the Berg Sonata, a piece which has been unlucky on record—Barenboim's account on DG is ill-prepared; Brendel's on Philips is severely rushed in the development section and is recorded on an ill-tuned instrument; Donohoe's on EMI is fine but not ideally responsive to harmonic tensions. Douglas comes closer than any of these to a truly persuasive ebb and flow, and his account of the central phase is outstanding in its sensitivity and insight.
Finally the four Liszt pieces are cannily chosen to form an illuminating succession, not just in themselves but from the Berg (with which Nuages gris shares its main melodic motif). Others may have found more shades of introverted intensity in these pieces, but Douglas is certainly less stiff here than he has been in the past, and the Elegie No. 2 makes an impressive conclusion to a thoughtful and rewarding recital.'