Original and Sensitive Interpretation of Scarlatti Sonatas
09/05/2000
(5 out of 5 stars)
"With her 17 Scarlatti sonatas, Ms. Zhu Xiao-Mei attains that rare combination of virtuoso playing and poetic, sensitive interpretation that makes Scarlatti music unforgettable and always new. Only Andras Schiff and Ivo Pogorelich play this music with similar delicacy of touch, pianistic ease, and attention to little nuances of sound. Ms. Zhu's playing of such well known pieces as K27 and K32 is new and original, in fact her K32 is simply breathtaking. Among less known sonatas that she has chosen, K141 and K142, two contrasting pieces, are exceptionally beatiful. This is a great recording, highly recommended to those who love Scarlatti. The sound quality is also excellent, even though this is a live performance (which makes it even more astonishing). I hope Ms. Zhu will record more, she surely deserves to be better recognized."