Search - Mikhail Pletnev :: Mussorgsky: Pictures at an Exhibition; Tchaikovsky: The Seasons, Sleeping Beauty

Pletnev at his best (and Virgin too, for such a price); indi

Aronne | 11/29/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is quite the bargain: two discs of piano music for the cost of one mid-priced disc! Please excuse the poor cover, a sticky note fixes it quite well.



Pletnev does fabulously in Pictures at an Exhibition, as one would expect. He does not hesitate to fill in the blanks were Mussorgsky left them (and a few places were he didn't; but generally only as far as tremolo notes goes. His dynamics are wonderful). This is not, as it may seem, a disadvantage to this recording. The result of any "changes" is wholly convincing; Pletnev moves closer to the spirit of the music. His playing is of the virtuoso caliber without being ostentatious, even in The Great Gate of Kiev. Indispensable.



Pletnev's own arrangement of The Sleeping Beauty is very sensible, symphonic, and, at times, simply breathtaking. This album includes Pletnev's second, finer recording of Tchaikovsky's piano suite, the Seasons. His first on RCA was a bit slow, but the present, Virgin/EMI account surpasses all. His poetic insight is not to the replaced. The Six Pieces, Op. 21 are neglected music that should me heard more often. They do take a few listens to fully appreciate.



This album is piano music at its best."

Leaden Mussorgsky loses the music's magic

Clark Macomber | Charlotte NC, USA | 11/22/2009

(3 out of 5 stars)

"After the glowing reviews of this recording here and with the reviews of the Evgeny Kissin piano "Pictures" I expected something quite wonderful. I was shocked. Had we heard the same recording? Get the recently upgraded Sviatoslav Richter Sofia recording instead. Even without stereo it will apparently always be the "Gold Standard"."

The "Original" Pictures...

Bonaparte | france | 11/25/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Most people know this work through its orchestral version, brillantly done by Ravel (a slightly arrogant Ashkenazy thought otherwise). Still, the Pictures were originally written for the piano.



Modern digital recordings of this original masterpiece are quite difficult to find, so it is a pleasure to hear them played by a renowned Russian performer.



Pletnev is a marvellous player here, taking us into all these different places using only one instrument. Not only Pletnev is a worldwide famous pianist, he is also a renowned conductor. No doubt this experience has helped him express the variety of textures that this work conveys...



Also, whereas the Sleeping Beauty adaption is an agreable curiosity, but the 2nd half of CD2 provides a great opportunity to discover Tchaikovsky's solo piano works. Very interesting.



The sound of this digital recording is very good, and the CD is mid priced.



To paraphrase Nespresso: What else? A must-buy indeed."