Pairing works by Khachaturian and Gershwin symbolises pianist Raffi Besalyan’s journey from growing up in Armenia to becoming a United States resident. The presence of Oscar Levant as both arranger and composer bridges the gap, so to speak, since this legendary Hollywood personality and pianist was himself a noted interpreter of both Gershwin and Khachaturian.

For the most part, East and West blend comfortably and idiomatically in Besalyan’s able hands. Granted, his use of rubato in the slower, lyrically orientated Gershwin selections (the second Prelude, parts of Rhapsody in Blue and the Earl Wild song transcriptions) betrays a telltale yet unobtrusive accent. The syncopations in the first and third Gershwin Preludes convey plenty of insouciance, although the swirls of figurations throughout Earl Wild’s ‘Fascinatin’ rhythm’ transcription sound a tad heavy-handed when compared to Wild’s far more supple and witty interpretation.

Besalyan’s brash and forceful way with the Khachaturian Sonatina’s outer movements contrasts with his sensitively sung Andante con anima. Likewise the blunt edges of his Waltz from the Masquerade suite differ from the yielding lilt in fellow Armenian-American pianist Kariné Poghosyan’s recording (Grand Piano). His superbly sustained Adagio from Spartacus (in Matthew Cameron’s effective transcription) is slightly less expansive than Poghosyan’s but less colourful, nuanced and well-engineered than François-Xavier Poizat’s wonderful recording (Ars Produktion). Yet what’s not to like concerning Besalyan’s straightforward readings of the two Levant transcriptions?

Besalyan claims his recording of Levant’s interesting, idea-packed and pianistically resourceful three-movement Sonatina to be its premiere (Levant himself only recorded the first movement). Not so: that honour fell to the late Joseph Smith on a release from Premier Recordings (American Piano, Vol 4: ‘Rhythmic Moments’, 1995). Since the latter is difficult to source, Besalyan’s carefully detailed performance is, in effect, the only game in town, as well as the prize of this release.