Search - Sergey Prokofiev, Alexander Lazarev, Duncan Riddell :: Prokofiev: Piano Concertos Nos 2 & 3

(-) Mixture of Frustrating Blandness and Momentary Greatness

C. Pontus T. | SE/Asia | 06/23/2009

(3 out of 5 stars)

"'I'm sure I am not alone in finding Nikolai Demidenko's playing maddening, frustrating and enlightening in roughly equal measures.' Indeed, I can only second Tony Haywood's (MusicWeb International) words on Demidenko's recent Chopin Preludes and Third Sonata remake (Chopin: Preludes; Piano Sonata No. 3). However, they apply equally well to his Second and Third Prokofiev Concertos of 1996.



Overall, Demidenko takes a leisurely approach to Prokofiev's piano writing, whereas Lazarev seems happy to take the back seat. To be frank, not much of interest happens before the start of the Cadenza at 6:04, which is very measured if suspenseful. At 8:02, things start taking shape and Demidenko unleashes previously unhinted-at reserves of pianistic power--which is, though, well known to anyone who has heard his spectacular Medtner Concertos (Medtner: Piano Concerto No. 2; Piano Concerto No. 3). As put by the Gramophone's reviewer--'a cadenza that commands such a lavish range of colours that, by comparison, the orchestral accompaniment seems like a monochrome frame'. As a matter of fact, the final 13 seconds of Demidenko's Cadenza is outright frightening!



Regrettably, it takes until the beginning of the Finale, launched at a breakneck speed, before these power reserves resurface; have the brutal leaps ever been dispatched so wildly? The same goes for the concluding 1 minute and 15 seconds. Nevertheless, more than only momentary greatness is needed to give justice to two of the greatest piano concertos in the repertoire. Demidenko's Third is not exactly a failure--it is just largely ordinary and unmemorable. The LPO under Lazarev does not only sound unmemorable but also pale and unengaged, which at least partly is due to the unusually non-transparent engineering from the Hyperion team.



If anything, this disc reaffirms that Demidenko is indeed an uneven pianist--mixing momentary greatness with frustrating blandness.



TIMINGS: Second--12:26, 2:38, 8:33, 11:41; Third--9:32, 9:28, 9:52



REFERENCES: Second--Gutierrez/Järvi (Prokofiev: Piano Concertos Nos. 2 & 3); Third--Argerich/Abbado (Prokofiev, Ravel: Piano Concertos, etc / Martha Argerich)"