Credits:
Helmut Lachenmann
Description:
NAXOS promising pianist Boris Giltburg's new album is a collection of two pieces by Rachmaninoff (1873-1943), one of his favorites. His expression in the Piano Sonata No. 2, previously released on another label, with a good balance of lyricism and aggressiveness, showed that he and Rachmaninoff were a good match, and here he shows even greater intimacy. Rachmaninoff himself said, "Just draw freely what you associate with the music," and the "Sound Pictures" were not fully released to the public until after his death in 1969, due to the twists and turns of the publication process. In fact, the pieces are exercises for two hands, and all of them are known to be extremely difficult to play because of the superb technical skill involved. The sixth piece has been described as "Red Riding Hood and Wolf," and Giltburg himself detailed his impressions of this piece in the booklet of the album (in English).The six pieces in the "Musikfest," another technical work, incorporate a wide variety of ideas and forms, and are difficult pieces that require the player to develop a high level of expressiveness as well as finger training. Of course, Giltburg has these pieces completely under his control and captivates his listeners with his transformative sound. Naxos Japan
