Product Review

This is Grigory Sokolov s debut recital on Deutsche Grammophon, an outstanding live recording from the Salzburg Festival 2008 of central repertoire: W.A. Mozart, F. Chopin & 6 encores

At last - after 20 years - the maestro has agreed to allow his recordings to be released on CD - now as exclusive DG artist

Regarded as one of the world s leading pianists, and adored by his public in sold-out concerts, Grigory Sokolov is the real thing an artist dedicated to his art, and nothing else.

Few pianists of recent years have become quite such a legend in their own lifetime as Grigory Sokolov. His artistry has attracted comparison with the great golden age Russian pianists of the earlier 20th century; yet the breadth of his repertoire, the epic scale of his interpretations and the apparently limitless range of his imagination are in a class of their own.
This recital, given in 2008 at the Salzburg Festival, amply demonstrates the distinctive nature of Sokolov s artistry, featuring repertoire from Rameau onwards. The programme begins with two particularly beautiful Mozart sonatas in F major K 280 with its dark-hued central siciliano movement, and the brilliant and tender K 332 both played with Sokolov s habitual care, intensity and wealth of characterization. The second half consists of Chopin s 24 Préludes op. 28, traversing an extraordinary spectrum of colour and concept even within those pieces that last less than a minute.
There follows a typically generous complement of six encores: ranging from the highly decorated poise and vigour of Rameau s Les Sauvages to the mystery and whimsy of two short Scriabin Poèmes, and from the inward-looking delicacy of Chopin s late mazurkas to the sepulchral majesty of the Bach chorale prelude Ich ruf zu dir, Herr Jesu Christ.