The most immediately striking thing about this disc is the wonderful piano sound. One can simply revel in the sheer beauty of the tone, the perfect roundness at all dynamic levels; listening to this disc is a pleasure throughout. The enjoyment is due, of course, to more than engineering alone, to more than the superbly responsive instrument and the ideal acoustic. Max Levinson makes the most of such advantageous circumstances with playing of assurance and maturity, of discriminating and perceptive poetry.
A young American pianist, Levinson plays with undemonstrative sincerity and natural lyricism. In the works rooted in the mid-nineteenth century, the Brahms and Schumann, he has no need for overt rhetorical emphasis. Brahms’s Variations on an Original Theme – one of his lesser-known early works – unfold with a sense of inevitability, with an inexorable flow rather than a dramatic sweep. Schumann’s Papillons has an expressive beauty and warmth, Levinson breathing life into every phrase. He has marvellous control at pianissimo level, and throughout his dynamic shading is finely judged. This aspect is especially evident in Schoenberg’s Sechs Klavierstucke, Op. 19, where the playing is intense and concentrated. Levinson ends his recital with Five Pieces for piano by Leon Kirchner. Composed in 1987 these works, based on an earlier song-cycle of Kirchner’s, are volatile and passionate and give Levinson ample chance to demonstrate a more theatrical side of his personality. He is an excellent advocate, and proves that he is capable of extrovert communication as well as musing on a more intimate level. Other artists may display a more glamorous virtuosity, but Levinson’s integrity speaks on its own terms. Having encountered this most impressive disc, I look forward to hearing more from this artist.'