The first release in Marco Polo's three-volume survey of the Medtner Piano Sonatas received a less than favourable review from me in April, and I am sorry to report that the second instalment fares little better. This is a shame since the three sonatas collected here present us with a potentially satisfying and enjoyable programme. The G minor Sonata, Op. 22 for instance is one of Medtner's most frequently performed works, and if given a convincing and sympathetic performance will provide the first time explorer with a perfect introduction to Medtner's music (it was Michael Ponti's recording on the Vox Candide label that first hooked me). The great E minor Sonata (''Night Wind''), altogether tougher both in content and duration but certainly no less rewarding, was once described by Sorabji as ''one of the major pianistic masterpieces of modern times'', and the Sonata-Skazka (''Fairy-tales''), with its overtones of Rachmaninov, offer us a chance to sample the more relaxed and lyrical aspect of Medtner's art.
When it comes to actual digital dexterity (and you need an awful lot for Medtner) Adam Fellegi cannot be faulted, but his lack of nuance and dynamic shading, his heavy-handed approach, and his tendency to steam-roller his way through these sonatas as though there were no tomorrow, do no service to this music whatsoever. The G minor Sonata is an excellent example; Fellegi certainly has plenty of the required tempestuoso, there's no doubt about that, but he too frequently allows the more intimate and subtle passages to pass by unnoticed—and Medtner's music, above all else, requires a pianist capable of bringing out the many subtleties and contrasts (no matter how minute) in order to make the music really speak.
Hamish Milne's excellent survey on the CRD label remains the only real alternative for these pieces, though at the moment, of the sonatas presented above, only the G minor and E minor are available (the latter on CRD (CD) CRD3339). So come on CRD, how about recording the remainder of the sonatas.'