Michel Dalberto, winner of the 1978 Leeds Piano Competition, has been a very infrequent visitor to the recording studios. He is a pianist who knows his own strengths and who has refused to allow himself to be pressurized into playing a repertoire that does not show him in the best light. His deeply concentrated style, supported by a keen intellect is well-suited to the world of Brahms, so fuil as it is of reflective lyricism.
The Ballade No. 1 from Op. 10, Edward, leads us immediately into a world of mystery; Dalberto here conveys the visionary side of Brahms. In the D major second number from the set I especially admired the beautifully coloured tone that he draws from the piano. Whilst it is good to hear the opening theme of the final Ballade not played too slowly, surely the piu lento section is over-ponderous, the line of the music being slightly obscured. Fastidious in details of phrasing, it surprised me that Dalberto separates his hands so much in slow passages—this is a mannerism that may irritate some.
Moving on to the Op. 117 pieces, one senses that he sees them very much as 'pure music'. There is no attempt to shape different episodes with defined emotions. However, rhythm is not the strongest factor in Dalberto's playing, and although the sound-world is always impeccably judged, I missed some momentum in Op. 117 No. 3 and in Op. 118 No. 3 (especially the middle section).
But with a pianist who can interpret the late Brahms pieces with this degree of maturity one is willing to overlook some less-than-perfect aspects (his technique is adequate, but not particularly strong in passages demanding power). He feels no need to pull the music about and in Op. 118 No. 2 he takes his time in allowing the music to breathe naturally. In the last piece one becomes aware of Brahms's almost painful introspection; this forms a fitting summation to the music on the CD. Recorded sound has been realized well, with the right degree of resonance to exploit the mixture of harmonies so characteristic of Brahms's pedalled piano tone.'