Arcadi Volodos - Schubert-Piano Sonatas on CD

Description

Pianist Arcadi Volodos made a huge impact when he swept onto the international stage in the late 1990s. But his discs have been tantalisingly few, so expectations were running high for his third solo recording. The choice of Schubert is quite a departure from the razzle-dazzle of his previous CDs, but won't come as a surprise to anyone who has heard him in the concert hall. The E major Sonata (written when the composer was just 18) finds Volodos in playful mood. It's a delightful piece that would surely be performed much more frequently but for the lack of a fourth movement. And there's certainly charm in abundance as Volodos capers his way through its measures. The big work here is the late G major Sonata, haunting in its eerie juxtaposition of dreamscape and harsh reality. It finds Volodos in a much more solemn frame of mind. Sometimes too solemn, perhaps, with a first movement which threatens to become overwhelming for its length rather than its depth. However, he again shows himself to be a great keyboard colourist (just sample the third movement), and the finale positively dances off the page, its darker moments full of fire but never sounding coarse. Volodos finishes with Liszt's arrangement of "Der Müller und der Bach", from Schubert's song-cycle Die Schöne Müllerin, a perfect vehicle for the pianist's extraordinary lyricism and uniquely singing tone. With a generously rounded recording, this CD shows a great pianist in the making. --Harriet Smith

TRACKS

Schubert - Piano Sonata E Major D157
Schubert - Piano Sonata G Major
Liszt - Hungarian Rhapsody No.13 a Minor
Liszt / Schubert - Der Doppelgaenger
Liszt / Schubert - Der Mueller Am Bach