Latest Reviews
Reflections on William Kapell | Author: Hank Drake Reviewing ..
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“Willy was beyond a doubt the greatest pianistic talent this country [USA] has ever produced.” Leon Fleischer
America has seen its share of pianistic careers cut short for varying reasons: whether due to burnout (Van Cliburn), hand injuries (Leon Fleischer, Gary Graffman), or other ailments (Byron Janis). Even Murray Perahia, arguably the best American pianist active today, has battled stress related hand problems over the last 15 years. No piano career ended more tragically than William Kapell's, who died in a plane crash in 1953.
Murray Perahia's Chopin Etudes: A Review | Author: Bassio Reviewing ..
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Maybe I know now why this set is very close to my heart. It is a question of emphasis. Many associate Chopin's etudes with their power to astonish and bedazzle and tend to forget the music making. But here, Murray Perahia shifts the emphasis and returns the spotlight back onto the music. However, do not let this introduction deceive you into thinking that Perahia's playing here is not up to the technical demands of these works. He is a virtuoso of the highest caliber, even when he is also the elegant pianist who plays Bach and Mozart!
Dazzling & Poetic Chopin from the 1930s Rubinstein | Author: Hank Drake Reviewing ..
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Review of Mr. Pohl's Bach Concert | Author: Bassio Reviewing ..
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We arrived 15 minutes late, but we were surprised they hadn't even started! Bad news arrived with the death of the conductor's father-in-law and that he will be late for the event. The ensemble then decided to start sans le maestro for the first programmed piece which was the Brandenburg Concerto No.3. The ensemble played with beautiful phrasing, but they had no voicing at all; this made the concerto dull and monotonous. I liked the continuo played on the spinet though, which provided the only hint of color.
Zimerman's Chopin: 'Excessive imagination'.. exists?! | Author: Bassio Reviewing ..
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The acclaimed pianist Krystian Zimerman, returns with this record to the Chopin concertos after he had previously recorded them with Giulini and the LA philharmonic back in 1979, which is still a classic. So I decided to return to it after these years and give it another listen, especially that it has been labeled Gramophone's choice.
Reviewing Sudbin's Scarlatti! | Author: Bassio Reviewing ..
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I finally decided to settle down and listen to Yevgeny Sudbin's Scarlatti CD after reading a lot of praise and I eventually decided to to write a review.
Tamas Vesmas in Alexandria | Author: Bassio Reviewing ..
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After a long inner struggle that had to do with the really bad weather, I finally decided I should take the risk and attend the piano recital. Mr. Tamas Vesmas was to play a pretty program that comprises Haydn, Chopin and Brahms. It was a cold night, but there were some keen audience there. The number was not too big though, and the setting was intimate, even allowing the pianist to converse here and there with the audience. The soloist entered and thanked the audience for their eagerness to attend in such bad weather.
Lubin's set should sit in everyone's collection | Author: Bassio Reviewing ..
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For a newcomer to Beethoven on period instruments; this set will cast new light on the oft-recorded works. This set shows something essentially Mozartean in these concertos; but with Beethoven's personality shining through. It is nothing strange to know that Beethoven admired Mozart's oeuvre in this genre and performed some of them regularly during his career as a pianist.
Rameau marvelously executed | Author: Bassio Reviewing ..
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Playing Rameau on the piano may annoy harpsichord purists; and results can range from the highly illuminating to the bizarrely tacky. Playing Rameau was demonstrated by pianists as varied as Marcelle Meyer, Gyorgy Cziffra and, more recently, Grigory Sokolov and Stephen Hough.
David Helfgott's Rach 3 | Author: Hank Drake Reviewing ..
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It's hard to believe it has been eleven years since this recording was released. In one respect, the media hype was the product of a very modern time. On the other hand, the film Shine, David Helfgott and his recordings seem like ancient history. With Helfgott's 15 minutes of fame long past, we may let these unfortunate recordings rest in peace.
