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The postal service was kind to me on Friday bringing me two wonderful discs of solo piano music.
The first is a new release from Alessandra Ammara on the Arts label. This SACD follows a previous release of Schumann Carnaval on the same label. This Ravel recital contains several major compositions like Sonatine, Miroirs, and Gaspard de la Nuit. The recording itself is excellent, much better than her previous Schumann disc. I find the performances to be delightful. These are atmospheric interpretations with clean and clear articulation. Miroirs is especially fine. Gaspard is more beautiful and descriptive than powerful, but it still seems right.
The second disc is a solo debut album, I believe, of Alexei Grynyuk playing Liszt on a new Orchid Classics release. Alexei brings effortless technique to the Sonata and the other pieces (Mephisto Waltz No. 1, the three Sonetti del Petrarca, and La Campanella). He does not rely on bombast to make his points. The music is beautifully phrased with consistent forward momentum. The recording is very good. Not as good as the SACD above, but top-drawer in the CD world.
Follow Ups:
Yes - I just listened to them on Spotify and I agree. I'm especially surprised by Ammara's Ravel disc, and you're so right that the recording quality is WAY better than on her Schumann SACD. But also her playing itself is really an advance on her Schumann disc: her Ravel playing contains all sorts of new insights and a sovereign control of tone and articulation, just as you suggest. That dynamic change about two minutes in to Le Gibet is more startling than I can recall in anyone else's performance, and very effective. I don't remember if I've mentioned it, but in 2001, Ammara was a competitor in the Cliburn Competition and did not make it into the finals. (That was the year the Russians won all the top prizes.) Anyway, Jon Nakamatsu's teacher, Marina Derryberry, was scandalized that Ammara was denied her place in the finals, saying "They don't pass Alessandra into the finals, and yet they let that nobody, Olga Kern, in!" ;-)
Another interesting thing about Alessandra is that she apparently dropped out of sight shortly after the Cliburn Competition, in order to raise a family, and has only recently begun to concertize in earnest again. I think that's something that's easier for a pianist to do than for a singer. I remember that soprano Elisabeth Söderström did the same thing, but she was not nearly as fine a singer when she returned to the concert hall and recording studio, at least IMHO.
I didn't listen to all of the Grynyuk album, but what I heard (last third of the Sonata, Mephisto Waltz, Paganini Etude) was excellent, and my wife couldn't stop raving about the Liszt Sonata - she thought the part we heard was as good or better than any other performance she's familiar with. And I must say, the "devilish" parts of the Mephisto Waltz are played with electrifying speed and clarity - and you're right about the consistent forward momentum (at least from what we heard). Grynyuk is another pianist with a history at the Cliburn competition - in 2005, he did not even get past the first round! I notice too that Grynyuk is featured as an assisting artist in a couple of Nicola's albums - most recently, "The Silver Violin", where he appears on four tracks.
He's also playing on the violin sonata above.
"He's playing with this babe violist pictured above.", but somehow I resisted the temptation. ;-)
I admit to being in awe of folks like you, Chris, who have the music background, knowledge and writing ability to explain in interesting detail what I feel when all I can say is "I really like this performance." Of course, the fun starts when someone replies, "Why? It really sucks."
Anyway, thanks for your analysis and thoughts. Classics Today has a review up of this Liszt disc that basically agrees with your asssessment. (Jed Distler isn't your pen name, is it?)
At the end of the day, that might just be what is most important.
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