November 2007
There have been dozens of recordings of all three of these compositions, and I have some favorites, as I am sure you do, too. Alfred Brendel and Artur Rubenstein spring to mind. Yet these Brazilian performances go beyond anything I’ve ever heard. Brazilian-born Arnaldo Cohen has prodigious technique. He can really make the rapid passages glitter. He often uses a secco approach in the left hand, which is especially successful in passages like the one at the beginning of the Totentanz. His playing is vibrant and exciting. Yet he can turn around and break your heart with sentiment, as in the second movement of the first concerto, where nuance seems an inadequate description. His fellow Brazilian, John Neschling, does far more than merely accompany. Theirs is a partnership where each is as involved as the other. The orchestra members also catch the glow and play with precision and passion. BIS has not let anyone down on the recording end of things. The sound is very transparent yet solid. The first concerto’s triangle, which can become pesky in rough hands, is in perfect balance and remains part of the ensemble, contributing to the particular coloration that the composer wanted. The two-channel CD and SACD layers are just fine, the multichannel one adds a bit of presence and sounds more spacious. This is not only a contender for best disc of the year but best performance of these works as well. GO BACK TO: |
Liszt - Piano Concertos 1 & 2;
Totentanz
