Jando's Beethoven sonata cycle for Naxos has already received general critical acclaim. It was with relatively high expectations, therefore, that I approached this disc of piano variations and, on the whole, the performances here maintain this pianist's customary high standards. In the Eroica Variations Jando's performance is marked by the sureness of touch and musical judgement for which he is, by now, well-known. The bareness of the theme has an appropriately expectant atmosphere, where Jando's expressive use of silence is most effective. Moreover, the cantabile Var. 8, reminiscent of the finale of the Waldstein Sonata, the expressive ornamentation of Var. 15 and the admirable clarity of the fugue all contribute to a highly satisfactory musical experience. There is a freshness, too, in the F major Variations, Op. 34 despite the rather forward Naxos sound. By contrast, Lortie's more expansive and, at times introspective, performances on Chandos are much better recorded and the piano sound has more depth and richer bloom.
In the earlier C minor Variations and the Variations on Nel cor piu non mi sento, however the crisp brightness of the present recording is a positive advantage. Jando clearly identifies Beethoven's innovative compositional style against an eighteenth-century background in the chaconne-like Variations, WoO80, whilst the amiable simplicity of the Paisiello set rounds off this recital delightfully.
Despite some reservations about the present disc's acoustical qualities, which should not be over-emphasized, these performances of solo piano variations form an attractive pendant to Jando's Beethoven sonata cycle.'