Rachmaninov/Scriabin/Prokofiev

Rachmaninov/Scriabin/Prokofiev

Here you get four of the best-known piano sonatas written by Russian composers in the first half of this century, and a handsome young man on the cover. The handsome young man is a pretty good pianist, too, and performs all the music in a straight, uncontroversial way. He’s best when the music is busy and rhythmically regular – or rather, in the case of Prokofiev’s finale, consistently irregular. He’s absolutely on top of Scriabin’s Fifth Piano Sonata, which in itself is exciting.

Our rating

3

Published: January 20, 2012 at 3:07 pm

COMPOSERS: Rachmaninov/Scriabin/Prokofiev
LABELS: Decca
WORKS: Piano Sonata No. 2; Piano Sonata No. 5 Op. 53; Piano Sonata No. 9 Op. 68; Piano Sonata No. 7
PERFORMER: Peter Jablonski (piano)
CATALOGUE NO: 440 281-2 DDD

Here you get four of the best-known piano sonatas written by Russian composers in the first half of this century, and a handsome young man on the cover.





The handsome young man is a pretty good pianist, too, and performs all the music in a straight, uncontroversial way. He’s best when the music is busy and rhythmically regular – or rather, in the case of Prokofiev’s finale, consistently irregular. He’s absolutely on top of Scriabin’s Fifth Piano Sonata, which in itself is exciting.

What he doesn’t convey is expressive warmth – the outer sections of Prokofiev’s slow movement are just dull – and he shrinks from giving Rachmaninov’s soulful melodies their due weight. Adrian Jack

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