Thursday 4 January 2018

CD Review (The Straits Times, January 2018)



CHOPIN EVOCATIONS
DANIIL TRIFONOV, Piano
Mahler Chamber Orchestra 
Mikhail Pletnev (Conductor)
Deutsche Grammophon 479 7518 (2 CDs) 
****1/2

Here is yet another recording pairing both of Frederic Chopin's piano concertos, but this one is quite different. Spread over two discs, multi-award winning Russian pianist Daniil Trifonov plays the concertos in reverse order, which is chronologically correct. 

The Second Piano Concerto in F minor (Op.21) was composed before the First Piano Concerto in E minor (Op.11) but published later, hence the larger opus number. He takes an expansive view of both concertos, aided and abetted by veteran pianist-conductor Mikhail Pletnev's orchestrations which drags out the tuttis, highlights and adds quirky and piquant woodwind voices.

Trifonov's playing is however light-footed and scintillating which prevent the performances from sounding portentous or ponderous. His Chopin-inspired additions are excellent, teaming with his teacher Sergei Babayan on two pianos in the delectable Rondo in C major (Op.73), and two wonderful sets of variations. 

Chopin's own La Ci Darem Variations after Mozart's Don Giovanni and Federico Mompou's Variations On A Theme By Chopin, based on the little A major Prelude (Op.28 No.7), get performances which will be hard to better. Throw in further encores in the form of Chopin's Fantaisie-Impromptu, Barber's Nocturne and shorter pieces by Schumann, Grieg and Tchaikovsky, one gets a more complete picture. This is truly Chopin advocated with dedication and love.    

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