Son Pno 1/2 - Premium Quality Musical Instrument for Piano & Keyboard Players | Perfect for Home Practice, Studio Recording & Live Performances

I've been listening to a lot of Liszt and Chopin piano music lately and thought I should give a listen to one of Naxos's house pianists, Idil Biret, who certainly has given some excellent performances amongst the many recordings she has made for them. But this CD is very disappointing.All the notes are in place, the dynamics are neatly modulated, the tempo are by and large fairly apt. Still, the performances are consistently undercharacterized and, more to the point, boring. For instance, the churning figure at the doppio movimento (after the Grave opening) of the Chopin's Second Sonata is simply squirmy, not agitated or exciting. The lyrical theme that comes just after is pure vanilla, not yearning, not an outpouring of beauty. Blech! I'd been listening earlier this week to Leif Ove Andsnes's performance on Virgin (a review will follow one of these days) and it's like the difference between tapioca pudding and crême brulée (and in Andsnes's verion the crême really sizzles). Biret's funeral march is so calm you'd think it was a stroll in the park, although the middle section is nicely serene. The fleeting Presto is not so much misterioso as blurred by too much pedal.Similar criticisms obtain for the rest of that and the first Chopin sonata included here. As to the Liszt b minor sonata, don't ask. I have listened lately to versions by seven other pianists. This one comes in dead last. It's as if Jeno Jando were on automatic pilot, even in the allegro energico sections.In spite of the budget price I'd advise you to look elsewhere.Scott Morrison