I was a bit reluctant, on the principle of not looking gift horses in the mouth, to subject this outstandingly bargain-priced set to close comparisons with the obvious touchstone, Yvonne Loriod's recording of the Vingt regards, which arrived by the same post (see below). I was so struck by Austbo's account of the opening movement, however, that I cautiously tried a direct comparison and found at once a greater readiness on the part of the Norwegian pianist to allow the music time to register and resonate. At times he seemed to me to be making more sheerly beautiful sounds than Loriod, projecting grander lines in passages requiring massive tone, differentiating colour with even more precision. In terms of sheer fiery virtuosity (the 'oriental dance' of ''Regard de l'esprit de joie'', for example) Loriod is sometimes Austbo's superior, but in passages requiring stillness, quiet and breathless suspense, he often has more patience than she does, and the result is an even more beautiful account of ''Le baiser de l'enfant Jesus'' than hers, and a still more raptly reflective one of the penultimate meditation ''Je dors, mais mon coeur veille''.
Part of this, but only part, is the superiority of Naxos's recording. Much though I enjoy the bassy softness of Erato's sound while listening to Loriod, there is no doubt that Austbo's piano sounds more like a piano, and his recording has a greater dynamic range than hers. I would be giving the newcomer a pretty warm welcome even if I found it marginally inferior to Loriod's, but I find it every bit her equal. Austbo has something of Peter Hill's delicate subtlety in the many quieter pages and in the big ones he is easily a match for Loriod's steely power. An extremely impressive achievement, in short, and at this price an essential part of any Messiaen-admirer's collection.'